Eight members of Nebraska’s defense were honored on Tuesday as the Big Ten Conference office announced its 2023 defensive honors.  

The 2023 defense ranked as Nebraska’s best since joining the Big Ten in several statistical categories. The Blackshirts’ averages in total defense (303.5 ypg), scoring defense (18.3 ppg) and rushing defense (92.9 ypg) were all program bests since at least 2010. The Huskers held eight of 12 opponents to 14 or fewer points. NU limited eight opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards and six foes under 300 yards of total offense. 

The honorees included senior linebacker Luke Reimer, who earned third-team honors by the Big Ten coaches and honorable-mention accolades from the media panel. Other honorable-mention selections included safety Omar Brown (coaches, media), rover Isaac Gifford (coaches, media), cornerback Tommi Hill (coaches, media), nose tackle Nash Hutmacher (coaches, media), cornerback Quinton Newsome (coaches, media), defensive lineman Ty Robinson (coaches, media), and defensive end Jimari Butler (media). 

Reimer, a graduate of Lincoln North Star High School, earned all-conference recognition for the third consecutive season. He finished the season with 48 tackles in 10 games, while his five sacks ranked second on the team and his 7.5 tackles for loss were third for the Blackshirts. Reimer, who had earned honorable-mention recognition in both 2021 and 2022, finished his Husker career third on the school’s all-time tackles list with 293 stops. 

A senior cornerback from Suwanee, Ga., Newsome earned conference honors for the second straight season after also being an honorable-mention choice in 2022. Newsome finished the year with 37 tackles, an interception and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.

The remaining defensive honorees earned All-Big Ten recognition for the first time in 2023. Brown tied for second on the team with 51 tackles, while forcing two fumbles, recovering a fumble and adding an interception. Gifford manned the rover position for Nebraska and led the Huskers in tackles with 86 stops, the most by a Husker defensive back in nine seasons. Gifford was second on the team with eight pass breakups while his 6.5 tackles for loss was among the best for Big Ten defensive backs. 

The fourth member of the secondary to be honored was junior cornerback Tommi Hill, who led the Huskers with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. In conference play, Hill led the Big Ten with 1.33 passes defended per game. 

Nebraska’s strong run defense was led by a trio of defensive linemen who earned honorable-mention recognition. Hutmacher manned the middle of the Nebraska defense and recorded 40 tackles to go along with eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a blocked field goal against Iowa. Robinson finished the year with 29 tackles, including four tackles for loss. He was disruptive at the line of scrimmage with six pass breakups and a team-high 11 quarterback hurries along with a blocked field goal against Iowa. Defensive end Jimari Butler led the Huskers with 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss among his 34 overall tackles on the season. 

The Big Ten will announce all-conference offensive honors on Wednesday. 

All-Big Ten Defensive Honors
Third Team
Luke Reimer, LB (Coaches)

Honorable-Mention
Luke Reimer, LB (Media)
Jimari Butler, DE (Media)
Omar Brown, S (Coaches, Media)
Isaac Gifford, Rover (Coaches, Media)
Tommi Hill, CB (Coaches, Media)
Nash Hutmacher, NT (Coaches, Media)
Quinton Newsome, CB (Coaches, Media)
Ty Robinson, DL (Coaches, Media)

TAKAHASHI NAMED NEBRASKA WOMEN'S AMATEUR OF THE YEAR

Husker Miu Takahashi was named the 2023 state Women's Amateur of the Year by the Nebraska Golf Association on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The junior from Nasu-machi, Japan is the first-ever international winner of the Nebraska Women's Amateur Golfer-of-the-Year award, which dates back to 1997. Takahashi claimed the award after winning the 49th Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship at the Fremont Golf Club with a three-round total of 225 (+12) that included an even-par 71 in the opening round. The victory made her the first international player to ever win the Nebraska Women's Amateur, a tournament that began in 1975.

Later in the summer of 2023, Takahashi qualified for the 123rd U.S. Women's Amateur by claiming one of six qualifying spots in Dallas, Texas. At the U.S. Amateur in Los Angeles, Takahashi fired rounds of 78 and 73 to finish at 151.

During the fall of 2023, Takahashi posted a 74.00 stroke average over 12 rounds for the Nebraska women's golf team. In 2022-23, Takahashi helped the Huskers earn a berth to the NCAA Raleigh Regional by setting the Nebraska sophomore stroke average record (73.49). Her sophomore season included a career-best 213 (-3) to capture her first collegiate title at the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 10-11, 2022). She was named the Big Ten Conference Golfer of the Week on Oct. 12, 2022.

Takahashi will be honored at the Nebraska Golf Association awards banquet on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Omaha Country Club.

HUSKERS GARNER ALL-REGION ACCOLADES

Three Nebraska soccer players were honored by the United Soccer Coaches as they were named to the 2023 All-North Region team. 

Senior Eleanor Dale was joined by junior Sarah Weber on the first team, while junior Jordan Zade landed on the third team. 

