Sports – Page 662 – North Platte Post Archive

Huskers Will Honor Academic All-Americans Saturday

Posted on November 13, 2013

Nebraska is celebrating a milestone this weekend, one made possible by the countless hours Husker student-athletes put in on the field and in the classroom. The Nebraska Athletic Department surpassed 300 all-time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans during the 2012-13 academic year, enabling NU to become the first college or university in any division to produce 300 Academic All-Americans. To honor that achievement, Nebraska is welcoming back its best and brightest student-athletes for Saturday’s Husker game against Big Ten Legends rival Michigan State. An estimated 120 Husker Academic All-Americans will be honored at midfield after the Cornhusker Marching Band’s halftime performance.

A total of 223 Nebraska student-athletes have earned NU’s nation-leading total of 307 CoSIDA Academic All-America certificates. Björn Barrefors is the Huskers’ first and only four-time CoSIDA Academic All-American across all sports. The 2012 Big Ten decathlon champion was a third-team selection in 2010, then earned First-Team Academic All-America status in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Former Husker Mike Brown will be honored twice Saturday – in the first half as a First-Team All-America defensive back who last August was voted one of the Huskers’ Top Eight Blackshirts over the last 50 years; and secondly as a First-Team Academic All-American who will be recognized with the group at halftime. Mary Weatherholt is another accomplished scholar-athlete who will be individually introduced at Saturday’s game. Earlier this week, she was announced as a 2014 Top Ten Award Winner – the most prestigious award the NCAA presents on an annual basis. Nebraska leads the nation in Top Ten winners with 17. Stanford has 15 recipients of the award, which is based on academic achievement, athletic accomplishment and community service.

The Huskers’ 307 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans across all sports lead second place Notre Dame (231) and third place MIT (204), the only other schools to produce 200 Academic All-Americans. Penn State (182) and Stanford (176) complete the top five. Nebraska’s football team leads all programs nationally with 104 Academic All-Americans. On the women’s side, the NU volleyball program has captured more Academic All-America awards (37) than any other women’s team in the nation, while the Husker softball program (29) ranks second on that list. Nebraska also leads all NCAA women’s gymnastics programs with 14 Academic All-Americans. In addition, NU ranks among the nation’s top 10 schools in CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in baseball, women’s basketball and men’s and women’s track and field/cross country.

Four former Husker football players were chosen First-Team Academic All-Americans by an organization other than CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America. Don Fricke (1960), Pat Clare (1960), Jim Osberg (1965) and Tony Jeter (1965) are Academic All-Americans who are not included in Nebraska’s nation-leading 307 total because the NCAA uses CoSIDA as a single standard for all schools. Four Husker Academic All-Americans are deceased – Curt Hedberg (1978) and Jack Moore (1981), both basketball players, plus two-time Academic All-Americans Jake Young (football, 1988, ’89) and Alex Lamme (track and field, 1996, ’97).

Nebraska’s complete list of all-time Academic All-Americans is listed below by sport:

