University of Minnesota-Duluth senior wide receiver Tim Battaglia added another honor to his much-decorated football portfolio on Friday when he was selected to the D2Football.com Division II All-Midwest Region first team for 2003.



The Midwest Region encompasses the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, the North Central Conference, and the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Battaglia, 6-3, 205-pound native of Cloquet, MN, equaled a UMD single-season mark for pass receptions (60) despite playing on a club which ranked firs in the rushing offense among all NCAA II schools during the regular season. A D2football.com All-Midwest Region second team pick one year ago, Battaglia closed out his Bulldog playing days as the school's all-time leader in pass receptions (189), pass receiving yards (3,685) and pass reception touchdowns (38). The only Bulldog to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for pass receiving yards in a single season (he did that as both a junior and senior), Battaglia made at least one catch in each of his final 37 games at UMD -- another team mark. He holds down the No. 2 spot on the NSIC's career list for both receiving yardage (2,652) and pass reception touchdowns (38).



The Bulldogs were represented on the D2Football.com second team by a by senior offensive guard Dan Soldner (Cold Spring, MN), a two-year starter and a 2003 UMD co-captain , junior defensive end Russ Rabe (Lake Holcombe, WI), who was credited with a Bulldog-record 15.0 sacks in 2003, senior middle linebacker Dave Otto (Milltown, WI), UMD's leading tackler this season, and kick return specialist Cash Langeness (Luck, WI), the Bulldogs' career kickoff and punt return leader.

UMD posted an 8-3 overall record and placed third in the final NSIC standings with a 6-2 mark.