Dale rewrote the Nebraska record book in her final season as a Husker in 2023. The Billingham, England, native was the first Nebraska women’s soccer player to claim Big Ten Forward-of-the-Year honors and was named to the first-team All-Big Ten squad. Dale also earned four Big Ten Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors this season (second-most in Big Ten history). 

Dale turned in one of the best overall seasons in NCAA Division I soccer in 2023 with 61 points, 28 goals and five assists. She leads the country in total goals, and she now ranks third in Big Ten history in single-season goals and is just the fourth player in Big Ten history to total 60 points in a season.

In an outstanding senior season, Dale scored her nation-leading 27th and 28th goals in the third-round of the NCAA Tournament to post her 11th multi-goal match of the season, while helping Nebraska (17-4-3) to the third Elite Eight appearance in program history. With her total goals, she broke the Nebraska record for goals in a season with Kim Engesser, who previously held the record with 27 goals in 1998. Additionally, she is tied for first in the Husker record books in game-winning goals and her total shots this season place her at the top of the list.

Weber was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree as she captured her second-straight first-team All-Big Ten status. She started 23 games this season, amassed 1,885 minutes and was second on the team in goals (16) and total points (38). She also tallied 102 shots on the season, 43 of which were on goal. Additionally, Weber recorded four game-winners and recorded three braces on the season to help NU earn its program-best third-trip to the Elite Eight and a Big Ten regular season title. 

In NCAA competition, Weber is tied for first in the Husker records with eight combined points and four goals, and is second all-time with 19 total shots.

Zade garnered second-team All-Big Ten recognition during her junior season at Nebraska. A mainstay in the Husker backfield, Zade, who started all 24 games, amassed 1,957 minutes. She managed nine assists and recorded 12 shots, eight of which were on goal. Zade helped the Huskers secure seven shutouts and earn its program-best third-trip to the Elite Eight and a Big Ten regular season title.

HUSKERS READY FOR HAWKEYE INVITE

The Nebraska swimmers head to Iowa City, Iowa this week for the mid-season Hawkeye Invite, Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Competition begins each morning at 10 a.m. (CT) with prelims, followed by a finals session at 5 p.m. (CT)

The Huskers will face the Hawkeyes for the second time this season. The Hawkeyes bested the Huskers earlier this season 160-141 on Nov. 10. Colorado State, Iowa State, New Mexico State and Rutgers round out the field for the week.

In NU’s win over Omaha on Nov. 18, eight different Huskers won individual titles, and a group of Giulia Marchi, Emily Haimes, Beatrix Tanko and Gena Jorgenson claimed the 400 freestyle relay title (3:28.99).

Sophomore Gena Jorgenson logged three wins against the Mavericks in the 200 freestyle (1:52.22), 200 backstroke (2:03.75) and 200 IM (2:08.23). Jorgenson has 16 top-three finishes this season and set a new career-best of 2:29.20 in the 200 breaststroke against South Dakota State.

JoJo Randby grabbed a first-place finish against the Mavericks in the 200 breaststroke (2:20.86). Randby currently holds the school record in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.07) and has ten top-three finishes this season. 

Tanko has a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award under her belt and has been an immediate contributor for the Huskers. Against South Dakota State, Tanko claimed victories in the 50 freestyle (24.22) and the 500 freestyle (5:06.84). She also swam portions of the winning 200 medley relay (1:46.25) and 200 freestyle relay (1:36.27). 

A junior from Whitby, England, Maia Hall currently has five first-place finishes this season, most recently in the 100 breaststroke against the Mavericks (1:05.78).

Co-captain Emily Haimes had a strong showing earlier in the season against Kansas. Haimes logged first-place finishes in the 50 freestyle (23.97) and the 100 freestyle (51.76). She also set a career-best in the 200 freestyle (1:55.02) against the Jackrabbits.

Sarah Barton has 14 top-three finishes this season. She opened her senior season with a trio of titles against Iowa State, winning the 200 butterfly (2:03.02), 200 backstroke (2:03.64) and 200 IM (2:07.61). Against the Mavericks, she earned a second-place finish in the 500 freestyle (5:10.80) and a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke (57.85). 

The meet is set to kick off at 10 a.m. on Thursday and will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required). Live results will be available through the Meet Mobile app and huskers.com.

Nebraska’s divers will take on the CAMO International Invitational in Montreal, Canada from Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

Hawkeye Invitational
Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2023
Iowa City, Iowa (Campus Recreation & Wellness Center)
Prelims: 10 a.m. (CT) each day
Finals: 5 p.m. (CT) each day

Order of Events
Thursday
200 Free Relay (Finals)
500 Free
200 IM
50 Free
One-Meter Dive
400 Medley Relay (Finals)

Friday
200 Medley Relay (Finals)
100 Fly
400 IM
200 Free
100 Breast
100 Back
Three-Meter Dive
800 Free Relay (Finals)

Saturday
1,650 Free
200 Back
100 Free
200 Breast
200 Fly
Platform Dive (Finals)
400 Free Relay (Finals)