Two Ozarks basketball standouts feeling right at home in Columbia

mizzou-locals

When you watch Marshfield’s Lauren Aldridge command the court as Missouri’s starting point guard, it’s almost impossible to imagine her playing anywhere else.

But that’s exactly what she did: starting her college basketball career as a Jayhawk.

“I loved KU, I loved the university. I loved the history and the tradition that came with their basketball program there,” said Missouri senior Lauren Aldridge

Before long, playing at Kansas no longer felt right for Aldridge and Mizzou was calling her name.

“I came to a place with an incredible culture with a group of girls that love and care about each other,” Aldridge said.

One of those girls is another Ozarks athlete: Lebanon’s Kelsey Winfrey.

Unlike her senior teammate, Winfrey’s desire to be a Tiger began at a young age.

“Growing up I did gymnastics, I wanted to be a Mizzou gymnast, but then when I got too tall for gymnastics, I started liking basketball and thought man I really want to go to Mizzou to play basketball. It’s always been my dream,” said Mizzou sophomore Kelsey Winfrey.

Now that dream is reality for Winfrey, and she says it’s everything she ever imagined.

“It just means a lot, I don’t know how to describe it. It’s an amazing feeling,” Winfrey said.

It’s an amazing feeling, even if sometimes the Lebanon and Marshfield natives catch a little grief from teammates for being true to their Missouri roots.

“Sometimes Lauren and I get made fun of because we like to hunt and we like to eat deer and some people, who are from Chicago, are like what? You eat deer?” Winfrey said.

But neither would change that fact if it meant losing the chance to play for their home-state school.

“I know what it’s like to play for a state that you’re not a part of,” Aldridge said. “I know what it’s like to play with the Mizzou across your chest. Being able to rep the state of Missouri and play for something that’s bigger than yourself is one of the greatest honors and greatest blessings that any girl could have.”

Even for a girl whose journey to Columbia began at KU.

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