Football (104): Bob Oberlin (1952 and 1953), Jim Huge (1962), Dennis Claridge (1963), Marv Mueller (1966), Randy Reeves (1969), John Adkins (1970), Bill Kosch (1970 and 1971), Dave Walline (1970), Jeff Kinney (1971), Larry Jacobson (1971), Dick Rupert (1971), Frosty Anderson (1973), Ritch Bahe (1973), Rik Bonness (1975), Tom Heiser (1975), Vince Ferragamo (1976), Ted Harvey (1976 and 1977), Stan Waldemore (1977), Jim Pillen (1978), George Andrews (1978), Rod Horn (1979), Kelly Saalfeld (1979), Randy Schleusener (1979 and 1980), Jeff Finn (1980), Ric Lindquist (1980 and 1981), Dave Rimington (1981 and 1982), Randy Theiss (1981 and 1982), Kris Van Norman (1982), Bill Weber (1982), Scott Strasburger (1983 and 1984), Rob Stuckey (1983 and 1984), Mark Traynowicz (1984), Dale Klein (1986), Tom Welter (1986), Micah Heibel (1987), Jeff Jamrog (1987), Mark Blazek (1987 and 1988), Jake Young (1988 and 1989), John Nelson (1988), John Kroeker (1988), Pat Tyrance (1989 and 1990), Gerry Gdowski (1989), Jim Wanek (1990), David Edeal (1993), Pat Engelbert (1990 and 1991), Mike Stigge (1991 and 1992), Rob Zatechka (1992, 1993 and 1994), Ken Mehlin (1993), Terry Connealy (1993 and 1994), Trev Alberts (1993), Matt Shaw (1994), Aaron Graham (1994 and 1995), Steve Volin (1995), Steve Ott (1995), Brian Schuster (1995), Grant Wistrom (1996 and 1997), Jon Hesse (1996), Chad Kelsay (1997 and 1998), Jon Zatechka (1997), Scott Frost (1997), Joel Makovicka (1997 and 1998), Brian Shaw (1998 and 1999), Bill Lafleur (1998), Mike Brown (1999), Kyle Vanden Bosch (1999 and 2000), Tracey Wistrom (2001), Judd Davies (2003), Pat Ricketts (2003), Kellen Huston (2004), Chad Sievers (2004), Dane Todd (2005 and 2006), Kurt Mann (2005), Todd Peterson (2008), Tyler Wortman (2008), Austin Cassidy (2010 and 2011), Rex Burkhead (2011 and 2012) and Sean Fisher (2011 and 2012).

Baseball (18): Adrian Fiala (1970), Gene Stohs (1970 and 1972), Steve Achelpohl (1972), Steve Oakley (1980), Todd Oakes (1983), Mark Kister (1985), Matt Schuldt (1998), Erik Mumm (1999), Jeff Leise (2001, 2002 and 2003), John Cole (2001) Shane Komine (2002), Aaron Marsden (2003), Daniel Bruce (2005), Brandon Buckman (2006), D.J. Belfonte (2010) and Casey Hauptman (2011)

Men’s Basketball (7): Chuck Jura (1972), Curt Hedberg (1978), Jack Moore (1981), John Matzke (1984) and Beau Reid (1989 and 1991).

Men’s Gymnastics (14): Tom Schlesinger (1986 and 1988), Patrick Kirksey (1990), Mark Warburton (1990), Sumner Darling (1992, 1993 and 1994), Rick Kieffer (1995), Jason Christie (1996), Ted Harris (1997), Jim Koziol (1999), Marshall Nelson (2000), Ryan Sneed (2003) and Stephen Tetrault (2007 and 2008).

Men’s Swimming & Diving (4): Justin Switzer (1993 and 1994), Michael Windisch (2000) and Jon Hahn (2001).

Men’s Tennis (1): Steve Jung (1989).

Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (23): James Blackledge (1988), Brady Bonsall (1995 and 1996), Alex Lamme (1996 and 1997), Kyle Wyatt (2002), Dana Carne (2004), Danny Hill (2004), Aaron Plas (2006), Nate Probasco (2006 and 2007), Issar Yazhbin (2007), Nicholas Gordon (2010 and 2011), Bjorn Barrefors (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013), Nate Polacek (2011 and 2012), Adam Dailey (2011), Tyler Hitchler (2011) and Brett Grieb (2012).

Rifle (3): Rachel Spiry (2001 and 2002) and Ryann McGough (2011).

Soccer (4): Shannon Tanaka (2001), Meghan Anderson (2001), Shay Powell (2009) and Morgan Marlborough (2010).

Softball (29): Denise Day (1984 and 1985), Denice Feldhaus (1984), Shelby Mertins (1984), Lori Richins (1985, 1986 and 1987), Margie Ogrodowicz (1987 and 1988), Ruth Chatwin (1987), Lori Sippel (1988), Janelle Frese (1989), Jill Rishel (1990), Ann Halsne (1991 and 1992), Denise McMillan (1992, 1993 and 1994), Karla Knicely (1996), Jenny Smith (1998), Jamie Fuente (2001), Kim Ogee (2002), Lizzy Rock (2006), KoKo Tacha (2006), Molly Hill (2008 and 2009), Robin Mackin (2010), Ashley Hagemann (2011) and Nikki Haget (2011).

