FRAMINGHAM STATE'S BAKER GETS HER KICKS, SETS FEMALE FOOTBALL SCORING MARK
By Elliott Jones, USA TODAY
Before last spring, Ashley Baker never thought she
would play college football. By Nov. 3, she had become the NCAA's
Divison III all-time leading female scorer.
Baker tallied 11 points as a place kicker at Framingham State (Mass.) this season.
Baker, a goalkeeper on the Framingham State women's soccer team for two seasons, attracted the attention of athletic director and football coach Tom Kelley after scoring three goals from 50 yards or more. When he approached Baker about joining the football team, it was the first time the thought had ever occurred to her.
"I had never even thought about playing football. (Kelley) had been asking me about it since the end of soccer season and I thought I would take the gamble," said Baker, 23.
The Mansfield, Mass. native kicked eight extra points and one field goal. Despite her success, Baker's goal was never to be a pioneer.
"I'm just an athlete, I always try to put the team first. While I'm proud of my accomplishments, I never look into statistics too much," Baker said.
While Baker holds the Division III mark, Tonya Butler of Division II's West Alabama scored more points during her two years kicking for the Tigers. From 2003-2004, Butler scored a total of 87 points.
Other female kickers include Earlham (Ind.) College's Hillary
Carter, another former soccer player who notched two extra points
this season.
