Published: July 03, 2008 08:09 pm         

GIRLS SWIMMING: Ashley Jones headed to NU this fall

Was four-time NFL diving champion for Lockport

LOCKPORT — One of Lockport High School’s all-time great female divers is heading for Niagara University this fall on both an academic and athletic scholarship.

Ashley Jones, the daughter of popular local singer Gary and Tina Jones, plans to swim for the Purple Eagles and study elementary education.

“I made the decision at the beginning of the year,” said Ashley, who graduated from LHS last month.

“One of my friends from diving, Ian O’Rourke (Grand Island) goes there. He said they have a good program and he recommended that I come, so I went and watched a meet. Their coaches were nice and I thought it would be a good place to go.”

Jones, who began diving at LHS in seventh grade, is a four-time Niagara Frontier League diving champion under Lady Lions head coach Ron Zugelder. She also placed second at the Section VI meet twice and was third another year.

A tremendous sprinter with blazing foot speed, Jones also excelled in indoor and outdoor track under head coach Tim Tolli, being part of Lockport’s league champion 400 relay last year, along with Codi Hall, Anique Foster and Taylor Groff. This year, the Lady Lions’ 400 meter relay quartet (Jones, Hall, Groff and Shaquilla Brinson) was second at NFLs.

In the 100-meter dash, Jones was sixth at the NFL meet this year and finished third in the 200.

Jones also excelled in the classroom, finishing her LHS career with a 93 average. She wants to become a physical education teacher some day.

“You just have to work hard and I had a coach in swimming who always pushed us,” Jones said of her scholarships.

Ashley has an older brother, Billy, 23; and sister, Nadine, 22.