Sara Crane, guard-forward for the Lady Vaqueros, has been named to the first-team All-Western State Conference North women’s basketball squad.
“To get this award, it definitely means a lot,” said Crane. “It means everything to me.”
Crane, 20, is a kinesiology major and third year student athlete at City College with a 3.56 GPA. Graduating from Dos Pueblos, she has played basketball since the age of nine starting at the Boys and Girls Club and all through high school.
“I just got injured the summer before my senior year of high school,” said Crane. “It was definitely hard on me because I couldn’t work out, school got a little tougher. But, when I’m in basketball, everything else becomes easier.”
It hasn’t been an easy road for Crane who dealt with injuries and being kicked off the team for a small altercation with the assistant coach last year.
“She was kicked off the team last year because of disciplinary issues,” said Head Coach Sandrine Krul. “She did a 360-degree change.”
“I always say this: when she got better, our team got better.”
Crane averages 7.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game. The Vaqueros were seeded 12th for the Southern California Regionals and finished third in the WSC.
“This year has been amazing,” said Crane. “We had a really good team. We had a good season and we are such a family.”
Not only has this been an amazing season, Crane has been recruited to Notre Dame de Namur on a full academic scholarship to play basketball. Her top choice is Notre Dame as she has had the most contact with them.
“She’s done it in the classroom; she’s done it on the basketball court,” said Krul. “That’s why they play for me, so they can get a scholarship and get that free education.”
It’s not just Crane that has shone bright on in the classroom. The Vaqueros were nominated for the State Scholar Team award for having a cumulative 3.0 GPA. Eight of 12 players had a 3.1 GPA or higher this year.
“We want everyone to get an AA degree, that’s really important,” said Krul. “They are students and they are athletes; the perfect combination.”
Calling City College “the best”, Crane describes her last semester as “bittersweet.”
“After the last game, everyone was crying; my coach, everybody… we just came together and had a big group hug,” said Crane. “I hope wherever I go next can match up to here.”
Getting a second chance gave Crane the opportunity to finish her AA and build a strong case for scholarships and recruitment.
“If anyone deserves a second chance it’s Sara,” said Krul. “But she took the most of that second chance. She didn’t take advantage of it. She took advantage of what the second chance brought her.”
