MORROW, Ga. – Continuing a stretch of five straight seasons with at least one selection, Clayton State Athletics has garnered the 20^th Google Cloud Academic All-District selection in program history as junior Nia Elmore (Hinesville, Ga.) has earned her second straight for Women's Track & Field/Cross Country as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Tuesday, May 28.
 
Elmore makes her second consecutive appearance with a 3.87 GPA in Nursing and a litany of accomplishments and honors in 2018-19. In the classroom, she was named to her second straight Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team. On the course she was a terror for the competition.
 
Entering the year having set 14 program records between indoor and outdoor, Elmore expanded that list to 20. During the indoor campaign she broke her own marks in the 60- and 200-meters before eclipsing a decade old record in the 4x400-meter relay.
 
The records would continue to fall during the outdoor portion of the schedule as she reset her own school record in the 100-meters an incredible three times in nine meets. The first two of those she accomplished close to campus on back-to-back weekends at a pair of Emory meets before breaking it for the final time at the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Championships.
 
Competing at the latter, Elmore would deliver three All-PBC performances, including runner-up honors in the 100-meters. She would also notch Third-Team outings in the 200-meters and 4x100-meters. On top of those accomplishments, she also earned Indoor All-Southeast Region honors in the 60-meters through the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
 
Elmore's selection marks the 15^th time in the last eight seasons, and 20^th time overall, that Clayton State Athletics has had at least one individual selected to what is now known as the Google Cloud Academic All-District Team. Of those 20 selections, an incredible 12 have come since 2014-15 and includes all four multi-time honorees and all four Academic All-America's.
 
The only other individuals to earn multiple honors are women's track & field's Joy Diaz (2016-17, 2017-18) and Maia Kuhnen (2014-15, 2015-16) and women's soccer's Maria Marti Bartis (2015-16, 2016-17). The latter is the only student-athlete in Laker history to earn Academic All-America honors more than once, collecting First-Team recognition in both of her seasons. She is also the only First-Team honoree in program history.
 
Elmore is one of three individuals from full PBC members to be selected to this year's team while associate member Embry-Riddle placed a pair on the District 5 Team. Additionally, she is the only track & field athlete from the league to be selected as Emma Driggers of Francis Marion and Sarah Wilder of Georgia College compete only in cross country.

"Nia continues to represent the team's legacy of academic success," said head track & field coach Mike Mead. "She is well-deserving of the award!"
 
In terms of selections by program, the women's cross country/track & field programs have produced nine selections, good for the most in school history. Including the two selections on the men's side in 2011-12, those programs have accounted for more than half of Clayton State's Academic All-District choices.
 
Elmore is now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors which will be announced on Wednesday, June 26. Clayton State has four all-time Academic All-America selections and a current program record streak of three straight years in that area.
 
ABOUT THE COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM
The 2019 Google Cloud 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.
 
2019 Google Cloud Academic Women's Cross Country/Track & Field All-District Teams (District 3)

Name		School	Yr.	GPA	Major
Emma Driggers		Francis Marion	Jr.	4.0	History/French
Savannah Drummonds		Lenoir-Rhyne	Sr.	3.98	Mathematics
Nia  Elmore		Clayton State	Jr.	3.87	Nursing
Leah Hanle		Mount Olive	Jr.	3.75	Psychology
Candise Lockett		Mount Olive	So.	3.93	Graphic Design
Nicole McMillen		Tusculum	Sr.	3.92	Business Management
Taylor Moncrief		Mount Olive	Jr.	3.85	Psychology
Ruva Mzinde		Wingate	Sr.	3.70	Sport Management
Lucie Noall		Queens (N.C.)	Sr.	3.95	Biology
Delaney Taylor		Mars Hill	So.	4.0	Health & Human Performance
Rebekah White		Carson-Newman	Sr.	4.0	Exercise Science
Sarah Wilder		Georgia College	Sr.	4.0	Chemistry

Clayton State History of Academic All-District Selections (20 Selections/16 Individuals)
2018-19 – Nia  Elmore (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2017-18 – Carla  Catala Martin (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2017-18 – Joy  Diaz (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)%
2017-18 – Nia  Elmore (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2016-17 – Joy  Diaz (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)