GRAND FORKS, N.D. - For the second year in a row, the University of North Dakota has landed six student-athletes on the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII football team, the most of any institution. In addition, UND is the only team to have three players on the first team with a 4.0 and is one of two teams (South Dakota State) to place four players on the first team.

Senior captain Andrew Miller (Menomonie, Wis.), a repeat first team honoree and a 2008 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America second team member, is joined on the first team by Brandon Hellevang (Fargo, N.D.), a 2008 all-district second team selection. Also named to the first team is first-time selections Nick Nolte (Sr., Janesville, Wis.) and Ty Boyle (Jr., International Falls, Minn.). Representing the Fighting Sioux on the second team is senior captain Marcus Tibesar (St. Paul, Minn.) and senior Link Gottbeheat (Tomah, Wis.).

"In the world of college athletics, we are constantly looking for people that represent their university in a proper light," head coach Chris Mussman said. "These men exemplify all that is positive in athletics. As a football program, athletic department, and university, and a community, we are extremely proud of these consummate student-athletes."

Miller, a biology major, is a three-time letterwinner for the Fighting Sioux. Last season he was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America second team and the all-district VII first team. Miller also received Great West Conference Academic All-Conference honors and was named 2008 All-GWC honorable mention. This year, he has started every game at inside linebacker and is currently ranked seventh on the team with 27 tackles (18 unassisted).

Hellevang, who is currently pursuing a graduate degree in business management, was this year's all-district first team kicker selection after being named to the second team last fall. A three-time letterwinner, his academic and athletic accomplishments are scattered throughout the UND record books. In the regular season, Hellevang is currently ranked second all-time in extra-points (149-for-153), fourth in total points scored (266) and field goals (39-for-67). Overall, he is just six PATs away from taking over as UND's all-time career leader and is listed fourth in career field goals (43-for-72). Last season, Hellevang finished second in nearly every Great West Conference kicking category and was the only kicker to have seven games without an extra-point missed.

Nolte, a forensic science major, is a two-year letterwinner for UND has seen action in eight games this season as a defensive lineman. Against Sioux Falls (Oct. 17) he registered a career-high five unassisted tackles and his first forced fumble. Nolte is currently ranked fifth on the team with 2.5 quarterback sacks and has tallied a career-high four quarterback hurries.

Boyle, an economics major, was named 2008 All-Great West Conference honorable mention and earned GWC Academic All-Conference honors. This season after seven games at nose guard, he is one of two players (Broc Bellmore) to have registered two blocked kicks. His first block came in game two at Northwestern State (Sept. 19) when he blocked an extra point. He picked up his second blocked kick on Oct. 31 when he got a hand on a field goal attempt by No. 16 Cal Poly. Versus the Mustangs, he also registered his first career forced fumble.

Tibesar, who is currently pursuing a graduate degree in business administration, is a two-time letterwinner for UND. He has started every game this season at fullback and has only missed one game in the last three years. Tibesar is a two-time recipient of the Markus Bryant Memorial Scholarship and the Sioux Service Award and in 2008, he was selected to the Great West Academic All-Conference team.

Gottbeheat, a biology major, is a two-time letterwinner for UND. He currently leads the team with six quarterback hurries and is second on the team and 11^th in the conference with 1.5 quarterback sacks for a loss of eight yards. Gottbeheat received 2008 Great West Academic All-Conference honors.

In the season opener at Texas Tech (Sept. 5) Nolte, Gottbeheat, and the rest of the defensive line held the Red Raiders to just 40 yards rushing and on Oct. 31 against Cal Poly, they held 16^th-ranked Cal Poly to only 62 yards on the ground.

Miller, Hellevang, Nolte, and Boyle will now advance to the national ballot for an opportunity to be named CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America. Last year, North Dakota's Mitch Braegelmann (St. Cloud, Minn.), Rory Manke (Detroit Lakes, Minn.), Miller, and Brady Trenbeath (Cavalier, N.D.) received All-America honors.

In order to be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination. Nominees in graduate school must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better both as an undergrad and in grad school.

- Go Sioux -