Omaha student-athletes have earned a combined 51 CoSIDA Academic All-America awards since 1972, when former Maverick football player Jim Jostes became UNO's first Academic All-America selection.
To be considered for Academic All-America recognition, student-athletes must be sophomore status or above, maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average, be a team starter or key reserve and be active members of their communities.
Since reclassifying to NCAA Division I in 2011-12, 10 Omaha student-athletes have garnered Academic All-America distinction 13 times: Paige Frauendorfer (2013), Alex Mortensen (2013, 2015), Allie Mathewson (2014), Caleb Palensky (2014), Cole Gruber (2015, 2016), Clayton Taylor (2016), Mark Moulton (2016), Mikaela Shaw (2016), Sydney Hames (2016) and Matt Pile (2019, 2020, 2021). Palensky was the first Maverick to receive first-team status since Ben Hochstein in 2007, and Gruber earned the distinction of Academic All-America of the Year for Division I Baseball -- the first for any Omaha student-athlete in school history.
CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING
| Year |
Student-Athlete |
Sport |
Team |
Position |
| 1972 |
Jim Jostes |
Football |
2 |
OE |
| 1981 |
Tom Freeman |
Men's Basketball |
2 |
F |
| |
Jim Gregory |
Men's Basketball |
1 |
F |
| 1982 |
Kirk Hutton |
Football |
1 |
DB |
| |
Clark Toner |
Football |
1 |
LB |
| 1983 |
Doug Ayars |
Football |
2 |
C |
| |
Kirk Hutton |
Football |
--- |
DB |
| |
Clark Toner |
Football |
2 |
LB |
| 1984 |
Jerry Kripal |
Football |
1 |
QB |
| 1985 |
Jerry Kripal |
Football |
2 |
C |
| 1986 |
Kathy Gass |
Softball |
HM |
OF |
| |
Lori Schutte |
Volleyball |
2 |
B |
| 1987 |
Kathy Gass |
Softball |
3 |
OF |
| 1988 |
Laura Anderson |
Women's Basketball |
3 |
F |
| 1989 |
Todd Culp |
Football |
2 |
LB |
| 1991 |
Pam Largen |
Volleyball |
1 |
--- |
| 1992 |
Laura Kelly |
Volleyball |
3 |
--- |
| 1994 |
Deb Baetsle |
Softball |
1 |
INF |
| 1996 |
Elise Henry |
Track & Field (Women's At-Large) |
2 |
--- |
| 1997 |
Pat Kelly III |
Wrestling (Men's At-Large) |
3 |
--- |
| |
Elise Henry |
Cross Country (Women's At-Large) |
1 |
--- |
| |
Stacie Kaiser |
Women's Basketball |
3 |
F |
| |
Amy Loth |
Women's Basketball |
3 |
G |
| 1998 |
Elise Henry |
Track & Field (Women's At-Large) |
1 |
--- |
| |
Elise Henry |
Cross Country (Women's At-Large) |
2 |
--- |
| 1999 |
Tara Buzzell |
Softball |
2 |
P |
| 2001 |
Jennifer Carson |
Softball |
1 |
DP |
| |
Michelle Manthei |
Softball |
3 |
P |
| 2002 |
Jennifer Carson |
Softball |
2 |
DP |
| 2003 |
Stephanie Kirby |
Women's Soccer |
1 |
MF |
| |
Michelle Ellingson |
Women's Track & Field/Cross Country |
3 |
--- |
| 2006 |
Mike Eickman |
Hockey (Men's At-Large) |
3 |
--- |
| 2007 |
Ben Hochstein |
Football |
1 |
OL |
| |
Mike Eickman |
Hockey (Men's At-Large) |
3 |
--- |
| 2008 |
Kaylen Harris |
Women's Track & Field/Cross Country |
3 |
--- |
| 2009 |
Jessica Powers |
Women's Soccer |
3 |
F |
| 2010 |
Anja Puc |
Women's Track & Field/Cross Country |
3 |
--- |
| 2011 |
Anja Puc |
Women's Track & Field/Cross Country |
2 |
--- |
| 2013 |
Alex Mortensen |
Baseball |
3 |
C |
| |
Paige Frauendorfer |
Women's Basketball |
3 |
--- |
| 2014 |
Caleb Palensky |
Baseball |
1 |
INF |
| |
Allie Mathewson |
Softball |
3 |
OF |
| 2015 |
Cole Gruber |
Baseball |
2 |
OF |
|
Alex Mortensen |
Baseball |
3 |
INF |
| 2016 |
Mark Moulton |
Men's Soccer |
2 |
MF |
|
Mikaela Shaw |
Women's Basketball |
3 |
F |
|
Sydney Hames |
Softball |
3 |
INF |
|
Cole Gruber* |
Baseball |
1 |
OF |
|
Clayton Taylor |
Baseball |
1 |
INF |
| 2019 |
Matt Pile |
Men's Basketball |
3 |
F |
| 2020 |
Matt Pile |
Men's Basketball |
1 |
F |
| 2021 |
Matt Pile |
Men's Basketball |
1 |
F |
*Academic All-America of the Year for Division I Baseball
SPORT-BY-SPORT LISTING
Baseball (6)
Alex Mortensen (3rd, 2013)
Caleb Palensky (1st, 2014)
Cole Gruber (2nd, 2015)
Alex Mortensen (3rd, 2015)
Cole Gruber (1st, 2016)
Clayton Taylor (1st, 2016)
Men's Basketball (5)
Jim Gregory (1st, 1981)
Tom Freeman (2nd, 1981)
Matt Pile (3rd, 2019; 1st, 2020; 1st, 2021)
Women's Basketball (5)
Laura Anderson (3rd, 1988)
Stacie Kaiser (3rd, 1997)
Amy Loth (3rd, 1997)
Paige Frauendorfer (3rd, 2013)
Mikaela Shaw (3rd, 2016)
Cross Country/Track & Field (8)
Elise Henry (2nd, 1996; 1st, 1997; 1st/2nd, 1998)
Michelle Ellingson (3rd, 2003)
Kaylen Harris (3rd, 2008)
Anja Puc (3rd, 2010; 2nd, 2011)
Football (10)
Jim Jostes (2nd, 1972)
Kirk Hutton (1st, 1982; 1983)
Clark Toner (1st, 1982; 2nd, 1983)
Doug Ayars (2nd, 1983)
Jerry Kripal (1st, 1984; 2nd, 1985)
Todd Culp (2nd, 1989)
Ben Hochstein (1st, 2007)
Hockey (2)
Mike Eickman (3rd, 2006; 3rd, 2007)
Men's Soccer (1)
Mark Moulton (2nd, 2015)
Women's Soccer (2)
Stephanie Kirby (1st, 2003)
Jessica Powers (3rd, 2009)
Softball (9)
Kathy Gass (HM, 1986; 3rd, 1987)
Deb Baetsle (1st, 1994)
Tara Buzzell (2nd, 1999)
Jennifer Carson (1st, 2001; 2nd, 2002)
Michelle Manthei (3rd, 2001)
Allie Mathewson (3rd, 2014)
Sydney Hames (3rd, 2016)
Volleyball (3)
Lori Schutte (2nd, 1986)
Pam Largen (1st, 1991)
Laura Kelly (3rd, 1992)
Wrestling (1)
Pat Kelly III (3rd, 1997)
Updated through May 28, 2021
