While all of his teammates were on campus celebrating their 2021 accomplishments at the annual Valparaiso University football banquet, fifth-year senior punter Ben Niesner (Black Diamond, Wash. / Tahoma [Portland State]) was busy racking up one more accolade at the FCS Bowl by Spiral on Sunday in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Niesner was named the Special Teams Most Valuable Player for the bowl, an annual postseason all-star game consisting of the top players from college football Division-I FCS schools. Niesner booted six punts for 301 yards, averaging 50.2 yards per punt for the National Team, which fell 67-16 to the American team.

The Black Diamond, Wash. native’s first punt of the day covered 63 yards. Five of his six attempts went for 47 yards or more and three of them traveled at least 50 yards.

A two-time All-PFL First Team honoree, Niesner posted a punting average of 43.2 this season, a mark that ranked third in program history. He tied program and PFL records for single-season punting average during the Spring 2021 campaign at 43.6, earning him PFL co-Special Teams Player of the Year recognition for the spring season. Niesner finished this season with the league’s top punting average, a mark that ranked 16^th nationally.

In addition, Niesner was recognized as an Academic All-PFL First Team honoree for the second straight season. He was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week twice this fall and four times in the calendar year of 2021.