Volleyball (37): Karen Dahlgren (1984, 1985 and 1986), Virginia Stahr (1987, 1988 and 1989), Kathi DeBoer (1987), Lori Endicott (1988), Janet Kruse (1989, 1990 and 1991), Carla Baker (1989), Becky Bolli (1990), Allison Weston (1994 and 1995), Christy Johnson (1995), Lisa Reitsma (1996), Megan Korver (1998), Nancy Metcalf (1999 and 2001), Laura Pilakowski (2000, 2001 and 2002), Greichaly Cepero (2001), Amber Holmquist (2002), Anna Schrad (2003), Christina Houghtelling (2005 and 2007), Sarah Pavan (2005, 2006 and 2007), Tracy Stalls (2007), Kori Cooper (2008 and 2009), Amanda Gates (2008), Jordan Larson (2008), and Gina Mancuso (2012).

Women’s Basketball (8): Kelli Benson (1984), Cathy Owen (1984), Terri Parriott (1985), Stephanie Bolli (1986 and 1988) and Karen Jennings (1991, 1992 and 1993).

Women’s Golf (1): Heidi Wall (1996).

Women’s Gymnastics (14): Mary Ocel (1988), Jane Clemons (1990), Nicole Duval (1993, 1994 and 1995), Joy Taylor (1995 and 1996), Kim DeHaan (1996), Bree Dority-O’Callaghan (2001), Jen French (2002 and 2003), Libby Landgraf (2004), Richelle Simpson (2005) and Emily Wong (2013).

Women’s Swimming & Diving (2): Courtney Jensen (2000) and Kaitlin Arntz (2010).

Women’s Tennis (3): Rachel Collins (1992) and Imke Reimers (2007 and 2008).

Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country (26): Nicole Ali (1985 and 1986), Lynne Frey (1990), Kathy Travis Miiller (1996), Nicola Martial (1996), Janet Blomstedt (1997), Jill Myatt (1997), Cassandra Morelock (2000), Stella Klassen (2000), Jenna Lucas (2002), Kate Livesey (2002), Melissa Price (2002), Cheryl Harmon (2003), Ann Gaffigan (2004), Tia DeSoto (2004), Ashley Selig (2006 and 2007), Jenny Green (2006 and 2007), Kim Shubert (2007 and 2008), Natalie Willer (2010 and 2011), Ashley Miller (2011), Mara Griva (2013) and Morgan Wilken (2013).

Wrestling (8): Ryan Tobin (1996 and 1998), Matt Murray (2004 and 2005), Tucker Lane (2011 and 2012) and Josh Ihnen (2012 and 2013).

St. Pat’s Lawrence Signs National Letter-of-Intent to Play at Creighton

Posted on November 13, 2013November 13, 2013

St. Patrick’s senior volleyball player Brittany Lawrence signed her national letter-of-intent on Wednesday to play college volleyball at Creighton University.

Lawrence led the Lady Irish to a 17-12 record this season. St. Pat’s earned the No. 1 seed in the sub-district tournament but lost to fourth-seeded Sutherland in the semifinals to end their season.

Lawrence had 358 kills this season to average nearly five kills a set at 4.7. She also had 241 blocks to average 3.2 blocks per set. Lawrence finished the year with 145 digs and 57 aces. Lawrence said she is excited to continue her volleyball career at a good academic institution.

“It feels great knowing that I am going to be able to continue playing volleyball throughout college and get a great education too,” Lawrence said.

Brittany appreciated the coaching she got at St. Pat’s from Lady Irish head coach, Shelly Byrn.

“I learned a lot of stuff like discipline and hard work from coach Byrn and she always had us work hard in practice and in the weight room,” Lawrence said. “That’s going to be something I’m going to carry over to college.”

Creighton is currently 18-6 this season and has been in and out of the national rankings. The Bluejays are 9-3 in the Big East with four regular season matches remaining before the conference tournament. Lawrence is looking forward to playing for such a quality program.

“They have a really good sports program and they work hard and all of their girls have that desire to win that I have, so it should be a pretty good fit,” Lawrence said.

No. 16 NPCC Lady Knights Travel to Colby Saturday

Posted on November 13, 2013

North Platte – The No. 16 North Platte Community College Lady Knights basketball team (1-3) travels to Colby, Kan. to take on the Colby Community College Lady Trojans (1-4) on Saturday Nov. 16 at 6 p.m.

