MORROW, Ga. – For the 11^th time in the last six seasons, and 16^th time overall, Clayton State Athletics has had an individual selected to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team as senior Joy Diaz (Riverdale, Ga.) was honored for Women's Cross Country/Track & Field on Thursday, May 25.
 
It is the first such recognition for Diaz, who competed in cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field for the Lakers for the past two seasons. This year she saw action in 12 different events over three sports.
 
Those included five cross country meets, five indoor meets and three outdoor meets in which she set 11 personal bests in a total of 16 events/races. Among the latter were PR's in the 1,500-meters (5:08.46) at the PBC Outdoor Track & Field Championships (4/20) as well as in the 4k, 5k and 6k races in cross country.
 
Additionally, she finished second in outdoor in the 5,000-meters at the Emory Classic (3/25) and fifth during indoor in the 3,000-meters at the BSC Icebreaker (12/2).
 
For her work in the classroom, Diaz was awarded the Dottie H. Bumbalough and Pat Keane Academic Award, which is the highest academic award presented by Clayton State Athletics, and was also named to the PBC All-Academic Team in both cross country and track & field in her first seasons of eligibility.
 
It is also the second straight year that the winner of the Bumbalough/Keane Award came from a member of the cross country or track & field program and was selected as Academic All-District. Last season that was accomplished by Darina Drozdova who competed in cross country.
 
A Theatre major, Diaz finished her career with a perfect 4.0 GPA. She also put those skills to use in front of her peers as just last month she co-hosted the 27^th Annual Clayton State Athletics Awards Banquet.
 
She is one of seven individuals on the District 3 Team to post a 4.0 GPA and just one of four Peach Belt Conference members to be selected. Joining her are Montevallo's Cheyenne Thompson and Jazmine Elleston and Krystine Sora from associate member Nova Southeastern. The latter two were selected among 14 honorees in District 5.
 
Overall, Diaz is one of 92 national selections and 14 in District 3 and is among 23 individuals selected in Division II with a 4.0 GPA.
 
With her selection to that team, Diaz becomes the 16^th CoSIDA Academic All-District selection in the history of Clayton State Athletics. Most recently men's basketball forward Jaumonee Byrd was so honored this past February.
 
Along with women's soccer graduate midfielder Maria Marti Bartis (Girona, Spain), who earned her second straight First-Team Academic All-America honor in November of 2016, the Lakers have now had three All-District honors from three different programs in 2016-17, making it two straight seasons they have accomplished that.
 
It follows a 2015-16 campaign that saw four total honors with Marti Bartis starting things off in women's soccer followed by Aleksi Tuominen of men's soccer. Drozdova and Maia Kuhnen each achieved All-District status in women's cross country/track & field in the spring.
 
Including the selections of Kuhnen (2015), Ivana Krommelova (2013), Robert Spezzacatena (2012) and Russell Lawless (2012), the Lakers have now had 11 total selections in the last six seasons. It is also during that time that all three Academic All-America honors have been bestowed, including Marti Bartis' back-to-back First-Team recognitions. Spezzacatena was the school's first Academic All-America, earning Third-Team honors.
 
The only honorees that fall outside that time frame are Gina Papa (1998), Joni Guffey (2002), Nkiru Okosieme (2004), Steven Sanders (2005) and Olaitan Yusuf (2007).
 
In terms of selections from the women's cross country/track & field programs, Diaz now makes a total of five that have accomplished that feat. It also ties with women's soccer for the most in program history.
 
"This is a terrific honor for Joy to be recognized for her academic and athletic accomplishments this season," said head cross country and track & field coach Mike Mead. "She has been a strong and vocal team leader and is deserving of the selection."
 
Diaz will now be eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors which will be announced on Thursday, June 22.
 
ABOUT THE COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM
The 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
 
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
 
2017 CoSIDA Academic Women's Cross Country/Track & Field All-District Teams (District 3)

Name		School	Yr.	Hometown	GPA	Major
Makenzi Alley		Tusculum	So.	Cincinnati, Ohio	3.95	Biology
Abigail Bozarth		Anderson	So.	Summerville, S.C.	4.00	Kinesiology
Madeline Buddenberg		Anderson	So.	Simpsonville, S.C.	4.00	Nursing
Joy Diaz		Clayton State	Sr.	Riverdale, Ga.	4.00	Theatre
Tori Gaul		Carson-Newman	Jr.	Salisbury, N.C.	4.00	Biology
Grace Gerlock		Anderson	Sr.	Jonesborough, Tenn.	3.92	Nursing
Valerie Griesche		Wingate	Jr.	Ingolstadt, Germany	4.00	Biology
Alyssa Johnson		Wingate	Sr.	San Jose, Calif.	4.00	Elementary Education
Haylee Love		Anderson	Jr.	Lexington, S.C.	3.67	Graphic Design
Tiana Mills		Carson-Newman	Sr.	Chattanooga, Tenn.	3.90	Communications
Lucie Noall		Queens (N.C.)	So.	Clarksburg, Md.	3.90	Biology
Haylea Salamon		Lenoir-Rhyne	Jr.	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	3.93	Exercise Science
Liz Thierfelder		Belmont Abbey	Sr.	Gastonia, N.C.	3.65	English/Theology
Cheyenne Thompson		Montevallo	Sr.	Chelsea, Ala.	4.00	Biochemistry

 
Clayton State History of Academic All-District Selections (16 Selections/14 Individuals)
2016-17 – Joy Diaz (At-Large – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2016-17 – Jaumonee Byrd (Men's Basketball)
2016-17 – Maria Marti Bartis (Women's Soccer)%
2015-16 – Darina Drozdova (At-Large – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2015-16 – Maia Kuhnen (At-Large – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2015-16 – Maria Marti Bartis (Women's Soccer)%
2015-16 - Aleksi Tuominen (Men's Soccer)
2014-15 – Maia Kuhnen (At-Large – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2012-13 - Ivana Krommelova (At-Large - Women's Tennis)
2011-12 – Robert Spezzacatena (At-Large – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field)*
2011-12 - Russell Lawless (At-Large – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2007-08 – Olaitan Yusuf (Women's Soccer)
2004-05 - Steven Sanders (At-Large - Men's Golf)
2004-05 - Nkiru Okosieme (Women's Soccer)
2001-02 – Joni Guffey (At-Large – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
1998-99 - Gina Papa (Women's Soccer)
%First-Team Academic All-American (only individual in program history)
*Third-Team Academic All-American (first one in program history)