ST. LOUIS - Linebacker Jackson Hankey headlines a group of five North Dakota State student-athletes named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team on Tuesday, Dec. 14, by a vote of the league's sports information directors.

Hankey, a senior from Park River, N.D., has an undergraduate degree in agricultural economics and was selected to the first team with a 3.636 grade-point average in the master's of business administration program. He is NDSU's leading tackler for the third straight season with 85 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two recoveries and one interception.

NDSU's four second-team selections were junior fullback Hunter Luepke (3.420 in finance), sophomore defensive tackle Eli Mostaert (3.733 in finance), senior kicker Jake Reinholz (4.00 in master's of mechanical engineering) and senior defensive tackle Lane Tucker (3.857 in master's of business administration).

Bison defensive tackle Costner Ching, tight end Noah Gindorff and linebacker Cole Wisniewski were honorable mentions.

No. 2 seed North Dakota State (12-1) is scheduled to host third-seeded James Madison (12-1) in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at 8:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. Tickets are available at GoBison.com/tickets.