San Francisco, CA -- A talented basketball guard, explosive in track & field, and an aspiring artist, Jasmin Guinn will now officially join Academy of Art University this coming fall. The announcement comes simultaneously from ART U head women's basketball coach LaNay Larson and track & field/cross country head coach Charles Ryan. Guinn, a graduate of Berkeley High School, was a three-year NCS champion in basketball as well as a four-year league champion in both the high jump and long jump.

“I chose Academy of Art because I have a passion for drawing and it's something I could see myself having a future in,” Guinn said. “I am looking forward to learning a lot both academically and athletically. There's a lot that I need to work on and I feel Academy of Art gives me the best tools to someday be the best I can at those things such as track, basketball, and animation.”

It just so happens that Jasmin will be joining her father and former professional Major League Baseball player, Brian Guinn, who has served as the head baseball coach at Academy of Art for the past three seasons. Jasmin fits right in as part of a notably athletic family which also includes her mother and former tennis professional, Wendy, brother Trae, formerly a two-sport athlete at Berkeley High School, and brother Brian Jr., who is currently playing baseball in the San Diego Padres organization.

“The opportunity to play two sports at college level along with [Jasmin's] passion for animation and illustration was reason for coming to Academy of Art University,” Coach Guinn said. “She enjoyed conversations with the coaches and was very positive about the decision. She felt she could really progress here.”

Guinn progressed quickly for the Yellowjackets women's basketball team, earning Second Team All-Alameda Contra Costa County Athletic League (ACCAL) in her freshman and sophomore years. As a junior and senior, she would then take home First Team All-League honors. The El Sobrante native helped Berkeley High School capture three NCS championships as well as two Norcal Championships, playing for a team that ranked as high as fifth in the country. A 2012 Bay vs. Sac all-star, Guinn also demonstrated her ability to lead by serving as a two-year team captain and four-year NCS Scholar Athlete.

"Jasmin is going to be a huge asset to our program," Coach Larson said. "She is an outstanding athlete that had many Division I opportunities and we are extremely grateful that she chose to come to Academy of Art University. She is a great student as well and exactly what we are looking for as we take our program to the next level."

Having competed primarily in the long jump and high jump events following each basketball season, Guinn served as a four-year letter winner for Berkeley High's track & field team as well. Guinn, First Team All-League and league champion in both events all four years, would close out her senior season in memorable fashion, overcoming a pair of injuries to improve from ninth overall to sixth-place (18-9.25) in the long jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state championships. She also won the 2012 North Coast Section (NCS) Meet of Champions long jump with a wind-legal mark of 18-8.

“Jasmin is a special athlete,” Coach Ryan said. “Not many kids have the raw ability to come in and do two sports and the university level. She is one of best point guards in the state and recently proved she is one of the best long jumpers in the state after finishing 6th in CIF finals. We are very excited to add an athlete of her talent and the fact that her father is our baseball coach fits into the quirky, unusual, but always fun dynamic that is our program. She is going to do well for us on the track and will obviously help the women's basketball team move forward on the court. We're all excited.”

Additionally, the multi-talented Guinn served as the league champion in the 300m hurdles for one year, was First Team All-East Bay for track & field, and was an honoree for the East Bay Prep Athletes of the Year as chosen by the Bay Area News Group East Bay high school sports staff.

When asked about his daughter's decision to remain in the San Francisco Bay Area, Coach Guinn's reply unsurprisingly came with a pleased tone.

“It's good because I get a chance to watch her compete at the college level,” Coach Guinn said. “If she was somewhere else, it would be hard to come watch. As parents, you want to support your kids and see them play so my wife and I will get to do that because she is close to home.”

Jasmin Guinn will embark upon her path as an Animation & Visual Effects major while competing for the women's basketball and women's track & field teams at Academy of Art University this fall.

“I think her ceiling is still high,” Coach Guinn said. “She'll turn 18 this coming January and, once she reaches full maturity, you'll see a young lady who is even stronger and smarter on court and running track.”