Lincoln’s Brown, Virginia Union’s Garcia Selected as 2021-22 CIAA Scholar Athletes of the Year

By: CIAA
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) announces its 2021-22 Male and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Lincoln University senior Bryanna Brown was selected as the CIAA Female Scholar Athlete of the Year while Virginia Union University senior Hayden Garcia was chosen as the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.
The CIAA Scholar Athletes of the Year are voted on by associations throughout the conference’s membership to include the athletic directors, senior woman administrators, sports information directors, and faculty athletic representatives.
A star on the hardwood for the Lions, Brown recently earned her degree in finance where she graduated with a cumulative 3.95 grade point average. During the 2021-22 season, the New York, NY native led the CIAA in scoring at 17 points per game and was named CIAA Player of the Year in addition to being an All-CIAA backcourt selection. The 5-9 guard returned for a fifth year this past season to help lead the Lincoln women to their first CIAA title in program history, earning Tournament MVP honors in the process. In 2021, Brown was a recipient of the Lowe’s CIAA Senior Class Award for her achievements both on and off the court. Additionally, Brown earned 2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-America honors while also being recognized as an Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar, finishing as runner-up for their Scholar of the Year award. Brown is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and was actively involved in community service during her time at LU to include food and clothing drives, voting initiatives, and campus cleanups.
Garcia was a standout golfer in the Panthers program, earning All-CIAA honors following the 2022 spring season. The Cape Town, South Africa native also helped lead VUU to a team title at the CIAA Northern Division Tournament, where he earned the Low Medalist award as the top individual finisher and was an All-Tournament selection. Additionally, Garcia was a vital part of Virginia Union’s runner-up finish at the 2022 CIAA Golf Championship, an event that he finished fourth overall individually to earn a spot on the All-Tournament team. Carrying a cumulative 4.01 grade point average as a biology major, Garcia was named Salutatorian of the 2022 graduating class at Virginia Union University. While at VUU, Garcia worked for Dr. Vernon Ruffin in the Ruffin Neurological Lab over his last two semesters and was active in the community, registering more than 180 service hours throughout his career.
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