During her first two seasons as a member of the Lamar University women's basketball team, Ashley Crawford proved to be the leader in one of the most important areas of the college game, the classroom.

After two exceptional years as a student athlete, Crawford was honored this spring by being the named the Most Outstanding Senior in the department of Education and Kinesiology, earned the Mary and John Gray award as the graduating senior with the highest grade point average in the athletic department and was given the women's basketball Academic Honors Award.

She has maintained a 3.96 grade point average during her two years at LU and has been a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society which is for the top five percent of students at colleges and universities. Crawford has also been a member of the President's list all four semesters at Lamar.

Earning these prestigious awards; it doesn't get any better than that," Lady Cardinals head coach Larry Tidwell said. "Ashley has made this program proud with her academic accomplishments and that says volumes about her desire to be the best, whether in the gym or in the classroom."

Before heading her time at Lamar, Crawford was a Junior College Academic All American and a member of the freshman national honor society while at Trinity Valley Community College.

"I feel it's very important to be strong in the classroom," Crawford said. "There is a stereotype that a lot of athletes don't take academics seriously, and I want to break that stereotype. I am an athlete, and that's important to me, but I'm a student first."

Crawford will walk across the stage in the Montagne Center and receive her bachelor's degree on Saturday, but her educational journey is far from the end. She'll begin work on her masters next year, while playing for the Lady Cardinals, and will continue to pursue her education once her athletic career is over.

Her desired career path will give her the opportunity to pass along her knowledge and work ethic to future student athletes.

"When basketball is over I want to finish getting my masters while working as a graduate assistant coach in women's basketball," she said. "My plan is to get experience as a college coach and one day become an athletic director."

"AC leads by example and does it in a first class manner as she exhibits pride, passion, and persistence on a daily basis," Tidwell said. "I am very excited about getting Ashley back on the court as she is now 100 percent healthy and ready to make her last year on the collegiate hardwood a great one. AC, without question, will make a great college coach."