ACADEMIC SUCCESS
The success of Nebraska student-athletes reaches far beyond athletic competition.
More Husker student-athletes have been selected to CoSIDA Academic All-America
teams (310) than any other school in the nation, and Nebraska has produced more
NCAA Top Ten Award winners (17) than any other school. As it enters its third season of
Big Ten Conference competition in 2014, Nebraska continues to set the standard for the
approximately 1,400 NCAA member institutions.
The Husker football team leads all individual sport programs in the nation with 104
all-time CoSIDA Academic All-America awards. The Notre Dame football program ranks
second among all sports nationally with 58 all-time academic All-Americans. In fact,
Nebraska’s 104 football academic All-Americans would rank among the top 25 schools
(all sports, all divisions) in the nation in the number of total CoSIDA Academic AllAmericans. The NU volleyball program has captured more academic All-America awards
(37) than any other women’s team in the nation, while the Husker softball program
ranks second on that list with 29 selections. Nebraska also ranks among the top 10
schools in the nation in CoSIDA Academic All-Amer icans in baseball, women’s basketball
and men’s and women’s track and field/cross country. Over the past two years, the
men’s and women’s track and field programs have produced 10 CoSIDA Academic AllAmericans - the most in the nation during that span.
Huskers Build on Academic Tradition in 2012-13
Husker student-athletes produced another outstanding year in 2012-13, continuing
NU’s tradition of academic success. The Huskers added eight CoSIDA Academic AllAmericans to their nation-leading total (310) to become the first school in history to
reach 300 academic All-Americans. Nebraska’s eight academic All-Americans led the Big
Ten Conference and ranked among the highest totals in the nation across all divisions.
NU has maintained its lead of 76 allAll Sports as of December 2013
time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
over No. 2 Notre Dame. Since 2000,
Nebraska has amassed a nation-leading
120 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans,
which would rank in the top 15 over
the more than 60 years of the academic
All-America program. Nebraska has
produced at least one academic AllAmerican in 43 consecutive seasons.
Senior I-back Rex Burkhead captured
first-team academic All-America honors
for the second straight season, while
senior linebacker Sean Fisher earned
second-team honors for the second
straight year. Fisher added a prestigious
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
While Burkhead and Fisher became the 25th and 26th two-time academic AllAmericans in the history of the Husker football program, senior track and field studentathlete Bjorn Barrefors became the first four-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in
school history. A six-time All-American as a multi-eventer, Barrefors was Nebraska’s
Male Student-Athlete of the Year and claimed an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
He was joined by 10-time All-American Mara Griva and Morgan Wilken in giving the
track team a trio of academic All-Americans. All-America wrestler Josh Ihnen added his
second straight academic All-America award, while eight-time gymnastics All-American
Emily Wong captured the first academic All-America award of her career.
Gina Mancuso added a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America award to the Husker
volleyball team’s nation-leading total of 37, while helping the Huskers to an NCAA Elite
Eight appearance on the court.
Senior Mary Weatherholt also capped the most brilliant career on and off the court
in Nebraska women’s tennis history. NU’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year earned
All-America honors in both singles and doubles, while finishing as the runner-up at the
NCAA Singles Championship. She added an Elite Eight finish with teammate Patricia
Academic All-Americans
310
234
204
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Top: Nebraska Student-Athletes of the Year Bjorn Barrefors (left) of the track and
field team and Mary Weatherholt (right) from the Husker women’s tennis team
earned multiple All-America awards in competition while leading two of Nebraska’s
strongest academic programs. Barrefors was an All-America multi-event competitor
who became NU’s first four-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. Weatherholt was
the first Husker to earn All-America honors in both singles and doubles in 2013.
Bottom: All-American Brittnee Habbib earned her bachelor’s degree from Nebraska
in December of 2011. A communication studies major from North York, Ontario,
Canada, Habbib was a two-time academic All-Big 12 selection.
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