Each month, Sun Devil Athletics' Office of Student Athlete Development recognizes student-athletes who exemplify the Sun Devil Way in the classroom and in collegiate athletics as Student-Athletes of the Month.
Cassidy Pickrell | Women's Volleyball
Cassidy Pickrell transferred to ASU from UC Irvine her junior year and has made a significant impact on and off the court for ASU volleyball. Cassidy is majoring in Sports Journalism and currently has a 3.73 cumulative GPA. Last season, Cassidy led the volleyball team with 304 kills and has become a leader for the younger girls on the team on the court and in the classroom. Her drive and determination to be the best is a true example of what a Sun Devil should look like.
What motivates you to have such an outstanding commitment to the Sun Devil Way?
It's easy to stay committed and motivated when there are so many people here at ASU for you that want to help you succeed. I want to do my best in every aspect of my life so working hard at everything is a given. I think if you have support and a drive to do well, then success in any facet of your life comes easier.
What advice would you share with the Sun Devil Family to inspire others to commit to upholding Sun Devils graduate in their own lives?
I would tell people to remember why you came to ASU in the first place. We are so fortunate to get the amount of support, gear, training, scholarship money, and facilities that we do. It is our responsibility to prove to ASU day-in and day-out that we are deserving of everything the school provides to us. Working hard in the classroom, on the field/court/pool/gym/track, and in the community is what we give back, and if we can't do that then why are we here? If we get a bad grade or aren't performing well in our sport it's easy to get discouraged. When that happens to me I think about all the people that come to our games and all the little girls that want to be just like us when they grow up. That always gives me a second wind.
La Troya Franklin | Women's Track and Field
La Troya is daughter of Pamela Marshall and has one sister, La Tanya. Her mother was a member of the USA Olympic team in 1988. She is from Long Beach, California and is a sprinter on the track and field team. Troya has competed in the PAC 12 championships in the 100m dash, 200m dash, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay.
What motivates you to have such an outstanding commitment to the Sun Devil Way?
What motivates me to commit to the Sun Devil way is me being able to just achieve my goals and be successful.
What advice would you share with the Sun Devil Family to inspire others to commit to upholding Sun Devils graduate in their own lives?
Advice that I will give to the Sun Devil family is to remember that we are all here for a great experience whether it is your education or athletics and we should take full advantage of everything that we have now to be successful and achieve all our goals.
Frank Darby | Football
Physical wide receiver out of Lincoln High in Jersey City, N.J., who began his career at ASU in the summer 2016 semester. As a senior at Lincoln High School he picked up 957 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 35 receptions on the way to first-team all-state honors, Lincoln High's first recipient in four decades. Rated by 247 Sports composite as a three-star recruit. Chose Arizona State over Rutgers, Boston College, Virginia Tech and others.
What motivates you to have such an outstanding commitment to the Sun Devil Way in the classroom?
First I want to say thank you so much I really appreciate it. The thing that motivates me to have a commitment to the Sun Devil Way is my family back home. I wouldn't be here with out them I also motivate myself. I have a mindset to be the best I can on and off the field because I have gotten an opportunity to be a Sun Devil and I will take advantage of it.
What advice would you share with the Sun Devil family to inspire others to commit to upholding the Sun Devil Way in their own lives?
Some advice I have is to never question what god put in front of you just go through it no matter if its hard or easy. The key is to remain focused and never let anyone or anything stop you from reaching our goal.
Coltin Gerhart | Football
Coltin is a redshirt sophomore from Murrieta, California. He is a two sport athlete playing safety on the football team and an outfielder for the baseball team. He is the first student athlete to play both sports since Brandon Magee in 2011.
What motivates you to have such an outstanding commitment to the Sun Devil Way in the classroom?
My competitiveness and my family help me stay motivated and committed to the Sun Devil Way.
What advice would you share with the Sun Devil family to inspire others to commit to upholding the Sun Devil Way in their own lives?
