Seven Huskers Earn Degrees

Lincoln ? The Nebraska track and field team had a strong showing at spring graduation on Saturday, as seven Huskers crossed the stage. The list of graduates was highlighted by 2008 Olympian, 2008 NCAA indoor national champion and eight-time All-American high jumper Dusty Jonas. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Head Coach Gary Pepin's track and field program also featured the past two Nebraska Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Presidents, 2008-09 President Patrick Burke and 2007-08 President Betsy Miller. Recently, Miller was also honored with the Gerard Award for Life Skills and was selected as a 2009 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient. 

 

Rounding out the group were Bryan Bell, Joslyn Dalton, Zac Holoch and Eric Petersen. The seven Huskers combined to earn 22 All-Big 12 honors and were part of four Big 12 Championship teams.

 

“I admire each of these student-athletes for the way they balanced school with competition,” Nebraska Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academics, Compliance and Planning Dennis Leblanc said. “These graduates add to Nebraska’s great tradition of academic and athletic excellence. These student-athletes have come from different parts of the country and the world to receive the highest quality of education while competing in athletics at the highest level. The athletic department, the University and the entire state of Nebraska are proud of them.”   

 

Overall, Nebraska’s 2009 May class of graduates adds to the Huskers’ great student-athlete tradition, which includes an NCAA-leading 268 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans across all sports. Nebraska continues to feature one of the highest graduation rates in the nation with a Big 12-leading exhausted eligibility graduation rate of 93 percent.