Armstrong signs letter of intent with Truman State University
By FRED KRONER
For nearly two years, we have seen stories in abundance about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected high school athletes.
Lost games. Shortened seasons. Limited recruiting visits. Fewer opportunities.
For Ella Armstrong, one of seven seniors on the St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball roster this winter, there was an additional and less-publicized complication.
“Because of COVID, the seniors in colleges got to come back for a fifth year, so college coaches weren’t looking for anyone in the 2022 class,” said Armstrong, who will soon be a member of that 2022 graduating class. “So, my goal of getting to a D-2 or D-1 school was harder than expected.
“I thought it was going to be easy getting colleges to notice me because of the amount of good exposure during my travel tournaments. But most colleges already had their roster filled and weren’t wanting anyone else.
“I had to reach out to colleges and people who knew coaches. I had reached out to one of my old coaches and he helped me get into contact with Truman State University. I had kept in touch with the coaches and I became really interested in the school. The recruiting process was very hard.”
Difficult indeed, but not impossible.
Through patience, perseverance and diligence, Armstrong was able to get on the radar for several universities and recently signed a letter of intent to continue her basketball career at Truman State University, in Kirksville, Mo.
In the end, Armstrong didn’t have to settle, but selected a college where she is comfortable.
“I had visited many JUCO and D-3 schools,” Armstrong said. “I liked them, but none of them gave me the feeling of a second home.
“When I had gone to the Truman State camp, I fell in love with the school. The factor that helped me want to attend Truman was definitely the coaches. I love their coaching style and the way they coach.
“They are all amazing people and I know they would help impact my game more for me. I also felt a family atmosphere when I visited the school. I loved all the players as they were so welcoming with open arms. They all get along and pick each other up on the court.”
Armstrong’s academic career path was influenced by her years in sports. She plans on majoring in kinesiology.
“I would like to become a physical therapist,” she said. “Since my many injuries, I had gone to physical therapy a lot and watching them do their job interested me.
“It looked like a lot of fun. I see myself working at a sports rehab.
“The school itself was another reason why I chose this university,” Armstrong added. “It had my major, and it’s a beautiful campus. I love the gymnasium and the school is a perfect size (an enrollment of approximately 5,300) for what I have been looking for.”
The 5-foot-9 Armstrong is off to a hot start for the 3-1 Spartans. She has led the team in scoring the last three games and is averaging 13.0 points per game.
Armstrong has hit at least one three-point shot in all of SJ-O’s first four games.
“Ella is an extraordinarily passionate player that brings a lot of energy to our practices and games,” Spartan coach Drew Arteaga said. “Ella has had a great start to the year for us and is practicing extremely well.
“Ella is a player that can really shoot the three, attack the basket, and pull up from midrange. She is a playmaker that can create her own shots or open up shots for her teammates.”
Armstrong finished last season by making a school-record 31 consecutive free throws and then added to the streak by hitting her first six shots from the line as a senior.
Her accuracy rate this season is 91.7 percent. As a junior, she ended at 92.1 percent and averaged a team-best 10.1 points per game.
She takes pride in her free throw accuracy and is a combined 46-for-50 the past two seasons.
“Honestly, there is no key,” Armstrong said. “My dad had told me since the beginning that free throws are the most important part of the game.
“You can never miss. It’s a free shot, you shouldn’t miss.”
Combined with her defensive prowess, Armstrong has developed into a complete player.
“Defensively, Ella does a great job anticipating and we love her ability to help us get defensive stops,” Arteaga said. “Ella has really committed herself to being the best player she can be both on the court and off the court.
“She has really bought into the weight room and getting herself stronger to make herself an elite player at the high school and college level. Our coaching staff is proud of Ella and extremely eager to see her success this year.”
Armstrong’s quest to play basketball in college has been an ambition since she was in middle school.
“I set the goal when I was in seventh-grade because I realized how much I’ve grown as a basketball player and I knew how good I could be if I kept working,” she said. “When I was younger, I immediately fell in love with the game.
“I had played it for fun, just enjoying the sport as the season came. When I got older, I became more involved in the sport and joined a travel team combining the girls I was going to go to high school with from both PVO (Prairieview Ogden) and St Joseph.”