The Knights return to action after a week off and are led by sophomore DaVontaye Merritt’s 18.3 points per game to go along with 8.0 rebounds per game and freshman April Stull’s 8.5 rebounds per game to go along with 13.3 points per game. Sophomore Jordan Dickerson leads the team with 4.8 assists per game and is third in scoring with 6.3 points per game.

The Lady Trojans defeated Tabor College JV (81-62) before falling to Western Nebraska Community College (45-68), Phoenix College (40-58), Fort Carson Military (53-68) and Trinidad State Junior College 49-86. Colby will also face Lamar Community College on Nov. 14 before facing the Lady Knights. The Lady Trojans are led by Amanda Miller and McKenna Ortner who each average 7.4 points per game.

The Lady Knights return home next week as they face Northeast Community College on Tuesday Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. and Northwest Kansas Technical College on Friday Nov. 22 at 5:30 p.m.

Jacob Hammond Signs National Letter-of-Intent to Play for Miles

Posted on November 13, 2013November 13, 2013

Lincoln – University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Tim Miles announced that Jacob Hammond has signed a National Letter-of-Intent with the Husker basketball program on Wednesday, the first day of the fall signing period.

Hammond, a 6-foot-10, 230-pounder from Comanche, Okla., is considered one of the nation’s top big men in the class of 2014. Hammond is rated among the top 150 players in the country by Rivals.com, while he was a consensus three-star selection by ESPN.com, Scout.com and 247 Sports.com. The 6-foot-10, 230-pounder is rated as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Oklahoma by both ESPN.com and 247 Sports. Hammond is the first Rivals’ top-150 recruit Nebraska has signed since the site began ranking prospects in 2003. Hammond selected Nebraska over a number of schools, including Oklahoma, TCU and Texas Tech.

While Miles has upgraded the talent at Nebraska since arriving in March of 2013, finding a quality big man who compete in the Big Ten was a priority in this year’s recruiting, and Hammond has all the tools to be successful.

“I am really excited about Jacob Hammond joining the Huskers,” Miles said. ”He has excellent size and length. He is a great kid who wants to get better and better. I was very impressed with him all summer. He plays in a physical manner and has excellent athleticism. I really think he has a lot of room for growth and development and is someone who will be a great asset to our program. It has been fun getting to know him as a person. I truly like him and think he’ll be a valuable part of the future of Husker basketball.”

Hammond currently attends Comanche High School, where he will look to play his senior season for Coach Nick Price. As a junior, he played for national power Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., for Coach Kyle Lindsted when he averaged 12 points per game in helping the school to a 29-1 record and a No. 6 ranking in the MaxPreps Academy Top-10 in 2012-13. Hammond, who grew up in the Dallas area before his family moved to Oklahoma, spent the summer playing for the Dallas-based Pro Skills and the Oklahoma Magic AAU programs. As a sophomore, Hammond averaged 14 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks per game for the Oklahoma City Storm, a home school team, and began his high school career at Duncan High School as a freshman.

The Huskers are currently 2-0 on the season and play host to South Carolina State Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Storm Announce Additional Theme Nights

Posted on November 13, 2013

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm announced additions to the 2013-14 promotions schedule Tuesday, adding four new theme nights which will increase added value for fans who attend the selected games.

The four new themes include Seinfeld Night on Jan. 10, Taste of Nebraska on Jan. 24, Olympic Night on Jan. 31 and I Love Country Night on Mar. 1.

“Our fans have responded very positively to the value added promotions thus far and we recognized more opportunities to increase value for select games later in the season,” said Kyle Means, Vice President of the Storm’s marketing and game operations. “It’s our goal as a staff to create something unique that fans can enjoy each and every game.”

Seinfeld Night will be a twenty-fifth anniversary tribute to the classic ‘show about nothing’ when Tri-City battles Omaha. It will become part of Turn Back The Clock weekend at the Viaero Event Center, adding to Hairband Night onJanuary 11.

Taste of Nebraska Night will showcase some of the great local products that are made in the Storm’s home state of Nebraska. Fans will be able to sample and purchase these local foods at tables set up throughout the concourse as the Storm face the Sioux Falls Stampede.

With the Winter Olympics in Sochi fast approaching, the Storm will hold their own night of competition on the final day of January when the Des Moines Buccaneers come to town.

