Husker track and field’s Gordon, Willer lead academic honors

Nicholas Gordon looks at the test ahead of him. Countless times, the All-American sprinter has stared down a runway toward a sandpit, sprinted down and leaped forward.

This time, the test ahead of him isn't of physical ability, it's a final in a political science class — the major of the pre-law student athlete from Kingston, Jamaica.

Athletes are usually glorified for their feats of strength, speed and agility. However, seven members of the Nebraska track and field team were named All-Americans this past week for their achievements in the classroom.

NU's men's squad led the nation with five track and field/cross country Academic All-Americans.

Gordon was named for the second year in a row as a second-team selection; combined events athlete Bjorn Barrefors also was named to the team for the second year in a row, this time as a first teamer. Nate Polacek joined Gordon on the second team. To round out the five, Tyler Hitchler and Adam Dailey were named to the third team.

While being named to the team was an accomplishment in itself, Gordon sees it as simply a matter of working hard every day and learning time management.

"(Succeeding in school) is not impossible (for an athlete)," Gordon said. "You just go out and do what you need to do. People make it difficult, but I look at it this way: You need to excel in one to excel in the other."

Not only did the Husker men lead in the nation's track and field teams, but they had the most Academic All-Americans in any sport in the NCAA this year.

The women also added two athletes to round out the seven Huskers under coach Gary Pepin.

Pole-vaulter Natalie Willer was named to the first team and Ashley Miller to the second.

For Willer, balancing what she did in the classroom and in the athletic world is something that's always come naturally.

"It's something I've done all my life," Willer said. "I was driving to Lincoln every day in high school for gymnastics, so balancing sports and athletics has just come naturally."

For both Willer and Gordon, being named an Academic All-American is a far greater feat than being named an All-American on the track.

"The best thing about being a first-team Academic All-American is that I get to be part of something bigger," Willer said. "There's such a great tradition of great student athletes at Nebraska, and it's something I'm pretty proud to be a part of."

For Gordon, being named an Academic All-American even outweighs his individual National Championship for indoor long jump in 2009.

"A National Championship is just one thing," Gordon said. "You just get lucky, and you are great at the long jump on that one day. Being named an Academic All-American is a combination of a lot of my work in the classroom and everything I do on the track."

Gordon and Willer also share an academic award from the Huskers. They were named the men's and women's Student-Athletes of the Year.

"That one was one of the biggest surprises I've ever gotten," Willer said. "Looking around campus at who could have been picked and who they passed up, that was a huge honor."

The honor for both athletes will be completed some time next year as Willer and Gordon will return in the fall to complete their undergraduate degrees.

robbykorth@dailynebraskan.com