Three University of Montana football players have been named to the Sports Network’s Football Championship Subdivision preseason All-America team, the organization announced Monday.
Offensive tackle Danny Kistler Jr. and linebacker Jordan Tripp were named to the first team, while defensive end Zack Wagenmann was named second team.
Montana was one of just five FCS programs with multiple first-team selections. Two-time defending national champion North Dakota State had an FCS-high three players recognized.
Kistler, a 6-foot-8, 315-pound senior from Seattle will be starting for the third straight season in 2013 and will serve as one of UM’s team captains this fall. Last year he started all 11 games at right tackle and was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference pick.
Following his junior season, Kistler was the co-recipient, along with senior guard Jake Hendrickson, of UM’s Paul Weskamp Award, which is given out annually to the team’s outstanding offensive lineman.
Tripp will become a rare four-year starter for the Grizzlies in the fall. The 6-3, 237-pound senior from Missoula was second on the team with 95 tackles a year ago and totaled a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss.
Last season, Tripp, a third-generation Griz football player, was named first-team All-Big Sky and to several All-America teams. He finished 10th in the balloting for the Buck Buchanan Award and is expected to be on the preseason watch list for the 2013 award, which will be announced July 11.
A 6-3, 250-pound junior defensive end, Wagenmann averaged 1.05 sacks per game last season to rank fourth in FCS. He started all 11 games and tied for sixth on the team with 50 tackles. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks.
A Missoula product, Wagenmann was named to three All-America teams last season: Associated Press (second team), Sports Network (third team) and Phil Steele Magazine (fourth team). He was also a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection
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Offensive tackle Danny Kistler Jr. and linebacker Jordan Tripp were named to the first team, while defensive end Zack Wagenmann was named second team.
Montana was one of just five FCS programs with multiple first-team selections. Two-time defending national champion North Dakota State had an FCS-high three players recognized.
Kistler, a 6-foot-8, 315-pound senior from Seattle will be starting for the third straight season in 2013 and will serve as one of UM’s team captains this fall. Last year he started all 11 games at right tackle and was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference pick.
Following his junior season, Kistler was the co-recipient, along with senior guard Jake Hendrickson, of UM’s Paul Weskamp Award, which is given out annually to the team’s outstanding offensive lineman.
Tripp will become a rare four-year starter for the Grizzlies in the fall. The 6-3, 237-pound senior from Missoula was second on the team with 95 tackles a year ago and totaled a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss.
Last season, Tripp, a third-generation Griz football player, was named first-team All-Big Sky and to several All-America teams. He finished 10th in the balloting for the Buck Buchanan Award and is expected to be on the preseason watch list for the 2013 award, which will be announced July 11.
A 6-3, 250-pound junior defensive end, Wagenmann averaged 1.05 sacks per game last season to rank fourth in FCS. He started all 11 games and tied for sixth on the team with 50 tackles. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks.
A Missoula product, Wagenmann was named to three All-America teams last season: Associated Press (second team), Sports Network (third team) and Phil Steele Magazine (fourth team). He was also a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection
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