Three-sport standout learned early what it takes to perform at high level, win
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KELSEYVILLE >> Ashlyn (AJ) Wurm played on some pretty good teams during a stellar high school career that began in Upper Lake and ended at Kelseyville.
Wurm, a three-sport standout for the Knights during the 2025-26 season, is the Lake County Sports Athlete of the Year for girls sports.
During the 2022-23 season as a freshman, Wurm was a member of a 29-3 Upper Lake varsity basketball squad that went undefeated in the North Central League I, finished second in the section and reached the quarterfinals of the NorCal playoffs, losing to eventual state champion Bret Harte. That team tied a county record for most wins in a season.
Those Cougars, most of them seniors, taught Wurm about performing at a high level whenever she saw the court off the Upper Lake bench, and they also taught her about handling pressure.
“Oh yes, definitely,” Wurm said. “I felt the pressure to play well. I looked up to Maddy (Young). They (2022-23 Cougars) taught me a lot about what it takes to win.”
Young, the Cougars’ talented senior point guard that season, went on to win the Athlete of the Year award. Wurm also played point guard this past season for the Knights.
Transferring to Kelseyville after her sophomore season, Wurm was forced to sit out the early part of Kelseyville’s volleyball season because of the transfer process but she went on to have a great 2024-25 campaign, setting the stage for an even better senior year.
“I felt that I belonged there (at Kelseyville),” Wurm said. “Less drama.”
As the starting libero for the Knights in 2025, the 18-year-old Wurm helped Kelseyville earn a share of the league championship, finish third in the section and advance to the quarterfinals of the NorCal playoffs while posting a 23-10 overall record. She was named to the All-League first team.
Wurm came back with an equally impressive basketball season, reaching 1,000 career points (finishing with 1,116) while helping lead Kelseyville to a second-place finish, just one game behind league champion Middletown. On a team that often had only one or two reserves on the bench, Wurm was called upon to play nearly every minute of every game, and she came through with strong play on both ends of the court. Despite Kelseyville finishing as league runner-up, Wurm earned league co-most valuable player honors.
As a pitcher/shortstop in softball, Wurm again pulled down All-League first-team honors while helping the Knights finish 8-6 in league play. The team opted not to advance to the sectional playoffs because of internal issues. Though she didn’t have the year at the plate she enjoyed as a junior, Wurm’s pitching was clutch for the Knights, especially down the stretch in league play.
The daughter of Ryan and Heather Wurm of Lakeport and Crystal Collins of Lucerne, Wurm’s next stop is Mendocino College where she will play both volleyball and basketball – her two favorite high school sports — for the Eagles under the direction of head coach Kat Edmonds in both sports. Edmonds, an Upper Lake alum, is also a former Athlete of the Year.
Wurm carried a 3.8 GPA at Kelseyville and is looking forward to pursuing a career as a radiology technician once her playing days are complete. After Mendocino College, her next stop could be Oregon Tech, which offers a radiologic science degree.
