MORROW, Ga. – On August 18, 1997, Clayton State Athletics completed a significant transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. The 2017-18 season marked the 20^th anniversary of that accomplishment. Over a seven week span, the Sports Information Office is releasing the top 20 moments in the NCAA era, one on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday with select exceptions.
  The countdown continues with No. 5 Jackeline Nieto Becomes Only Five Time All-American in Laker History.
 
In what would become a Clayton State Athletics Hall of Fame career, women's tennis' Jackeline Nieto produced an incredible five Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American honors. To this day she is the only individual to have that distinction in program history.
 
She collected the first of those recognitions in singles in 2002 before notching both singles and doubles All-American honors in 2003 and 2004. Nieto would go on to be the first women's tennis player inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
 
Below are three original releases from each of her All-American selections, beginning with the 2002 singles (June 1, 2002), the 2003 singles and doubles (June 6, 2003) and the 2004 singles and doubles (June 1, 2004).
  MORROW, Ga. – The Clayton College & State University women's tennis program has accomplished several "firsts" over the last two seasons, and had another one earlier this week as sophomore tennis player Jackeline Nieto became the first CCSU player ever to be named a NCAA Division II tennis All-American.
 
Selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the governing body of college tennis, players had to be ranked among the top 20 individuals or the top 10 doubles teams in the nation to be named to the squad.
 
Nieto, the 15th-ranked player in the nation, was one of five Peach Belt Conference players named to the squad. Zsofia Golopencza, ranked the #1 singles player in the nation for Division II, was one of three Armstrong Atlantic State University players to be included on the list along with 11th-ranked Annamaria Forgacs and 16th-ranked Michaela Kratochvilova. Georgia College & State University's Julia Roudkovskaya, the sixth-ranked player, was also named to the squad.
 
Nieto (Caracas, Venezuela), who was named the nation's 2002 ITA Player to Watch and to the 2002 Peach Belt All-Conference team finished with a 13-8 record and had several impressive victories in 2002. She defeated the fifth-ranked singles player in Lynn University's Monika Mastalirova 6-2 and 6-3, and the 14th-ranked player in Rollins College's Vanessa Caddick.
 
Clayton State's sixth All-American in its 12-year history, Nieto is the second CCSU female athlete to receive All-American honors in the last two weeks. Senior Joni Guffey, Frankfort, KY, was named a Division II Track & Field All-American in 1500m after placing sixth in the event at the Division II National Championships. Nieto joins Guffey and men's soccer player Josh Grenier, who was named an All-American in 2000, as the school's only first-team All-Americans. Men's golfers Adam Short and Dave Kelly received second-team and third-team honors in 1999, while men's basketball player Robert Conley received third team honors in 1998-99.
 
As a team, Clayton State's women's tennis squad finished the season ranked tenth in the final ITA poll and received its first-ever bid to the round of 16 in the NCAA Championships in 2002. The squad advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals out of the Mid-Atlantic Regional after winning matches against Lees-McRae and North Florida. The Lakers' season came to an end at nationals falling to Abilene Christian. CCSU posted a 16-8 overall record and was the 2002 runner-up in the Peach Belt Conference with a 9-1 mark.
 
Clayton State's appearance in the 16-team national championship event capped a two-year run by the Lakers, which includes a 33-11 dual match record, the 2001 Peach Belt Conference Championship and a runner-up finish for the 2002 PBC title.
  MORROW, Ga. – Clayton College & State University's Jackeline Nieto became the school's first two-time All-America earlier this week as she and fellow teammate Nathalia Collantes both received the honor by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
 
Nieto, ranked 14th in the country in singles, has an opportunity to become a three-time All-America next season, while Collantes received the honor for the first time, as she and Nieto finished the season ranked fifth in the nation in doubles. Players are named All-America by finishing the season as either one of the top 20 singles players in the nation or a top 10 doubles team.
 
"I am extremely happy for both Jacky and Nathalia," said third-year head coach Elizabeth Nieto. "They both have been an integral part in the building our program and a big reason for our success the last three seasons."
 
Juniors Nieto and Collantes, the No. 1 and No. 2 singles players on Clayton State's team the last two years, were also named to the Peach Belt All-Conference team in singles and as a doubles tandem. They have helped lead the Lakers to a Peach Belt Conference championship and a runner-up finish in two of the last three years.
 
Nieto's top victories this season came against GC&SU's Luiza Biktyakova, defeating the nation's 15th-ranked player twice. She beat her 4-6; 6-3; 6-2 during the regular season and then 6-4 and 6-2 in the PBC Tournament. 
 
A native of Caracas, Venzeula, Nieto received the 2002 ITA National Player to Watch Award, leading the Lakers to a 10th place national ranking and their first-ever berth in the Division II NCAA Championships in 2002.
 
In doubles, Nieto and Collantes sported a 16-2 overall record and won 13 straight matches to close the season. The duo's top victories came against GC&SU's Luiza Biktyakova and Paavilainen, who were once ranked second in the country in doubles. The Clayton State duo defeated the highly touted GC&SU duo 8-5 during the regular season and 9-7 in the PBC Tournament. 
 
They also had victories over Valdosta State's Eva Petschnig and Annika Biro, the 11th-ranked team, 8-2; and Rollins' Vanessa Caddick and Prieto, the eighth-ranked team, 8-4. Nieto and Collantes have a 56-17 overall record, Clayton State's all-time best in doubles play. 
 
