MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris football team had four players named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team® on Tuesday. With this honor, Christian Diederich, Alex Emmrich, Alex Happ, and Carter Maurice are now on the ballot for Academic All-America® honors.

Diederich, a First Team All-UMAC offensive lineman from Murdock, Minn. is an Elementary Education and History major with a 3.60 GPA entering this academic year. From his spot at left tackle, Diederich as a key cog in an offense that went for 2,099 yards on the ground and allowed only nine sacks on the year.

Another First Team All-UMAC selection who was honored for his academics was Emmrich, a sophomore from Rogers, Minn. Emmrich is a Management major with a 3.72 GPA. In 2022, he finished second on the Cougars in tackles with 82, including 4.0 for a loss. He also forced two fumbles and had two fumble recoveries, and was active as a pass defender as well with one interception and four pass breakups.

Happ, a junior kicker from Brighton, Colo., is a Music and Secondary Education major with a 3.50 GPA. His season for the Cougars included 34 extra points and four field goals. He also averaged 50.5 yards per kickoff and 32.8 yards per punt.

The final member of the Academic All-District® team was Maurice, a sophomore defensive lineman from Boissevain, Manitoba. Maurice carries a 3.76 GPA with majors in Mathematics and Secondary Education. A force on the defensive line, Maurice was second in the UMAC in both tackles for a loss (14.5) and sacks (8.5). He also returned a pair of fumbles for touchdowns on the season.

The 2022 Academic All-District® Football Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes football honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in late December.