San Francisco, CA -- Academy of Art University Athletics became fully eligible to compete for the NCAA post-season in July, but the ART U Women's Basketball program has already added a champion of its own. Kirstyn Champion, a graduate of Linden High School and Galt, CA native, will join the Urban Knights as announced by head coach LaNay Larson.

“We are really excited that Kirstyn has chosen to continue her basketball career here at Academy of Art University,” Coach Larson said. “Watching her progress over the last year I have no doubt that she will come in and continue to do the same at the next level. Kirstyn is an amazing artist as well as a talented post player with great size and strength. She will be a great student-athlete here and is just what we were looking for.”

Champion, who stands six feet tall, was a four-year letterwinner in basketball as well as a three-year letterwinner in swimming with the Lions. She would collect a series of impressive basketball honors throughout her high school career including Junior Varsity's Most Valuable Player (2009) freshman year and All-League honorable mention as a sophomore (2010) and junior (2011). One of her fondest memories came as a freshman when she was moved up to varsity and played in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Finals at Arco Arena.

In her senior year, Champion collected MVP honors and an All-League First Team selection all the while serving as team captain. She also played in the Six County All-Star Game that season.

“I came to the Academy of Art University because I have always wanted to pursue a career in art, even at young age,” Champion said. “Animation & Visual Effects was the major I really wanted to get into. ART U offered the major that I wanted and the opportunity to continue playing basketball at the college level. I looked at other art schools but this was the only art school that offered the artistic side and the athletic side of what I was looking for.

Intent on pursuing her dream of creating visual effects for movies, Champion will begin her work as an Animation & Visual Effects major while competing for the women's basketball team at Academy of Art University this fall.

"My goal on the court is to be able to work hard and contribute to the ART U women's basketball team so we can form a winning team," Champion said. "My goal off the court is to learn as much as possible at Academy of Art University and be ready to take on a career in movie visual effects.”