Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney football team has been picked to win the 2011 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title and five Lopers have been selected to the preseason all-league team. 

Head football coaches are in Colorado Springs today (August 1st) for RMAC's football media day. The preseason poll, and team, was released this morning. It can been found HERE.

To watch head coach Darrell Morris speak, go here for Part 1 and here for Part 2

UNK received 13 points and six first place votes. Colorado School of Mines and CSU-Pueblo tied for second with 22 points a piece with the Orediggers getting two first place nods. Finally, the ThunderWolves and Chadron State received the other first place votes.

Individually, senior RB Rustin Dring (Kearney H.S.) and senior OL Stephen Goodin (Hastings H.S.) were selected to the preseason offensive team with Dring being a unanimous pick.

Goodin, capable of playing either guard or tackle, made this team a year ago but suffered a season-ending injury in fall camp and thus received a medical hardship.

Dring, the 2009 RMAC Offensive Player of the Year, needs 1,576 more yards to break Mike Miller's career rushing record of 4,818. Battling some injuries, Dring played in seven games in 2010, averaging 135.6 yards per game. He finished the year with 949 yards, eight TD's and a 6.5 yards per carry average.

On defense, junior safety Sam Kuck (Central City) was a unanimous selection and is joined by senior DE Alex Paicurich (Westminster, Colo.) and junior DL Justin Thiel (Adams Central H.S.).

In his first year as a starter, Kuck racked up 76 tackles and three interceptions from his free safety spot. He also forced two fumbles and brought back one of the picks for a score at Chadron.

Up front, Paicurich had 58 tackles (7.5 TFL), eight QB hurries and five pass breakups with Thiel registering 36 tackles (6.5 TFL), two QB hurries and a forced fumble.

All Division II schools start fall camp on August 11th.