Jan. 17, 2002
It's 1077.13 miles from New Jersey to Mizzou and New Jersey native Ashley Asraf has realized how far away from home that really is.
Asraf is one of five new freshmen on the women's gymnastics team at Missouri, and was a hot recruit for Coach Rob Drass and the Tigers.
"I chose to come to Mizzou because I thought it had a great campus." Asraf said. "Also, the coaches want to be not only your coach, but your friend. Having a good relationship with your coach will make your college athletic career so much better."
Asraf, who says floor exercise is her favorite event because it encompasses so much of a gymnast's personality, excelled in all four events throughout her high school career in Toms River, N.J. She walked away from the state meet her senior year winning first-place on the floor exercise and on the vault. At the USA Gymnastics competition in 2001, Asraf took third on the vault and 12th on the floor exercise, adding to her array of awards.
After finishing a phenomenal senior year, Asraf set out for Missouri, six states away, not quite sure what to expect but excited at the chance to tumble for Mizzou. She left behind five younger siblings and a family she was extremely close to.
"My biggest fear coming here was not fitting in," Asraf said. "I always had a lot of freedom in high school and my mom's only rule was to be respectful of yourself and others, so I just stuck to that rule. Adjusting wasn't so bad."
Now that she has gotten used to life at Mizzou, Asraf says she misses her family most of all.
"I have three younger brothers and two younger sisters, so I miss being able to be the big sister at home," Asraf said. "Plus I lived only about 45 minutes from Philadelphia and an hour and a half from New York City, so I miss the city of course!"
Columbia is not quite the bustling metropolis of New York, but Asraf hopes that she and her team will stir things up a bit. She wants to help her team to a regional or even national competition, but has set her own goals as well.
"I would really like to be able to compete in floor at a couple of meets this season," she said. "And I'd also like to bring my GPA up to a 3.5 so I could be an academic All-American."
Asraf credits her team with helping her adjust and welcoming her with open arms, loud personality and all.
"I wasn't sure how people would react to me since I have a loud personality," she said. "I was around outgoing people all the time at home in the Northeast, but I wasn't sure if it would be the same way here at school."
Ashley hopes to carry her outgoing nature and love for people into a career in television or radio commercials after graduation. She wants to major in broadcast journalism with a minor or double major in sociology.
No matter where she ends up after graduation, Asraf has committed herself to her sport and her team for the next four years. She looks forward to a bright season to grow, both alone and together with her other teammates.
"I was surprised about the atmosphere you are constantly in at the college level," she said. "Everyone is expected to be so positive, and is. We all stick together and it's different than club. Instead of being out for the individual, everyone supports the whole team."