A pair of Nebraska Wesleyan seniors have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA).

Since the program began, a total of 63 NWU student-athletes have now combined to win 100 Academic All-America awards between them. This puts NWU among the all-time leaders in the entire nation, regardless of division (NCAA Div. I, II, III and NAIA).

Mitch Memming (Sr., Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln High School) earned his second award and No. 99 in NWU history by making the First Team in men’s soccer. He also made the Academic All-America Third Team after his sophomore season in 2005.

Memming owns a 3.96 cumulative grade point average with majors in Business Administration and Psychology. This season, he earned Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) First Team honors for the second year in a row and ranked second on the team in goals scored (7) and points (16). For his career, Memming ranks sixth on the NWU all-time charts with 26 career goals. In 2007, he helped the Prairie Wolves to a conference runner-up finish and an overall record of 11-6-1, the team’s best mark since 2002.

Kyle Elsasser (Sr., Bancroft, Neb., Bancroft-Rosalie High School) repeated as a First Team selection in football and propelled Nebraska Wesleyan to the century mark.

Elsasser majors in Physics and has a 3.91 GPA. He led the Prairie Wolves defense with 81 total tackles this season. The First Team All-GPAC linebacker also recorded a pair of interceptions in helping Nebraska Wesleyan to a 7-3 record and No. 21 ranking in the final 2007 NAIA poll. NWU recorded three consecutive shutouts for the first time in 40 years and the team ranked tied for ninth in the NAIA for scoring defense, allowing just 14.5 points per game for the season.