Collantes, from Bucaramanga, Colombia, has a career 58-14 record in singles play, the school's best all-time singles mark. She finished the regular season with a perfect 16-0 record in singles play, knocking off several of the country's top-ranked players.
 
Ranked 27th in singles, she had victories over Georgia College & State University's Mia Paavilainen 7-5; 7-6; Division II's 29th-ranked player; and Rollins College's Carla Prieto, the 42nd-ranked player, 4-6; 6-3; 10-8. She also defeated Emory University's Margaret Moscarto, Division III's 34th-ranked player and a member of Emory's 2003 National Championship team; 7-5 and 6-2.
 
With Collantes and Nieto being named All-America, it is the 11th time a Clayton State athlete has received All-America honors. Women's basketball player Catreia Shaw (Pearson, GA) was also an All-America selection this year. 
 
Other CCSU athletes named to All-America teams are: Stacy Washington, men's soccer, 1992; Adrian Drury, men's soccer, 1996; Robert Conley, men's basketball, 1998-99; Adam Short, men's golf, 1998-99; Dave Kelly, men's golf, 1998-99; Josh Grenier, men's soccer, 2000; and Joni Guffey, track & field, 2002.
  MORROW, Ga. – The Clayton College & State University women's tennis duo of Jackeline Nieto and Nathalia Collantes have been named NCAA Division II All-Americas once again by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
 
Nieto was named an All-America in singles for the third straight time, Clayton State's first three-time All-America honoree. She received the accolade by being ranked 16th in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in 2004. The doubles duo of Collantes and Nieto also received All-America honors for the second straight season after being ranked sixth in the nation.
 
"This is a wonderful honor for both Jacky and Nathalia," said head coach Elizabeth Nieto. "They have been integral in developing our tennis program into a national contender. They along with fellow senior Natalia Koulechova will be difficult to replace."
 
Nieto and Collantes, the No. 1 and No. 2 singles players on Clayton State's 12th ranked team, were also named to the All-Conference team in singles and doubles for the third straight season in 2004.  
 
A senior from Caracas, Venezuela, Nieto has played as Clayton State's top seed all four years, and her 57-42 record at No. 1 ranks eighth all-time on the Laker career singles list. Her top victory this year came against Barry University's Natasha Loebnitz, defeating the nation's 11th- ranked player 1-6, 6-4 and 6-1.
 
Collantes, the nation's 30th ranked player and the second-seeded player for Clayton State, finished the 2004 season with a 12-1 record in singles play and compiled a 28-1 mark in dual match play over the last two seasons. A senior from Bucaramanga, Colombia, Collantes finished her career at Clayton State with the all-time best singles record at 75-17.
 
In doubles, Nieto and Collantes finished the season with a 12-2 record and sported a 25-4 mark over the last two seasons. The team's top victory this season came against Rollins University's fourth-ranked doubles team in Vanessa Caddick and Tricia Gehret 8-5. Nieto and Collantes have a 77-21 overall record, Clayton State's all-time best record in doubles play. 
 
Clayton State finished the 2004 regular season fourth in the Peach Belt Conference and fourth in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region. The team lost 5-1 in NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals to eighth-ranked GC&SU. 
 
The season-ending loss closed out the career for the Clayton State trio of Collantes, Nieto and Koulechova (Moscow, Russia), who finished as Clayton State's second all-time winner in singles with a 77-36 mark.  The trio led the Laker tennis program to top-20 national rankings the last four years and played in three NCAA Tournaments. They also led the program to a Peach Belt Championship and had one runner-up finish in the league.
 
Schedule of NCAA 20^th Anniversary Countdown Releases
No. 1 (July 11)
No. 2 (July 9)
No. 3 (July 5)
No. 4 (July 2)
No. 5 Jackeline Nieto Becomes Only Five Time All-American in Laker History (June 29)
No. 6 Kreutzer Delivers Freshman Cross Country Season For The Ages in 2004 (June 27)
No. 7 Men's Basketball Makes Improbable Run to 2008 NCAA Region Final (June 25)
No. 8 Men's Golf's Wilcox Produces 2008 PBC Championship and NCAA Appearance (June 22)
No. 9 Marti Bartis' Two First-Team Selections Anchor Academic All-America Selections (June 20)
No. 10 Men's Golf Becomes First Clayton State Program to Reach NCAA Championships in 1999 (June 18)
No. 11 Eight Individual PBC Championships in Calendar Year by Cross Country and Track (June 15)
No. 12 Men's Soccer Wins Five PBC Championships in Three Seasons From 2005-07 (June 13)
No. 13 Women's Tennis Claims Rare PBC Championship in 2001 (June 11)
No. 14 Women's Soccer Sweeps PBC Titles and Heads to NCAA's in 2005 (June 8)
No. 15 Women's Basketball Makes First Elite Eight in 2006-07 (June 6)
No. 16 Men's Cross Country Delivers Record Setting 2005 Season (June 4)
No. 17 Women's Basketball Wins No. 1 vs. No. 2 Game vs. Lander on February 10, 2011 (June 1)
No. 18 Men's Basketball Wins First Ever PBC Championship in 2001-02 Regular Season Finale (May 30)
No. 19 Women's Cross Country Wins PBC, Heads to 2012 NCAA National Championships (May 28)
No. 20 Women's Tennis Makes NCAA Tournament in 1999 (May 25)