Track star earns honor

It’s was a week of accolades for Alex Crawley.

Three days after running to an individual championship in the girls’ Division IV 3,200-meters on May 26, the Laguna Beach High senior landed another top honor: she was named the female athlete of the year in the Orange Coast League for the 2006-07 school year.

Plaques were presented to the top male and female athletes in each of the 15 leagues in Orange County during a dinner and awards banquet held May 29 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The banquet was staged by the Athletic Directors Assn. of Orange County.

During the ceremony, each athlete had their major accomplishments and grade point averages announced, as well as what college they will attend next fall.

Crawley, who will enter Columbia University in the fall, attended Tuesday’s event with her parents, Dana and Craig, and Laguna Beach coach Earl Towner.

“It was a real honor to be there and it was a really nice banquet,” Crawley said.

During the cross-country season in 2006, Crawley placed second at the Mount SAC Invitational girls’ Division IV sweepstakes race in October and in November, placed second at the Bell-Jeff Invitational and won the Orange Coast League girls’ cross-country title by finishing first in the varsity girls’ race.

During the track and field season — which culminated for her last weekend — Crawley won league titles in both the 1,600 and 3,200 and capped her Laguna career by running 11:22.90 to win the girls’ Division IX title in the 3,200 at the CIF-Southern Section Division IV finals at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

“I feel very fortunate to have had a student/athlete of Alex’s quality and character to work with,” Towner said.