APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University track and field standout Nia Gibbs-Francis has been named 2017-18 Google Cloud Academic All-District® Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Gibbs-Francis’ spring filled with academic achievement continues with this honor.
Previously, she was named an Arthur Ashe Junior Sport Scholar for the second time in her Austin Peay career and earned the 2018 Perkins-Freeman Academic Achievement Scholarship, given at the annual EsPEAY’s to the rising Austin Peay senior with the highest grade-point average.
In addition to her exploits in the classroom, Gibbs-Francis remains a vital part of the Austin Peay track and field team. She secured 1.5 points for the Govs in the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships with a season-best 1.65m (5-5.0) leap. And last fall, she was the OVC’s representative at the 2017 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C.
Austin Peay has now seen seven student-athletes earn All-Academic honors for the 2017-18 year, most since a nine-person class in 2009-10. Also earning honors alongside Gibbs-Francis this academic year were Kristen Stucker (volleyball), Ryan Rockenseuss (football), Falon Baker (women’s basketball) and Lidia-Yanes Garcia, Ashton Goodley and Brittney Covington, all three of whom earned At-Large selection.
First-team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® ballot, with first- and second-team Academic All-America® honorees to be announced in June. The Google Cloud Academic All-America® program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
