ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Nebraska increased its nation-leading total of CoSIDA Academic All-America awards to 320, adding six Huskers in 2014-15. Junior guard Shavon
Shields (Olathe, Kan.) became NU’s first-ever first-team Academic All-American in men’s basketball. Senior sprinter John Welk (Bismarck, N.D.), who was
Nebraska’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year, led three first-team CoSIDA Academic All-Americans for the men’s track and field program. Welk, who was the
Academic All-American of the Year in men’s track and field, was joined by Levi Gipson (Lincoln, Neb.) and Drew Wiseman (Bismarck, N.D.). Junior gymnast
Ethan Lottman (Omaha, Neb.) earned second-team Academic All-America status. Sophomore outfielder Ryan Boldt (Red Wing, Minn.) was a third-team
Academic All-American in baseball.
In 2014-15, Lottman was one of three Huskers to win the NCAA Elite 89 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point
average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 89 championship events. Nebraska’s other two recipients of the prestigious award were
Wiseman and senior thrower Will Lohman (Chewelah, Wash.) who claimed the honors in indoor and outdoor men’s track and field, respectively.
Graduation is the ultimate achievement, and 118 Husker student-athletes earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in three commencement exercises
at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2014-15. At the conclusion of the academic year, Nebraska student-athletes posted an impressive 3.155 cumulative GPA.
Nebraska celebrated 25 years of the Student-Athlete Recognition Banquet with “A Night at the Lied” - which became the Husker version of the
Emmys, Oscars and ESPYs rolled into one. More than 1,400 attended the April celebration, which was capped with Nebraska Director of Athletics
Shawn Eichorst (above left) and Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany (above right) presenting the Student-Athlete-of-the-Year awards and Big Ten
Medals of Honor to Jessie DeZiel (above second from left) and John Welk (above third from left). DeZiel (Rogers, Minn.) was a nine-time All-American
for the women’s gymnastics team. Welk (Bismarck, N.D.) was a three-time All-American sprinter for the track and field team. Welk was also the 2015
CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in men’s track and field.
8
2015 NEBRASKA CROSS COUNTRY