Penn graduate Nia Akins newest member of the Brooks Beasts...

SEATTLE--The Seattle based Brooks Beasts announced Tuesday (6/16) the addition of San Diego native Nia Akins (above/photo courtesy Penn Athletics) to its roster of middle distance athletes.

The graduate of the University of Pennsylvania was twice a runner-up at the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships, finishing second at the 2019 indoor championships in Birmingham, Alabama to cross state rival Danae Rivers of Penn State (2:03.69 to 2:03.74), and to Texas A&M's Jazmine Fray (2:01.31 to 2:01.67).

Akins graduated from Penn with a degree in nursing and nutrition.  During her time as a Penn Quaker, she helped the team win the distance medley relay at the 2019 Penn Relays on her home track. In doing so, Akins was selected as the meet's college athlete of the meet.

Nia Akins (Jeff Horner photo)

She holds four Penn individual school records in the indoor 800 (2:00.71), the outdoor 800 (2:01.67), the outdoor 1500 (4:16.44), and the 1000m indoors (2:43.92), and contributed to four other school records in the 4 x 800 (indoor & outdoor), 4 x 400 outdoors, and the distance medley relay outdoors.

Her personal best of 2:00.71 indoors set at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational is the second fastest all time by a collegian, and is 2/100ths off the collegiate record of 2:00.69 by Jazmine Fray.

Akins ran in the 2015 Brooks PR meet, finishing eighth in the 800.

She is represented by Ray Flynn of Flynn Sports Management.

NOTE:  Brooks Running and Penn Athletics contributed to this report.

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