Twins get second chance at graduation they missed leading tennis team to NCAAs
(Published May 8, 2019)
Twins Claudia and Lidia Yanes Garcia stood shoulder to shoulder adorned in graduation caps and gowns Monday afternoon in Austin Peay鈥檚 Iris Room as the University鈥檚 top leaders took turns honoring them.
The twins didn鈥檛 say much, other than a Spanish-accented 鈥渢hank you鈥 here and there, but their smiles shined 鈥 as their smiles always do 鈥 and that spoke loudly and clearly.
For four years, the Yanes Garcia twins from Los Realejos, Spain, played tennis side by side for Austin Peay, lifting the Governors to an OVC tennis championship this year. They also studied side by side, both earning 4.0 GPAs en route to computer science degrees.
Side by side. Through it all. Smiles always shining.
The four-year journey culminated Monday afternoon in the Iris Room as the University held a special graduation ceremony for the twins. They missed their May 3 commencement because they were leading the Governors in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really proud of you,鈥 APSU President Alisa White said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud of your academic performance. We鈥檙e proud of the way you conducted yourselves here. It had to be tough so far from home, but you were just model students, model citizens, model athletes.鈥
At roughly 1:15 p.m., Governors tennis coach Ross Brown called the twins鈥 names, and they approached White and Provost Rex Gandy to receive their bachelor鈥檚 degrees.
The smiles never wavered.
鈥淚 feel so good,鈥 Lidia Yanes Garcia said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect to do graduation because when we won the OVC, we knew we were going to miss graduation day. We鈥檙e so proud to be here today. Everybody is here.鈥
Her sister, Claudia, laughed: 鈥淚 felt like everyone was looking!
鈥淏ut I felt good because that means we鈥檝e been four years studying and we have something,鈥 Claudia added.
The twins aren鈥檛 finished with Austin Peay, though. They鈥檙e going home this summer and will return to Clarksville in time for the fall semester to work toward their master鈥檚 degrees.
The Yanes Garcia sisters are two of the most decorated athletes in Austin Peay history. Lidia won OVC player of the year three times, and Claudia nearly won the award this year. Both were First Team All-OVC every year they played (Claudia missed the regular season her junior year because of an injury).
A third senior 鈥 Helena Kuppig of Germany 鈥 also graduated but returned home before the Monday ceremony.
鈥淭hese ladies are special, and they really deserve this,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淲hatever they lack in stature (Claudia is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, and Lidia is an inch shorter), let me tell you, they have it in heart. They鈥檝e given it their best effort every time they walk on the court.鈥
Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison added: 鈥淐laudia and Lidia have done great things at our institution. Look at what they accomplished on the court. Look at their academics. We鈥檙e really proud of them.鈥
TO LEARN MORE
- For more about the Austin Peay women鈥檚 tennis team and their historic season, visit .
- For more about the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, go to www.apsu.edu/csci.
News Feed
View All News
A new study recently published in Explorations in Economic History suggests that early-life exposure to lead in drinking water is associated with a reduced longevity in men by approximately 9.6 months in cities with the most significant exposure.
Read More
APSU alumna Maggie Lehtola rekindled her academic journey at APSU after being inspired by a Nashville Shakespeare Festival production and is now heading to London for her MFA.
Read More
The Southeastern Grasslands Institute plays a central role in the Emmy Award-winning PBS Appalachia Virginia documentary "The Prairie Preacher," which explores the organization's efforts to save America's most endangered ecosystem.
Read More