BACK ON TOP! AU Women Earn Great Midwest Championship, First Indoor League Title In 28 Years

It sometimes can be cliché to say a championship was a team effort.
 
In the case of Ashland University's women's indoor track and field team on Saturday (Feb. 24), its Great Midwest Athletic Conference team title took every bit that everyone could give in order to accomplish it.
 
The Eagle women scored 148.5 points to win their first indoor league championship since 1996 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Findlay was second with 140 points, and Hillsdale was third with 117 points.
 
"There's such a group of hard-working girls that just want to keep on getting better," said Ashland head coach A.G. Kruger. "And that's shown throughout the whole year – highs and lows. It shows a lot to what our leadership is, as our seniors are there. It shows a lot to our young kids who want to keep on getting better and keep proving people wrong."
 
On the men's side, the Eagles finished third with 127.5 points – behind champion Tiffin (147) and Findlay (135).
 
Following Saturday's competition, Ashland redshirt freshman Hailey Rios was named the league's women's freshman of the meet. On Saturday, she finished in fourth place in both the women's 60-meter dash (7.62 seconds) and women's 200 dash (24.87 seconds) after winning the women's long jump on Friday (Feb. 23).
 
"It feels amazing. Everybody put in the work they needed to," Rios said. "We all exceeded what we were supposed to do. It feels amazing. Long jump, I came in hoping for first, but you never know. I just came out and did what I had to do. It was fun."
 
Individually, freshman Odessa Smith won the conference title in the women's 60 hurdles in an improved provisional time – toward the 2024 NCAA Division II Championships, March 8-9 in Pittsburg, Kan. – of 8.62 seconds.
 
On the men's side, a pair of Eagles earned Great Midwest titles – senior T.J. Skinner in the 60 hurdles in an improved provo time of 7.80 seconds, and junior Wyatt Cory in the heptathlon with 5,160 points for an improved provo.
 
"It was an amazing day," Skinner said. "Today was all about coming out here and taking ownership of our own track, and letting it play out. It was a great day."
 
About the men, Kruger said, "I had a harsh message for these guys at the end at the outdoor conference meet. I have to expect you guys to be better…and they fit the bill, too. They are right there. I'm excited for where the program is going."
 
SECOND PLACE – Junior Kelsey Kinsley in the women's shot put (14.86 meters/48-feet-9, improved provo), junior Mia Gardner in the women's 400 dash (55.52 seconds), senior Emma Liberatore in the women's high jump (1.66 meters/5-feet-5¼), the women's 4x400 relay of senior Elizabeth Adams, junior Madison Stacey, sophomore Jade Avance and Gardner (3:44.87, improved provo), junior Sarah Masuoka in the women's pole vault (3.91 meters/12-feet-10, improved provo), junior D.J Duncan in the men's 60 hurdles (7.90 seconds), sophomore Daylen Madison in the men's 800 run (1:49.01, improved provo), and the men's 4x400 relay of junior Noah Wood, freshman Colton Thress, senior Brenden Jackson and junior Jacob Pielech (3:13.72).
THIRD PLACE – Redshirt freshman Molly Winner in the women's shot put (14.15 meters/46-feet-5¼), Wood in the men's 400 dash (47.91 seconds, improved provo), and Skinner in the men's 200 dash (21.29 seconds, new provo).
FOURTH PLACE – Junior Catherine Dial in the women's shot put (13.86 meters/45-feet-5¾, new provo), Adams in the women's 400 dash (55.71 seconds, improved provo), senior McKenna Woodruff in the women's 800 run (2:14.09, new provo), junior Lily Dowdell in the women's 3,000 run (10:08.29), junior Julian Griffin in the men's 60 hurdles (8.03 seconds), Thress in the men's 800 run (1:50.53, improved provo), and Pielech in the men's 400 dash (47.99 seconds).
FIFTH PLACE – Freshman Kara Fields in the women's 60 hurdles (8.95 seconds), Dowdell in the women's mile run (5:04.85), senior Alena Williams in the women's 60 dash (7.63 seconds), freshman Sidney Sheppert in the women's triple jump (11.07 meters/36-feet-4), and junior Cole LaRoche in the men's shot put (15.98 meters/52-feet-5¼).
SIXTH PLACE – Avance in the women's 400 dash (56.12 seconds), junior Caden Morris in the men's triple jump (13.72 meters/45-feet-0¼), and redshirt freshman Roosevelt Zeigler in the men's 60 dash (6.82 seconds, improved provo).
SEVENTH PLACE – Freshman Alexis Steward in the women's 60 dash (7.79 seconds), Williams in the women's 200 dash (24.98 seconds), fifth-year Cassandra Ponzi in the women's 800 run (2:14.76), and junior Dylan Phelps in the men's heptathlon (4,528 points).
EIGHTH PLACE – Freshman Avonlea Jefferson in the women's 60 hurdles (9.15 seconds), sophomore Abby Wheeler in the women's high jump (1.55 meters/5-feet-1), Zeigler in the men's 200 dash (21.72 seconds), and freshman Justin Patrick in the men's shot put (14.83 meters/48-feet-8).
 
UP NEXT
Nationals selections on Tuesday (Feb. 27), then D-II nationals.