Softball: Ashley Brignac Named University’s Outstanding Graduate 12/16/11

Softball: Ashley Brignac Named University’s Outstanding Graduate 12/16/11

The Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics Department is proud to announce that standout softball pitcher Ashley Brignac has been named the University of Louisiana’s Outstanding Graduate for the Fall 2011 semester.
 
Brignac, an exercise science major, is also the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Education. She will receive the prestigious honor during the University’s commencement on Saturday, Dec. 17 at the Cajundome.
 
The River Ridge, La., native has excelled both in the classroom and on the softball field.
 
Brignac helped lead the Ragin’ Cajuns softball squad to the 2008 Women’s College World Series as a freshman and owns two seasons of 30-plus victories in the pitching circle. Twice she was named Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year (2008 & 2011) and is a two-time NFCA All-Region honoree.
 
In the classroom, Brignac has maintained a 4.0 GPA during her college career. This past summer she was named softball’s Capital One Academic All-American of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), an honor given to the top member of the Capital One Academic All-American First Team.
 
Below is a complete summarization of Brignac’s accomplishments as a student-athlete at UL.
 
Ashley Brignac – University of Louisiana & College of Education Outstanding Graduate
 
Ashley Brignac, daughter of Joseph and Tammy Brignac of River Ridge, is the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Education. She’s an exercise science major.
 
She has maintained a 4.0 GPA during college and is a pitcher for the Ragin’ Cajun softball team. She’s a member of the National Honor Society and has been on the Dean’s List and President’s List throughout her college career and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi.
 
She’s the recipient of several scholarships including the Catherine Moore Endowed Physical Education Scholarship, the Academic Excellence Scholarship and the TOPS Performance Award.
 
Brignac is the 2011 Capital One Academic All-American Player of the Year. She’s received numerous athletic accolades including: Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, LSWA Pitcher of the Week, Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, All-Regional Team and James J. Corbett Award Winner – Allstate Sugar Bowl.
 
In 2007 she was a member of the USA Junior Olympics softball team, which won the gold medal in the Pan American Games. That year, she was also named the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year.
 
She has been involved in research projects with professors in the Kinesiology Department. As a result, she is a published author in the proceedings of the 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association Conference.
 
After graduation, she plans to attend UL one more semester to finish her senior year on the softball team. She ultimately plans to work in the sports medicine field.