LODI, Calif. – St. Francis volleyball standout Alexa Edwards has been named the winner of the Clarke Coover Scholarship Award, the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section announced. This award, named in honor of former Section Commissioner Clarke Coover and the highest individual honor by the section, grants a $1,500 scholarship to the top male and female student-athletes in the section. Edwards joined Merced's David Chen as the 2020 winners.
"We're so proud of Alexa and all of her accomplishments," said Athletics Director Mark McGreevy. "This award acknowledges Alexa for her combined achievements as both a student and an athlete and is a direct byproduct of her exceptional work ethic in both arenas. To be acknowledged as the top female scholar/athlete in a section of nearly 200 high schools is an incredible feat and a source of pride not only for her and her wonderful family but indeed all who cherish St. Francis and Troubadour Athletics. We've come to know Alexa not only as a dedicated student-athlete but a special person and we couldn't be happier for her."
Edwards is the seventh Troubadour to earn the Lacky Award and first to ern the top honor. Soccer's Elise Urkov was the most recent winner in 2019.
The Coover Scholarship is part of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Sections $30,000 in scholarships awarded to the 48 winners of the A. Dale Lacky Scholarships for outstanding athletic performance, community service and academic success during their four years of high school. The award, named after former Section and State CIF President, A. Dale Lacky, recognizes the top male and female student-athletes within the Section. The scholarship committee has selected four male and four female students as the recipients of a $1,000 scholarship. The remaining nominees are awarded a $500 scholarship from the Section. In addition, the Clarke Coover Scholarship Award has been given to two of the top honorees.
"I want to thank the Sac-Joaquin Section for awarding me the Clark Coover Scholarship Award," said Edwards. "It truly means a lot to me to win this scholarship. Thank you to everyone at St. Francis for supporting me throughout my career."
Edwards played volleyball for all four years and is one of the most decorated players in program history. She was the Delta League MVP three times, a MaxPreps Underclassman All-American, All-Region 9 team (players from California, Arizona and Nevada), first-team all-state and was the Sacramento Bee volleyball player of the year.
She received the St. Francis Leadership Pillar Award and the UOP Provost's Academic Scholarship. She volunteers with youth volleyball clinics, Bounty (feeding the homeless) and with various political campaigns. Alexa has a 4.07 GPA and will attend the University of the Pacific, where she will continue playing volleyball. She plans on a double major in political science and Spanish, with the future goal of becoming a civil rights lawyer
All schools were allowed to play one extra volleyball game and an extra boys and girls basketball game with 50 percent of the gate going directly to the foundation for the scholarships. More than $24,000 was generated through the foundation games. All of the winners were to be recognized at the annual CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Breakfast Awards Ceremony, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it canceled this year.
CLARKE COOVER SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT
PAST LACKY AWARD WINNERS
2005 Mairin Meltvedt
2006 Colleen Buehler
2007 Lauren Brunner
2015 Lauren Charter
2017 Claire Schutz
2019 Elise Urkov
2020 Alexa Edwards (Clarke Coover)
