BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of West Alabama’s Ashton Washington has been named to the All-Gulf South Conference Eastern Division First Team, as announced by the conference office Tuesday afternoon.

Washington, a native of Lexington, Miss., becomes the first UWA player since Yolanda Thomas during the 2004-05 season to be named to the First Team. Former Tiger standouts Veronica Lee and current UWA Graduate Assistant Emily Nalls were both named to the All-GSC Second Team.

The junior forward, who leads UWA with 12.1 points per game, leads the GSC in rebounds with 9.6 per game, which ranks 27^th in the country.

Washington, who was named to the Preseason All-GSC Eastern Division Team earlier this year, is joined by Kristen Banes (UAH), Carley Peterson (Valdosta State), Jessica Russell (UAH) and Eastern Division Player of the Year Amber Rutherford (North Alabama) receiving First Team honors.

Dominique Boykins of West Florida was named Eastern Division Freshman of the Year, as Valdosta State’s Kiley Hill was named Coach of the Year.

West Alabama returns to action on Thursday, March 1^st, as the Tigers open GSC Tournament action against Western Division, two-seed Arkansas Tech at the DeSoto Civic Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. The game will be aired on WZNJ 106.5 and also at athletics.uwa.edu. The GSC will carry the game live, via broadband.