Nov. 3, 2016
by Chase Williamson, Auburn Media Relations
"If you start something, finish it."
David Ellzey repeated that to his daughter, Ashton, many times over the years, and she has now modeled her entire swimming career around it.
Ashton, a junior on Auburn's swimming and diving team, didn't always have the perfect relationship with the sport. Far from it.
She would join a team, then try to quit a team. Get back in the water, then again want to quit. But every time she was nearing the end, her father's voice would ring in her head. "If you start something, finish it."
Ashton's relations with the water started early. She was only six when she first learned to swim. It was an honest enjoyment back then. There were no worries of lap times, titles, or championships. Gradually, her involvement increased with a summer swim program here and there. By the time Ashton was headed to high school, things got serious.
Sometimes, too serious.
Although Ashton found early success, natural tendencies of athletic exploration in combination with an increased workload and switching of swim clubs dissatisfied her with the sport. Freshmen and sophomore years consisted of an on--again, off-again relationship with the swim team.
Between the regular bouts with swimming, Ashton joined the track team, where she found herself sprinting, just as she did in the pool. But by her junior year, Ashton's passion for the pool was very apparent.
In spite of her frequent attempts to quit, her love of swimming kept bringing her back. This time it was different. This time she was serious.
She finished every lap, race and practice with the same persistent vigor.
Her hard work had paid off.
After two short years, the swimming accolades were starting to pour in, enough to catch Auburn's eye.
Head coach Brett Hawke reached out to Ashton, informing her of the team's interest. The first email was enough, she was ready to be a Tiger. "I had other schools talking to me, but I just remember only wanting Auburn," she said. "I knew I was going to go to Auburn before (Brett) even came down to see me. Once he sent that email, I said, `That's where I'm going.'"
Since her enrollment, Ashton has added more accolades to her collection. She received All-American honors her freshmen year and qualified for the Olympic Trials this past summer. Because of past successes, her goals for this season are understandably high. Ashton looks towards the NCAA championships as her proving grounds. She hopes to end her junior year with a top eight finishes in her individual events and all her relay events.
Ashton and her teammates will take another step towards the year-end championships with another dual meet test against Alabama on Friday at home. Through three dual meets, all Auburn wins, she has the 22nd-fastest 50 free time in the nation, just .07 seconds off a NCAA provisional time.
Ashton's transformation from an on-again, off-again swimmer to a collegiate athlete competing at the national level is the perfect example of why you should never give up on your passions, and why you should always finish what you start.