Ashley Smith '20 Signs NLI with Franklin Pierce University
Post-graduate Ashley Smith, of Holden, Massachusetts, signed her National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to play basketball for Franklin Pierce University.
Smith graduated from West Boylston High School where she was a 1,000 point scorer. This will be her first season playing for the Marianapolis Golden Knights. In addition to basketball, Smith is also a field hockey player, having competed on the Marianapolis varsity team this fall.
“Basketball has always been a part of my life and I come from a basketball family. For as long as I can remember I have always had a basketball in my hands,” said Smith.
Smith, who plays in the forward position, said that she chose to sign with Franklin Pierce because of its family atmosphere and she was impressed with the coaches. “The head coach, Coach Swasey, was the determining factor for me. He is a competitive coach who pushes the team to their fullest potential and I know he is going to make me a more well-rounded player,” she said. She plans to major in Marketing in Franklin Pierce’s Business Plus Program.
Marianapolis girls’ varsity basketball head coach Kirsty Leedham said “I am confident that Ashley will go on to have a successful college career at Franklin Pierce under the guidance of Coach Mark Swasey, and I cannot wait to watch her excel in the NE-10 conference. Ashley comes to Marianapolis with a lot of playing experience under her belt, that I think will only benefit our program, and be a contributing factor in our success this year as a program. This is such a big accomplishment, and as a community, we are extremely happy for Ashley.”
Franklin Pierce University, located in Rindge, New Hampshire, is a Division II school playing in the Northeast-10 Conference.