When you talk to West Plains fans, many will point to the sophomore year of Ashton Judd as the time when she emerged as a leader and a star player for the Lady Zizzers. At Mizzou, once again in her sophomore year, she’s enjoying a breakout year. Playing against Missouri State, the team she grew up watching, it’s all come full circle.
The last time we saw Ashton on the court for West Plains she was hoisting a state championship plaque over her head. Meanwhile, Mizzou couldn’t wait for her to play for them. “I think it’s what you hope for when you recruit,” said Mizzou head coach Robin Pingeton. “Players who really love the game, who are passionate about it.”
Ashton finished as the team’s fourth-leading scorer in her freshman year. This year, she has more than doubled her points-per-game average. Pingeton says it’s no mystery why. “That one’s easy for me,” she said. “Work ethic. She’s been a grinder. I can count one maybe two hands the amount of days since the spring that she wasn’t in the gym twice a day.”
“We had a lot of veterans graduate this past year,” said Ashton. “So [I’ve been working on] just being able to step up and be someone who the young girls can look to.”
And it’s not just the younger players who feed off it. “Even though she’s younger than me she’s been a great role model for me,” said Abby Feit, a graduate student on the team. Â “Just how she comes in and works every day and loves the game.”
“I love to play with her,” added Mama Dembele, a senior on the team. “She always wants to win no matter what. I feel like we both have that in us. And it’s just great to go out and compete with someone who wants it as much as you want it.”
It’s something she’s picked up from another Ozarks star, her teammate and former Strafford legend Hayley Frank. “I love Frankie,” Ashton said. “She’s always been a crutch for me. When I came in as a freshman she was the first one to reach out and she’s such a leader and such a good person.”
Ashton says she tries not to get too far ahead of herself. “I’m not worried about next year yet, just the games coming up right now.” she said.
Whatever her future, it’s where she’s from that’s always at the back of her mind. “Honestly, I’m a big homebody,” Ashton said. “So I come back as much as possible. They give us a lot of off time. So I find myself making the drive quite often. You know, once a Zizzer always a Zizzer.”
With another game here in the books in her sophomore season, Judd will look to build toward her junior and senior year. Of course, she’d love for the same thing to happen here that happened in her senior year of high school. The year she and the Lady Zizzers won a championship.
