Kokesh Claims Degree

Lincoln - Eight current and former Husker student-athletes across all sports will earn their undergraduate degrees from the University of Nebraska during commencement exercises on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The group includes three student-athletes from the Nebraska football program, led by senior offensive linemen Alex Lewis (Tempe, Ariz.) and Chongo Kondolo (Carrollton, Texas). Former Husker place-kicker Mauro Bondi (Boca Raton, Fla.) is also scheduled to earn his bachelor’s degree.

Three-time All-American Robert Kokesh from Coach Mark Manning’s Nebraska wrestling program also highlights the Husker graduates. Kokesh, a two-time Big Ten Conference champion, closed his career with the second-best victory total (144) in Nebraska history. The 174-pounder from Wagner, S.D., was also a two-time academic All-Big Ten choice and a two-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

Tear’a Laudermill, a two-time All-Big Ten selection for Coach Connie Yori’s Nebraska women’s basketball team, will receive her diploma on Saturday. The 5-9 guard from Moreno Valley, Calif., helped the Huskers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and four straight 20-win seasons. She joins fellow seniors Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Brandi Jeffery as Husker senior graduates, after that trio earned their degrees from Nebraska in May.

Nebraska men’s basketball student-athlete Leslee Smith (Longlook, British Virgin Islands), soccer student-athlete Hannah Dittmar (Gretna, Neb.) and baseball student-athlete Travis Huber (West Jordan, Utah) round out the collection of August graduates.

The group of eight Huskers came to Nebraska from seven U.S. states and the British Virgin Islands.

Nebraska continues to feature one of the highest graduation rates in the nation, while leading the nation in the number of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (320) and NCAA Top Ten Award winners (17) across all sports.

August 2015 Nebraska Student-Athlete Graduates (8)

Student-Athlete (Sport) Hometown (Major)

• Mauro Bondi (Football) Boca Raton, Fla. (Criminology & Criminal Justice)
• Hannah Dittmar (Soccer) Gretna, Neb. (Nutrition, Exercise & Health Science)
• Travis Huber (Baseball) West Jordan, Utah (Communication Studies)
• Robert Kokesh (Wrestling) Wagner, S.D. (Agronomy)
• Chongo Kondolo (Football) Carrollton, Texas (Sociology)
• Tear’a Laudermill (Women’s Basketball) Moreno Valley, Calif. (Criminology & Criminal Justice)
• Alex Lewis (Football) Tempe, Ariz. (Sociology)
• Leslee Smith (Men’s Basketball) Longlook, British Virgin Islands (Sociology)