(by Hilary Winter – Nebraska Sports Information)

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska track and field team continued its academic success as three Huskers earned spots on the Capital One Academic All-America Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country teams announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Thursday.

The men’s track and field team has produced a total of 22 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, including 17 since 2002 when the track and field/cross country team was created. It was part of the men’s at-large program prior to the 2002 season.

Senior Bjorn Barrefors earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors for the third straight year, as he was a repeat selection on the first-team after being named to the third-team in 2010. He is the 12th Nebraska student-athlete all-time across all sports to be a three-time Academic All-American and the first since 2007. His teammate Nate Polacek earned first-team honors after moving up from the second-team last year, while Brett Grieb tabbed third-team accolades.

Nebraska’s nation-leading total of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans has grown to 299 selections across all sports. Besides Stanford’s three selections, Nebraska was the only other school with multiple selections to the Capital One Academic All-America Division I Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country first team. The Huskers also tied for the most men’s track and field/cross country Academic All-America honorees across the first, second and third teams.

Barrefors excelled in the multi-events under Coach Kris Grimes in 2012, adding a pair of first-team All­-America honors. A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Barrefors finished fifth at the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon during the indoor season and eighth at the NCAA Championships in the decathlon outdoors. He also captured the first Big Ten title of his career with a school-record 7,897 points in the decathlon at the outdoor conference championships.

A native of Kearney, Neb., Polacek is a two-time All-American and team captain for the Huskers. He finished fourth indoors at the NCAA Championships in the pole vault in 2011 and tied for 11th in 2012. He is a four-time all-conference honoree.

Grieb is a three-year contributor on the Nebraska track team and a two-year contributor for the Husker cross country team. He was a first-team academic All-Big 12 honoree in 2011 and was a four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.