On March 1, the Storm have replaced the previously announced Garden Gnome Giveaway with I Love Country Night as they take on the Fargo Force. The country music themed game will also feature specials on bacon and beer.

Tri-City is heading out on the road for a five-game trip away from home, but when they return there will be plenty of excitement at the Viaero Event Center. Upcoming holiday themes include the popular Ugly Sweater Night on Nov. 30and Stuff Your Stocking Night on Dec. 13.

For single game tickets to any game on the Storm’s 2013-14 schedule, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at308.338.8011 or log on to stormhockey.com.

43 Gray Wolves to be Killed in Michigan Hunt

Posted on November 13, 2013

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s wolf hunting season begins Friday. It’s the first since the animal was placed on the endangered list four decades ago.

Forty-three wolves will be shot in three areas of the Upper Peninsula. Twelve hundred hunters bought tags allowing them to participate.

Wolves had all but disappeared in Michigan by the 1960s. But federal protections helped them mount a comeback. The Department of Natural Resources estimates the U.P.’s population at 658.

The department says the hunt is needed to deal with livestock attacks and other conflicts with humans that non-lethal methods haven’t resolved.

Opponents contend the hunt is about appeasing special interests and is based on inaccurate information.

The hunt continues through December unless the quota is reached earlier.

Pitchford Leads Huskers Past Western Illinois

Posted on November 13, 2013

Lincoln – Walter Pitchford led four Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska improved to 2-0 on the season with a 62-47 win over Western Illinois Tuesday night.
Pitchford, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, totaled a game-high 14 points, including a trip of 3-pointers, to pace the Big Red. Sophomores Shavon Shields and Terran Petteway added 13 apiece, while Leslee Smith came off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes.
Petteway nearly recorded a double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes, as Nebraska had a 34-30 advantage on the glass and forced 15 Leatherneck turnovers.
Pitchford and Smith keyed a decisive first-half run, as the Huskers (2-0) used a 23-7 spurt to seize momentum and build a 17-point first-half cushion. Leading 8-7 after a 7-0 WIU run, Smith came off the bench for two quick baskets and a pair of free throws to stake the Huskers a 16-9 lead. Moments later, Pitchford’s conversional 3-point play started a run of eight straight points for the Florida transfer as his second 3-pointer of the half pushed the lead to 13 points at 24-11.
A 3-pointer from Jabari Sandifer stopped the run for the Leathernecks, but baskets by Benny Parker and Shavon Shields sandwiched between a Pitchford 3-pointer put the Huskers up 31-14 and the Huskers took a 19-point lead into the locker room.
Nebraska shot 56 in the first half, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, while holding Western Illinois (0-2) to 32 percent in the half and 38 percent on the night, including 4-of-19 from long range.
Petteway carried the Huskers in a sluggish second half, scoring 10 of his 13 points in the final 20 minutes, as Nebraska cooled off after halftime. Despite shooting just 32 percent in the second half, the Huskers led by as many as 23 points on several occasions, the last being at 58-35 with 4:56 remaining after a Petteway 3-point play, and cruised to a 15-point win.
The Huskers return to action Sunday afternoon as they take on South Carolina State. Tipoff at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be carried on the Husker Sports Radio Network and shown online on the Big Ten Digital Network.
Game Notes:
*-Tim Miles collected his 300th career win tonight. He is now 300-238 in 19 seasons as a head coach.
*-Sophomore transfer Walter Pitchford finished with a career-high 14 points, including three 3-pointers. Pitchford has hit at least two 3-pointers in each of his first two games.
*-Shavon Shields reached double figures for the fourth straight game dating back to last season, finishing with 13 points in the victory.
*-Nebraska has not trailed in either game this season, as both of its first two games came against teams which reached the postseason in 2012-13.

Beck Focused on Spartan Defense

Posted on November 13, 2013

Nebraska was back on the practice field on Tuesday afternoon as the Huskers continued preparations for Saturday’s key Big Ten Legends Division matchup with Michigan State at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska practiced in pads for about two hours inside the Hawks Championship Center and on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck addressed the media after practice. He said a Michigan State defense that leads the nation in rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and opponent third-down percentage will be a challenge for the Husker offense. But Beck was encouraged by the offense’s late-game performance in a come-from-behind win at Michigan last Saturday.

