TERRE HAUTE ? It's always a top honor when a student-athlete is named Academic All-America, but it is that much more special when it carries on a special tradition for the Indiana State Sycamores. Junior guard Kelsey Luna has earned ESPN The Magazine Second Team Academic All-American plaudits for her achievements on the court and in the classroom. After two ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors last year and this year, Luna finally cracked the national list, as voted upon by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Luna continues a solid tradition of academic excellence for ninth-year head Jim Wiedie and the Sycamore women's basketball program. Her honor marks the fourth consecutive season in which the Sycamores have had a member of the nation's top 15 student-athletes in the sport of women's basketball. Melanie Boeglin was a First Team Academic All-American in 2006 while Laura Rudolphi took home third team honors in 2007 as well as a first team mention in 2008. Luna keeps that string alive with her second team selection in 2009.

The Sycamore women's basketball team has finished in at least the top three nationally for team grade point average in six of the last seven seasons. ISU topped the nation academically in both 2003 & 2005.

“We take great pride in being a successful program both on and off the court,” head coach Jim Wiedie said. “Kelsey is highly deserving of this honor with the success she has had on the basketball side and her perfect, undefeated mark in the classroom. She is a tremendous example of everything our program stands for. I am so proud of what Kelsey has accomplished and I think this is a great tribute to all of her hard work in all she does.”

Luna has maintained an exemplary 4.0 grade point average in Psychology through two and half years at Indiana State. She took home first team academic all-district honors earlier this season and was a second team academic all-district selection last year. She also was named second team academic all-conference as a sophomore.

Prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago, Luna was enjoying her finest season as a Sycamore. Her 14.5 ppg average ranked third in the Missouri Valley Conference while her 3.0 3-pointers per game was tops in the league and third nationally. Luna was hitting 42.3 percent of her 3-point shots which was third in the league and 20th-best in the nation. She also ranked in The Valley's Top 10 for steals and minutes played per game.

Joining Luna on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Second Team is Katelyn Murray of St. Bonaventure; Jennifer Warkenthien of South Dakota State; Jessica Pike of Oakland and Marcy Sudbeck of Wichita State.

Indiana State returns to action against Northern Iowa on Friday, February 27 on Nellie & John Wooden Court at Hulman Center. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. (EDT).