MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/17/07)--Concordia senior shortstop Kelli Niess (Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids HS) was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) it was announced on Thursday.

It is the second consecutive year that Niess has earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors. Last year she was named to the All-District Third Team. Niess is one of seven players from the MIAC to earn All-District honors in 2007

Niess had a record-setting year in 2007. She broke four different program records during the course of the season. She shattered the all-time hits, runs and stolen bases mark and also bettered the single-season stolen base record. Niess finished her career with 162 hits, 98 runs scored and 69 stolen bases. Her stolen base total of 24 for the year broke the old mark by three.

Niess led the team in overall games in batting average (.424), slugging percentage (.492), on-base percentage (.469), runs scored (27), hits (50), total bases (58), walks (11) and stolen bases (24).

Niess carries a 3.85 grade point average while majoring in Political Science and History.

The honor is given to athletes in the College Division of the Academic All-American award. The College Division includes players from NCAA Division II, III and NAIA from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana schools. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to be nominated. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average above 3.20 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. College sports information directors in the district vote for the teams.

Niess became the first player in program history to earn MIAC All-Conference honors three times in a career earlier in the month. She was named to the MIAC All-Conference Team in 2007 after earning similar honors in 2006 and 2004

In MIAC play she started in all 22 conference games for the Cobbers and had a team-high .387 batting average. She also led the team in on-base percentage (.453), runs (16, hits (29), total bases (32), walks (10) and stolen bases (18).

She finished tied for the league lead in stolen bases, led the league in total plate appearances, was tied for fifth in walks, tied for sixth in hits, tied for 10th in hits, 12th in on-base percentage and 14th in batting average.