Dawson Community College Women’s Basketball has announced their first signee of the 2019-2020 recruiting class in Ashya Klopfenstein of Howe, Indiana.  Klopfenstein is a 6’1 post player hailing from Westview High School, and has officially signed her NJCAA letter of intent to play for the Lady Buccaneers.

Klopfenstein was a 4-year standout varsity player decorated with many individual and team accomplishments.  Westview, a class 2A school, won sectionals and the North East Corner Conference her freshman year.  Klopfenstein was selected All-Area and All-Conference for 3 years in a row, being named co-MVP in 2016-17, and MVP the last two years.  In her senior season, she averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals.  For her career, she had 1,053 points (5^th in Westview history), 622 rebounds (3^rd in history), 204 blocks (3^rd in history) and made 259 free throws (4^th in school history).  She also is the 7^th player in Westview’s girl’s basketball history to get 1,000 points in her career.

Interestingly, she is the fourth Westview player to attend Dawson throughout the years.  The other three were men’s basketball players Todd Fisher, Rob Yoder and Tim Slabach.  Fisher went on to be a NCAA Division II All-American at the University of Alaska Anchorage who scored 18 points to defeat the University of Michigan in 1988, making it one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history.  Michigan went on that season to become NCAA Division I champions.  Yoder was a 1991-92 letterman standout at DCC and set records when he moved on to play for Hardin-Simmons University under former head coach Dennis Harp, who also is a 1976-77 Dawson alum standout player.  Yoder is also a successful head boy’s coach at Westview.  Slabach was an All-Region IX player at Dawson and a big part of a team that went 31-5.  He played two seasons at the University of South Dakota and in his first game stole the ball and hit a game winner to beat Wyoming.  Fast forward to 2019, Klopfenstein will be the first female player from Westview to start her own legacy at Dawson.  She was recommended by former Indiana native Dennis Harp, who is currently the Director of the Dawson College Foundation. 

Super excited about her signing, Ashya expressed, “I chose Dawson because it fits me so well in every way.  The small school atmosphere, which I am used to, was comfortable and the coaching staff was electric with their energy which drew me in even more.  The classes I could take involving horses was something no other college could offer me and I was extremely drawn to the chemistry of the team and the distance away from home will allow me to grow in ways I never could otherwise.  I’m so excited to continue my academic and athletic career at Dawson Community College!  It is the school that fits me the best and the answer to my prayers.”

Also excited with his first signee for next season was head coach Romeo Lagmay, Jr., “Ashya brings a much needed post presence.  She is strong and tough-willed to embrace physicality down low.  The fact that she bails hay and climbs and cuts trees in her leisure time, let’s us further know she is not one to mess around with in the paint.  We love her spirit and willingness to work hard.  She’s just a good person who believes in doing well overall with a strong support system from her family.”