Lee junior post player Katie Nelson and senior point-guard Elmar Kuli-Zade head a list of Flames and Lady Flames that were recently honored by the NAIA and State Farm Insurance.

Nelson joined a select group of 10 NAIA women's basketball players when the junior was named to the State Farm Coaches' All-American team.

The native of Scottsboro, Ala. helped direct the Lady Flames to the Southern State Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships. She was a key force in leading Lee to its deepest run ever (Elite Eight) in the NAIA Division I National Tournament.

Nelson averaged 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as the Lady Flames finished an outstanding season with a 30-6 record. Also a member of the SSAC All-Conference and All-Tournament teams,

While Katie was named to the first team, sophomore guard Brooke McKinnon was listed as a member of the State Farm second team. McKinnon, who played her high school ball at Tellico Plains High School, averaged 17.1 points and over four rebounds per game for coach Marty Rowe's squad. The guard also shot 85 percent from the free throw line.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2009 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball All-America teams on Wednesday. Players were selected by the All-America committee. Nelson was listed as a second-team All-American and McKinnon and Valeriya Musina were named honorable mention. 

Kuli-Zade has been named second-team NAIA Division I All-American. The selections were made by the NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Association All-America Committee.

Kuli-Zade helped direct the Flames to the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament championship and lead coach Tommy Brown's team to a fourth straight appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.

The SSAC Player of the Year scored 907 points over two years at Lee. He also dished off 261 assists and this season averaged over 14 points per game and was one of the nation's top 3-point shooters (47 percent).

National Championship participants Columbia (Mo.) and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) placed two players on the All-America teams. Senior forward Devin Uskoski of RMC and Christian Lewis of CC were mentioned on the third team.

The honors continue to come in for the Lee men's basketball team, but none will be greater than those earned by senior Joel Houghton and junior Chad James on Wednesday. Both were named 2009 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athletes.To quality, an athlete must have a 3.5 grade point average and be at least a junior. James, a business major from Springboro, Ohio stepped up and became a vital part of coach Tommy Brown's club that claimed the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament title and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. He was named a NAIA Champion of Character winner. The Flames finished with a 26-9 record.Houghton has been a solid member and a team leader of the Flames since arriving on campus. He is a two-time NAIA Scholar Athlete and will graduate from Lee with honors this spring. He was an overall NAIA Champion of Character winner in 2008. Houghton is a psychology and business administration major.