Stay committed to success and always strive for more. Never try to be "cool" and know when to say no, but also know it's okay to have fun.
Cassidy Pickrell | Women's Volleyball
Cassidy Pickrell transferred to ASU from UC Irvine her junior year and has made a significant impact on and off the court for ASU volleyball. Cassidy is majoring in Sports Journalism and currently has a 3.73 cumulative GPA. Last season, Cassidy led the volleyball team with 304 kills and has become a leader for the younger girls on the team on the court and in the classroom. Her drive and determination to be the best is a true example of what a Sun Devil should look like.
What motivates you to have such an outstanding commitment to the Sun Devil Way?
It's easy to stay committed and motivated when there are so many people here at ASU for you that want to help you succeed. I want to do my best in every aspect of my life so working hard at everything is a given. I think if you have support and a drive to do well, then success in any facet of your life comes easier.
What advice would you share with the Sun Devil Family to inspire others to commit to upholding Sun Devils graduate in their own lives?
I would tell people to remember why you came to ASU in the first place. We are so fortunate to get the amount of support, gear, training, scholarship money, and facilities that we do. It is our responsibility to prove to ASU day-in and day-out that we are deserving of everything the school provides to us. Working hard in the classroom, on the field/court/pool/gym/track, and in the community is what we give back, and if we can't do that then why are we here? If we get a bad grade or aren't performing well in our sport it's easy to get discouraged. When that happens to me I think about all the people that come to our games and all the little girls that want to be just like us when they grow up. That always gives me a second wind.
La Troya Franklin | Women's Track and Field
La Troya is daughter of Pamela Marshall and has one sister, La Tanya. Her mother was a member of the USA Olympic team in 1988. She is from Long Beach, California and is a sprinter on the track and field team. Troya has competed in the PAC 12 championships in the 100m dash, 200m dash, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay.
What motivates you to have such an outstanding commitment to the Sun Devil Way?
What motivates me to commit to the Sun Devil way is me being able to just achieve my goals and be successful.
What advice would you share with the Sun Devil Family to inspire others to commit to upholding Sun Devils graduate in their own lives?
Advice that I will give to the Sun Devil family is to remember that we are all here for a great experience whether it is your education or athletics and we should take full advantage of everything that we have now to be successful and achieve all our goals.
Frank Darby | Football
Physical wide receiver out of Lincoln High in Jersey City, N.J., who began his career at ASU in the summer 2016 semester. As a senior at Lincoln High School he picked up 957 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 35 receptions on the way to first-team all-state honors, Lincoln High's first recipient in four decades. Rated by 247 Sports composite as a three-star recruit. Chose Arizona State over Rutgers, Boston College, Virginia Tech and others.
What motivates you to have such an outstanding commitment to the Sun Devil Way in the classroom?
First I want to say thank you so much I really appreciate it. The thing that motivates me to have a commitment to the Sun Devil Way is my family back home. I wouldn't be here with out them I also motivate myself. I have a mindset to be the best I can on and off the field because I have gotten an opportunity to be a Sun Devil and I will take advantage of it.
What advice would you share with the Sun Devil family to inspire others to commit to upholding the Sun Devil Way in their own lives?
Some advice I have is to never question what god put in front of you just go through it no matter if its hard or easy. The key is to remain focused and never let anyone or anything stop you from reaching our goal.
Coltin Gerhart | Football
Coltin is a redshirt sophomore from Murrieta, California. He is a two sport athlete playing safety on the football team and an outfielder for the baseball team. He is the first student athlete to play both sports since Brandon Magee in 2011.
What motivates you to have such an outstanding commitment to the Sun Devil Way in the classroom?
My competitiveness and my family help me stay motivated and committed to the Sun Devil Way.
What advice would you share with the Sun Devil family to inspire others to commit to upholding the Sun Devil Way in their own lives?
Stay committed to success and always strive for more. Never try to be "cool" and know when to say no, but also know it's okay to have fun.