At the end of her junior basketball season, Ankeny Centennial’s Ava Martin wasn’t planning to play a sport in college.
But she had a change of heart.
“I reconsidered,” Martin said. “I was unsure for awhile, but I couldn’t imagine myself being done with soccer after high school. That led me to go out for club soccer this past fall where I had great coaching and was able to get some interest from colleges!”
Martin looked at several schools before verbally committing on Friday to Missouri Western, an NCAA Division II program. She signed a letter of intent with the Griffons on Thursday.
“It was a tough decision because I had some interest from other schools as well, but I had my eye on Missouri Western for awhile and really liked what I saw about their program,” Martin said. “When I visited and met the coaching staff, I knew it was where I wanted to be!”
Martin has racked up 32 goals and 16 assists in her high school career. She scored 10 goals and had five assists as a freshman in 2022, when she helped the Jaguars to the Class 3A state title.
Martin had eight goals and four assists as a sophomore, then recorded a team-high 14 goals and seven assists last season while helping Centennial to a 13-7 record and another state tournament appearance. She was named to the Class 3A all-state first team by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association and the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association.
Martin is currently a starter for the Centennial girls’ basketball team, helping the Jaguars to a 2-2 mark and a No. 5 ranking in Class 5A. She made four 3-point goals and scored a season-high 14 points in her team’s 56-52 loss at No. 2 Dowling Catholic on Tuesday.
However, Martin’s future is clearly on the pitch.
“I really liked the coaches, culture and facilities (at Missouri Western), and I like the distance from home as well,” she said. “I think they have a very competitive and honest culture, and I’m super excited to join in.”