WESTWOOD, Mass. – Simmons University's Samantha Kelsey (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Emily Niemi (Santa Clarita, Calif.) were both named to the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference All-Conference Rowing Team, it was announced by the league. 

Kelsey earns All-Conference honors for the second straight year after being named to the Second Team as a rookie. The sophomore has rowed primarily from the stroke seat and registered the fastest two-thousand meter erg time on the team. A graduate of West High School, Kelsey won the gold medal in the women's double at the Textile River Regatta on September 30 and helped the Sharks earn third place or higher in three different first varsity races, including a second-place showing at the Clark Invitational on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. on April 14 and a third-place effort at the Seven Sisters Championship on the Charles River in Boston on October 28.

Niemi was a second team selection in her rookie campaign with the Sharks. The first year began the season rowing of the novice eight in the fall and helped Simmons win the novice gold from the stroke seat at the Textile River Regatta. The Willam S. Hart High School product earned a spot with the first varsity eight in the spring, pulling from the second seat. She helped the Sharks win the Petite Final of the WPI Invitational on April 7 and finish third at the Donahue Cup on April 13 on Lake Quinsigamond. Niemi and Kelsey also helped Simmons post a sixth-place finish at the NEWMAC Championship on April 27.

The Sharks are in action again on Friday, May 4 when it competes at the New England Rowing Championship on Lake Quinsigamond.