ATHENS, Ga. — Haley Clark, who just completed her senior season on the Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team, has been named the 2018 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Over 1,000 student-athletes from across the country were nominated for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Award, with one female and one male taking top honors. Joining Clark is the male scholar-athlete of the year, Blaise Taylor, from Arkansas State.
The award was created for student-athletes who best exemplify the highest standards of scholarship, athleticism and humanitarianism.
“Haley exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “The work ethic and tremendous dedication it takes to start every game over the past two years while finishing her bachelor’s and working on a master’s is a phenomenal feat. That’s who Haley is. Throughout her career in our program, she wasn’t concerned with stats or accolades. She worked hard every day to do everything she could to make our team successful. There is no doubt she will carry that same attitude over to her career and whatever she does in life. Thank you to the Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for recognizing Haley and all of her hard work.”
Clark has started each and every game — a span of 64-straight contests — over the past two seasons while beginning a master’s degree in financial planning. The Orlando, Florida, native graduated with a bachelor’s 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.
The three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll was Georgia’s starting point guard during her junior season and finished sixth in the league with 3.9 assists per game. This past year, Clark led the Lady Bulldogs to their most wins since the 2006-07 campaign and a trip the NCAA tournament.
Clark is currently in Athens pursuing her master’s degree.
About the Arthur Ashe Jr. Award
In 1992, Black Issues In Higher Education magazine, now Diverse, established the Sports Scholars Awards.
A scholar and athlete, Ashe sought to expand opportunities for young people. Each year, Diverse invites every postsecondary institution in the country to participate in this awards program by nominating their outstanding sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability, students named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars must exhibit academic excellence as well as community activism.