Armstrong also committed herself to non-basketball workouts.
“I had wanted to get better, so I discovered my trainer today (Coach Verdell Jones),” she said. “I had worked with him since sixth-grade.
“He had really helped my dreams become reality. He had a big impact on my journey. He helped me realize that I could potentially reach the next level.
“So I continued to work on my skills every day, and going to my trainer twice a week. While I got better and better, I realized I knew I was made for something great. “
Armstrong is confident that she can contribute quickly at Truman State.
“I believe that I will be able to fit in with the team,” Armstrong said. “I will work even harder than ever to be at the level these girls are at.
“I think I could play in games with the girls. My coach just tells me to always keep practicing shooting and ballhandling, which I already do. He is impressed with what I do already. He just wants me to continue to do it.”
Armstrong has a season’s high 18 points against Class 3A Centennial. She also nailed three three-point shots in that game, a 28-point Spartan triumph.
After an abbreviated 14-game junior season – when there was no postseason – Armstrong is pleased to be back on the court.
“This past season was tough because of the masks,” Armstrong said. “But we were very fortunate to be able to play a season. I was very thankful I had gotten to play games in my junior season.
“Even though Covid was a downfall, we didn’t let that stop us from playing the sport we love.”
Armstrong made her varsity debut as a freshman and wound up as the sixth-leading scorer for a team which placed third at state in Class 2A. In retrospect, she realizes it was an intimidating experience.
When I first played a game on varsity, I was a nervous wreck,” she said. “I had the skill and ability, but it was tough knowing that I had to impress the older girls.
“I eventually got more confident with them and wasn’t afraid to show what I had. I had kept training on my basketball skills and gotten better, while also working on my confidence.”
Those days are in the past.
“Now is very different because I believe in myself and I am confident and not a scared little freshman anymore,” Armstrong added.
In her younger years, Armstrong was a multi-sport athlete.
“I had played softball for a long time and volleyball for two years,” she said. “I loved to play softball but decided to quit and focus on basketball.
“Volleyball wasn’t fun to me, so I quit playing that sport.”
As a senior, she picked up a new activity.
“I played tennis this year for fun and really enjoyed it,” Armstrong said. “It was a new sport that I had never played and I had fun with all of my friends.
“Basketball was always my No. 1. It was always my favorite because I loved the fast pace of the game. The excitement in the sport always made me smile and I love competing against others.”
Armstrong is looking forward to starting the next chapter in her basketball career at an out-of-state school.
“I personally am excited to leave,” she said. “I am not a homebody. I love to get away and be on my own.
“It will be scary and different, but I know my teammates will help me through that process. It will be tough leaving all my family and friends, but I will be very excited to start a new life.”
She was able to achieve her goal thanks to the efforts of others.
“Many of my coaches over the years have helped me with preparing for college,” Armstrong said. “They have helped me with my skill, positivity, and most importantly, my confidence.
“I am very thankful for the wisdom they have taught me about basketball over the years. I have played travel ball since I was in fourth grade to now. I played on many travel teams.”
After her first travel team, (Spartans), which combined athletes from PVO and St. Joseph, Armstrong switched to more competitive programs, starting with the Hoosier Elite (which eventually became Indiana Flight). She was with that organization for four years.
She later played one year each for Chicago-based Example Sports and in her final travel season with Peoria-based Mid Pro Academy.
The culmination of her efforts came to fruition when she signed her national letter of intent in mid-November.
“My signing day was amazing,” Armstrong said. “I was so thankful that all my family and friends could come and support me.
“It was emotional for me because I realized how much I will miss all my favorite people in the world.”
Armstrong is a cousin to former Spartan All-Area standout Abby Williams, a 2006 SJ-O graduate who was third in career scoring (1,452 points) and first in three-pointers made (116) when she finished her prep career. Armstrong draws inspiration from her relative.
“I look up to her achievements in high school and I set goals to beat them myself,” Armstrong said. “I always find myself hearing my family talk about how similar players we are.
“We both loved the game and continued to strive for greatness.”
