2008 Woodie Awards
Women's tennis leading in grades, not just athletics
John Schreier
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Sports
Nebraska has produced many recognized student-athletes. The Cornhuskers have the NCAA record with an impressive 252 Academic All-Americans, which leads their closest competitor (Notre Dame) by 59. Nine more student-athletes were added to the record last year, one of which was NU tennis player Imke Reimers.
Reimers, a senior who plays No. 1 singles and doubles for the Huskers, was a second-team Academic All-American last year. She also was named to the Big 12 Academic First Team for two consecutive seasons and has made the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll numerous times. Reimers has also finished the last three semesters with a perfect 4.0 grade point average and is double majoring in math and economics.
"It's all very important to me, especially the Academic All-American award," Reimers said. "We might not be pros in tennis, but it's not about the sports."
Reimers isn't the only women's tennis player to excel in the classroom. She was one of six women's tennis players to be named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll, which was released last week. Reimers was joined on the list by juniors Marianne Cicmanec and Ashley Finnegan, sophomore Wiveca Swarting along with freshmen Abby Buxton and Amber Chandronnait. The team only has nine players, so landing such a high percentage of them on honor roll list was a big accomplishment for NU Coach Scott Jacobson.
"It means a tremendous amount to me that our team excels academically," Jacobson said.
Finnegan is another Husker who has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in her three semesters in Lincoln after transferring to Nebraska from the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. Academic success is common for Finnegan, considering she finished high school with a 4.0 GPA as well.
Buxton has also excelled academically. She graduated from high school with a 3.9 GPA.
The Husker women's tennis team has a strong tradition of academic excellence. Two of the last three Herman Awards, which are awarded annually to the Nebraska men's or women's team with the highest average GPA, have gone to the women's tennis team. In 2006, they had an average GPA of over 3.6. In Jacobson's 16 years as head coach of the program, there have been 41 all-conference academic selections, 28 of which made the first team.
He's also coached two Academic All-Americans. In addition to Reimers's Academic All-American award, former Husker Rachel Collins earned a spot on the Academic All-American team in 1992.
"Academics are the key to our kids' future," Jacobson said. "Only one percent of all collegiate tennis players go pro."
JOHNSCHREIER@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
Reimers, a senior who plays No. 1 singles and doubles for the Huskers, was a second-team Academic All-American last year. She also was named to the Big 12 Academic First Team for two consecutive seasons and has made the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll numerous times. Reimers has also finished the last three semesters with a perfect 4.0 grade point average and is double majoring in math and economics.
"It's all very important to me, especially the Academic All-American award," Reimers said. "We might not be pros in tennis, but it's not about the sports."
Reimers isn't the only women's tennis player to excel in the classroom. She was one of six women's tennis players to be named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll, which was released last week. Reimers was joined on the list by juniors Marianne Cicmanec and Ashley Finnegan, sophomore Wiveca Swarting along with freshmen Abby Buxton and Amber Chandronnait. The team only has nine players, so landing such a high percentage of them on honor roll list was a big accomplishment for NU Coach Scott Jacobson.
"It means a tremendous amount to me that our team excels academically," Jacobson said.
Finnegan is another Husker who has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in her three semesters in Lincoln after transferring to Nebraska from the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. Academic success is common for Finnegan, considering she finished high school with a 4.0 GPA as well.
Buxton has also excelled academically. She graduated from high school with a 3.9 GPA.
The Husker women's tennis team has a strong tradition of academic excellence. Two of the last three Herman Awards, which are awarded annually to the Nebraska men's or women's team with the highest average GPA, have gone to the women's tennis team. In 2006, they had an average GPA of over 3.6. In Jacobson's 16 years as head coach of the program, there have been 41 all-conference academic selections, 28 of which made the first team.
He's also coached two Academic All-Americans. In addition to Reimers's Academic All-American award, former Husker Rachel Collins earned a spot on the Academic All-American team in 1992.
"Academics are the key to our kids' future," Jacobson said. "Only one percent of all collegiate tennis players go pro."
JOHNSCHREIER@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
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