“I thought our guys did some really good things on the field (on Saturday at Michigan), but we left some plays out there,” said Beck. “The guys played pretty well for the most part and handled the situation well, especially at the end.”

The offensive coordinator spoke highly of redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy Armstrong and the ‘it’ factor that he carries with confidence as he grows into the starting role.

“He made a couple of big throws for us and they were key,” Beck said. “I thought he played really well, handled himself well, made good decisions back there and didn’t panic.”

Nebraska will return to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon. Saturday’s matchup between Nebraska and the 14th-ranked Spartans is set for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.

No. 25 NPCC Knights Score 105 in Victory over York JV

Posted on November 13, 2013

North Platte – The No. 25 North Platte Community College men’s basketball team (5-0) scored early and often as they raced out to a 105-78 victory over the York College JV.

“A good way to open the season at home,” said assistant coach Nathan Wieseler. “It was a good opportunity for us to get a lot of guys minutes and see what they could do.”

The Knights came out strong in the first half as they shot 50% from the 3 point line en route to a 20 point halftime lead at 56-36. At the break Ethan Montalvo had 12 of his game high 14 points while Tim Simmons had seven of his 12 points in the first half.

In the second half the Knights continued their strong play as they closed out the game. Jake Maslo would score seven of his 13 points to be the third Knight in double figures. The Knights shot 50% from the field for the game.

“Offensively we executed well, but I believe out defense still needs work,” said Maslo. “Overall it was a good win for our first home game of the season.”

North Platte returns to action this weekend as they take on Midland University JV on Friday at 7 p.m. and Doane College JV on Saturday at 3 p.m. in McDonald-Belton Gymnasium. Both games can be heard on the exclusive home of the Knights, ESPN Radio 1410.

North Platte opens up Region IX play Nov. 22 and 23 as Otero Junior College (3-1) and Trinidad State Junior College (2-2) come to town.

Gregory Named to Hendricks Award Mid-Season Watch List

Posted on November 13, 2013

Nebraska sophomore defensive end Randy Gregory is one of 18 players who have earned a spot on the mid-season watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award.

The Hendricks Award is given to the nation’s premier defensive end and is named in honor of Ted Hendricks, a three-time All-American at the University of Miami who went on to an outstanding NFL career.

The 6-6, 255-pound Gregory has emerged as a dominant defender for the Nebraska defense. Gregory leads the Big Ten with 7.5 sacks and has had a hand in 13 tackles for loss. Gregory is third on the team with 39 overall tackles through nine games.

He also has a team-high 11 quarterback hurries, an interception return for a touchdown, a fumble caused and a fumble recovery.

Gregory is coming off his finest performance of the season at Michigan, when he registered three sacks to lead the Blackshirts to their best effort of the season. Gregory and the Nebraska defense held Michigan to -21 rushing yards and 175 total yards in the 17-13 victory. For his play, Gregory was named the Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week.

Gregory is the only Big Ten defensive end named to the Hendricks mid-season watch list.

This watch list will remain open to additions and deletions until the selection committee completes its first vote on November 25. The Hendricks Award voting committee will cast two votes: one to narrow the list of candidates to 4-6 finalists, and one to choose the winner for this season. The Final Mid-Season Watch List will be announced in late November. The 2013 winner will be announced on December 11.

On-field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities, contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the Award’s winner. Members of the national media, head coaches, professional scouts and former winners are included in the Award’s voting committee. Candidates may represent any class (Freshman through Senior) as well as any four-year NCAA accredited school. The candidate’s primary position must be Defensive End.

Hendricks Award Watch List
Vic Beasley, Clemson
Scott Crichton, Oregon State
Kasim Edebali, Boston College
Jayrone Elliott, Toledo
Dee Ford, Auburn
Randy Gregory, Nebraska
Martin Ifedi, Memphis
Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas
Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State
Kareem Martin, North Carolina
Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville
Ryan Mueller, Kansas State
Cedric Reed, Texas
Michael Sam, Missouri
Chris Smith, Arkansas
Marcus Smith, Louisville
Chidera Uzo-Diribe, Colorado
Tony Washington, Oregon