GRAND FORKS, N.D.--Four University of North Dakota football players have been named to the 2007 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII First Team in a vote of the nation's college sports information directors. UND's four first-team selections are more than any other team in the district.

Highlighting UND's four selections is repeat first team honoree Weston Dressler (Sr., Bismarck, N.D.). A management major with a 3.75 grade point average, Dressler has caught 52 passes for 994 yards in nine games this season and leads the North Central Conference in yards, yards per reception (17.4) and yards per game (110.4). He is just six yards away from becoming the first player in school history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

Joining Dressler are first-time selections Mitch Braegelmann (Jr., St. Cloud, Minn.), Danny Freund (Jr., Kenosha, Wis.) and Rory Manke (Jr., Detroit Lakes, Minn.).

Braegelmann, a chemical engineering major with a 3.84 GPA, has started all nine games at center this season and anchors an offensive line that has helped UND lead the NCC in scoring offense (41.8 ppg) and total offense (530.1 ypg), ranking among the national leaders in both categories.

Freund, a banking and financial economics major with a 3.76 GPA, is in his first season as UND's starting quarterback and leads the NCC and ranks fourth nationally with a 175.53 quarterback rating. A three-time NCC Offensive Player of the Week, Freund has completed more than 68 percent of his passes for a UND regular-season record 2,318 yards with 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Manke, a biology major with a 3.96 GPA, is in his first season as UND's starting free safety and leads the team in tackles (43), solo tackles (28), interceptions (two) and pass breakups (four).

As first-team selections, Dressler, Braegelmann, Freund and Manke all now advance to the national ballot for ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America voting.

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