Alex Earl named Valley Times' Female Athlete of the Year

Southridge basketball and soccer star Alex Earl will play hoop at Arizona State next

By Miles Vance

The Beaverton Valley Times, Jun 19, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

ALL ALEX — Alex Earl was named 2007-08 Valley Times Female Athlete of the Year by helping her Skyhawks basketball team win a fourth straight state title and leading her team back into the state soccer playoffs.

Jaime Valdez / Beaverton Valley Times

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Southridge’s Alex Earl had it all.

Speed and strength. Ball handling ability and shooting skill. Leadership and competitive drive.

And don’t forget those four state basketball championships her Skyhawks won over the past four seasons.

Now, she has one more item to add her impressive résumé — this year’s award as the Beaverton Valley Times’ Female Athlete of the Year. The Athlete of the Year award is handed out annually to the top senior athlete in the Beaverton Valley Times’ coverage area.

Earl, also a three-year starter on the successful Southridge girls soccer team — which reached the playoffs in each of her four high school seasons and reached the state semifinals in 2005 — will now take her talents to an even bigger stage, joining the Arizona State University women’s basketball team next season.

“My goal has always been to be a (Division 1) basketball player, especially in the Pac-10,” Earl, 18, said.

And especially since she’ll have so many familiar — and friendly — faces to see on the court in her new league, with fellow 2008 Southridge graduate Michelle Jenkins and ’06 grad Aarika Hughes at USC, ’06 grad JJ Hones at Stanford, and ’06 grad Stacey Nichols at Oregon State.

“The Pac-10 breakfast will be a blast,” Earl said.

Still, it’s going to be tough to top what Earl, a 5-foot-10 point guard, accomplished in her high school basketball career. Among Earl’s hardwood achievements were:

n She was her team’s leader in assists, steals and three-point field goals in 2007-08.

n She was named Oregon’s Class 6A Player of the Year, first-team All-Tournament and Metro Tri-Player of the Year for ’07-08.

n She was named third-team all-state and first team all-league in ’06-07.

n A 2006-07 Street & Smith’s Prep All-American Honorable Mention selection, Earl also earned all-league notice in 2005 and 2006, was named to the Oregon City “End of the Trail” All-Tournament Team in 2005 and 2006 (she also earned MVP honors in ’06), and played on Team Concept during the 2007 Nike Elite Regional Camp.

But more important to Earl than any of those individual accomplishments are the team successes Southridge found on the basketball court.

“When I think about high school, I’m going to think about winning four state championships,” Earl said. “Every time I think of winning four state championships, I still can’t believe it. It was like the best feeling ever every time.”

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