When she was in elementary school, Aubrey Janes got to see Sophie Cunningham at a camp at the University of Missouri.

On Jan. 6, the Montgomery County freshman got to see Cunningham again. This time, it was at the Sophie Cunningham Classic at Columbia College.

About 30 minutes before the Wildcats took on Southern Boone at the event, Janes had Cunningham sign a picture of the two of them that Janes’ mother took at the basketball camp. Then, Janes posed for a picture with the former University of Missouri standout and current Phoenix Mercury guard.

“That’s crazy,” Janes said. “I didn’t think I would be able to meet her again or at least talk to her.”

Janes was in fifth grade when she saw Cunningham at the Mizzou camp. Cunningham said when she saw the picture, she quickly remembered Janes.

“We actually had a couple of kids who took pictures at the Mizzou camp and they were here playing at our Classic,” Cunningham said. “It’s pretty awesome. I definitely remember her, so I was like, ‘Let’s recreate the photo.’”

Janes turned in a strong showing for the Wildcats against Southern Boone, scoring six points off the bench. She scored the first points of the game after hitting a 3-pointer with 4:15 left in the first quarter. Janes missed her first two 3-point attempts before finally making one to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.

“I’m just grateful to play here,” Janes said.

The Sophie Cunningham Classic wrapped up its second year. It is named after the Columbia native who is Missouri’s all-time leading scorer and played for the Mercury for five seasons.

“We wanted to put something right here in the Midwest,” Cunningham said. “There is a lot of talent right here. So that’s what we did. We just want these girls to have an elite level platform to play on and get them gifts that they deserve.”

Janes said she was thrilled with the experience of meeting Cunningham as well as playing in the Sophie Cunningham Classic in her first year of high school basketball.

“I just think it was nice wanting to be here and be able to come because not many teams got to,” Janes said. “Seeing Sophie was really fun because I’ve seen her play a lot when she was younger at Mizzou. It’s really cool to be able to let her be here and watch us play.”

One of two freshmen on the MCHS varsity roster, Janes has played a key role for the Wildcats after two months. She is averaging over four points per game and has hit 11 three-pointers.

“Aubrey is a kid who has a ton of upside,” MCHS coach Joe Basinger said. “She’s got to play with confidence because she’s a really good player. I look for big things out of her.”

A year ago, Janes was one of the top players on the Montgomery County Middle School team. She helped the squad win 11 games.

Janes said she enjoys playing with an MCHS team that has five seniors.

“They’re very welcoming and they’re very influential to all of us,” Janes said. “They’re fun to play with.”