Hall of Fame
Pamé La Ashford, 2004 - Ashford, an All-Gateway Conference and All-Mid-Continent Conference track and field athlete from 1988-93, established seven Western Illinois records and was noted on the 'Top 10' list an astounding 24 times during her Westerwinds career. Five of Ashford’s seven school records still remain in the books, including times in the 55-meter dash (:07.01), 100-meter dash (:11.59), 200-meter dash (:24.73-indoor, :23.59-outdoor) and 4x200-meter relay (1:39.85).
The former team captain was an NCAA qualifier in the 55- and 200-meter dashes indoors and in the 100- and 200-meter dashes outdoors. During her sophomore campaign, Ashford was the Gateway Conference Indoor champion in the 200 and the 55 with her school-record times beginning in that championship heat. During the 1990 Outdoor season, Ashford was the Gateway champion in two individual events (100 and 200 dashes) and earned repeat all-conference honors. In 1991-92 she was a conference Indoor and Outdoor finalist despite competing with a broken femur. During reconditioning, she was listed as a NSCA Fitness All-American Athlete for her running performance and her strength and conditioning marks, bench pressing 190 lbs. and squatting 265 lbs.
Her success afforded her the opportunity to train at the Olympic Training Camp in 1989, an invitation to compete at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1990 and the opportunity to compete at Nationals in New Orleans in 1993. After her standout career, Ashford tutored the Western Illinois sprinters as a graduate assistant coach from 1993-95.
Coming to Walther Lutheran as a Jesse Owens Junior Olympic bronze medalist, she became an all-state high school athlete and four-year state finalist twice listed as one of “Who’s Who Among American High School Athletes.”
Ashford, who was named the Marketing Communications Manager for Clarisay in 2001, earned her MBA from Texas A&M-Commerce in 2002.
