ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball senior Haley Clark, a co-winner of the Southeastern Conference’s 2018 Scholar Athlete of the Year award for women basketball, has now been named one of three finalists for the prestigious Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Athlete of the Year.
Joining Clark on the final list are Brenna Dowell (Gymnastics – University of Oklahoma) and Samantha Kokoska (Soccer – University of Washington). The finalists were chosen from 40 semifinalists, who were selected from more than 1,000 minority student-athletes nominated by their respective colleges or universities.
The male and female scholar-of-the-year, as well as the entire class of 2018 Ashe scholars, will be featured in the April 5, 2018, edition of the magazine Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership.
“It is an honor to coach someone like Haley Clark,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “She is one of the most driven people I have ever met and has served as a great ambassador for our program and the University of Georgia throughout the past four years. It took extreme dedication to finish her undergraduate degree early and pursue her master’s while playing a crucial role on our team. Haley is such a joy to be around and the ultimate teammate. I want to thank everyone associated with the Arthur Ashe Jr. Award and Diverse magazine for naming Haley a finalist for this prestigious honor.”
Clark has started each and every game — a span of 62-straight contests — over the past two seasons while beginning a master’s degree in financial planning. The Orlando, Florida, native graduated with an undergraduate degree in finance in just three years and earned the SEC’s 2018 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for her efforts off the court. Clark also serves as one of the Lady Bulldogs’ SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) representatives and was recognized by her peers last spring when she was awarded the UGA Athletics Sportsmanship and Ethics Award, which was voted on by Georgia student-athletes.