FORT MYERS, Fla. – FGCU Athletics has named women's tennis player Elizabeth Means (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Wiregrass Ranch HS) and men's basketball player Nate Hicks (Panama City Beach, Fla./J.R. Arnold HS/Georgia Tech) as recipients of the Northwestern Mutual Academic Student-Athletes of the Month Award for the month of January.

Each month during the school year, the FGCU Athletics Communications Office and Athletic Academic staff will choose a pair of Eagles as the Northwestern Mutual Academic Student-Athlete of the Month. Those selected for the honor will have exhibited a combination of superior athletic and overall academic success.

Means is a junior majoring in business management with a sports management concentration and has logged a 3.92 GPA during her time in Green and Blue. She was a Dean's List selection for the Fall 2013, Spring 2014 and Fall 2014 semesters as well as a President's List choice for Fall 2012 and Spring 2013. She has also been chosen to attend the Student-Athlete Academic Honors Luncheon twice (2014, '15). Elizabeth has had a junior season to remember so far highlighted by her efforts in the FGCU Spring Invite. She would her four singles victories in one weekend and is currently 5-1 on the singles court this spring. On the doubles court alongside her sister Sarah, the Means sisters are 4-2.

Hicks is a redshirt-senior working on a master of business administration degree after producing a 3.31 undergraduate GPA in economics. He has since accumulated a 3.00 graduate GPA during his time at FGCU. Hicks has appeared in 21 games for FGCU this season, averaging 16.7 minutes, 4.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. The Panama City Beach native has made 16-consecutive starts for the Green and Blue, highlighted by a season-high 11 rebounds on Saturday opposite Northern Kentucky.

The Glenn Black Group, a member of the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, works to help and enhance the financial success and well-being of families and businesses in Southwest Florida. In addition to offering access to risk management products and solutions, The Glenn Black Group provides a variety of related products that can help solve personal, retirement, estate and business planning needs.

Northwestern Mutual Financial Network is the marketing name for the sales and distribution arm of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee Wisc. (Northwestern Mutual) and its subsidiaries.