While visiting family in Florida at age 8, Jill Ayson attended a University of Florida softball game. Ayson had the opportunity to walk on the field and sit in the dugout following the game. The entire experience made Ayson realize what she wanted to accomplish with softball she then set her goal of going to college in Florida as a softball player.
The Pelham senior has achieved her longtime goal, shes set to play softball at the University of Tampa this coming fall. Ayson will be the first Pelham softball player in Coach Keith Maleys 14-year career to play collegiately in Florida. Last summer, Ayson took it upon herself and went to the University of Tampa for a week-long camp. Prior to this, Ayson wrote to the Tampa coaches expressing interest in wanting to go to school there because of the softball program and her intended major, athletic training.
The coaches pulled me aside and asked me if I would be interested in playing for Tampa, Ayson said. I felt like I was in a dream. Ive been playing softball since I was 5 and Ive always wanted to play softball in college in Florida. Tampa had my academic major, which was important, as well as good softball. I was in disbelief.
Maley has coached many outstanding players, including Fordham players Alex Touris and Lauren Perrillo, and he said he puts Ayson among Pelhams elite. Jill is an extremely talented kid and is the total package, he said. Jill can hit for average and for power, is an aggressive base runner and has a cannon for an arm. I know she is very excited about this opportunity. This was Jills goal and she should be proud of it.
A four-year varsity starter -- two years at shortstop and two at third base -- Ayson leaves with excellent stats. Ayson, who hit .369 with 21 RBI and 27 runs scored this season, finished with a .378 career average, and is the program leader with 100 RBI and a .622 slugging percentage. She finished 98 hits, 92 runs, 21 doubles, 12 triples and six home runs.
Ayson hit home runs off of Eastchesters Janine Lalli and Pearl Rivers Katie OFlynn, two of Section 1s elite pitchers. I had a great experience at Pelham having Coach Maley all four years, Ayson said. He would push me in practice and games, but we would have talks and he really helped me understand the game even more physically and mentally. I am so excited about college now. I will being playing softball constantly and I wont have to wear under armor anymore.
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