It wasn't going to be another 28 years before Ashland University's women's indoor track and field team won another conference championship.
On Saturday (March 1) at the Niss Athletic Center, the No. 9-ranked Eagle women impressively earned their second straight Great Midwest Athletic Conference indoor title, posting 191.5 team points – 56 more than second-place Findlay.
"It just comes from having great people around you," said Ashland head coach
A.G. Kruger, "whether it's the coaching staff, whether it's the people around me with my athletes. You recruit athletes, but you recruit character, and we have some of the best kids on the planet here.
"It feels so special for the girls that they we were able to come back and do it again. It's not just one event group, it's a whole entire team."
The No. 15 AU men finished a close second to Tiffin, ending with 152 team points to the Dragons' 162.
"We're still only graduating like maybe 10-12 total people this year," Kruger said, "so we still have a very young crew that's understanding what it's going to take to keep pushing to the next level."
Ashland saw seven individuals and relays combined earn Great Midwest gold medals on Saturday.
- Sophomore Molly Winner, the conference's co-women's field Athlete of the Meet, won the women's shot put with an improved provisional mark for nationals of 15.24 meters/50-feet-0.
- "Molly is pretty special. She's got more to come," Kruger noted.
- Fifth-year Aniya Seward, taking both the women's 60-meter hurdles (8.46 seconds) and women's triple jump (12.06 meters/39-feet-6¾) with improved provisional showings.
- Senior Wyatt Cory in the men's heptathlon with a league meet record and improved provisional point total of 5,226.
- Junior Jade Avance in the women's 800 run in an improved provisional time of 2:08.83.
- Senior Lily Dowdell, one of four conference women's track Athletes of the Meet, in the women's 3,000 run in 9:55.59.
- And the men's 4x400 relay quartet of senior Colin Hunkele, sophomore Brian Turner, senior Noah Wood, and senior Jacob Pielech in an improved provo time of 3:09.82.
SECOND PLACE – Dowdell in women's mile run (4:49.82, broke own school record, improved provo), junior
Abby Wheeler in the women's high jump (1.70 meters/5-feet-7, new provo), senior
Kelsey Kinsley in the women's shot put (14.31 meters/46-feet-11½ (improved provo), junior
Nate Slater in the men's mile run (4:06.89), sophomore
Odessa Smith in the women's 60 hurdles (8.55 seconds, improved provo), Pielech in the men's 400 dash (47.07 seconds, improved provo), fifth-year
Doniven Jackson in the men's 60 dash (6.80 seconds, new provo) and men's 200 dash (21.50 seconds, improved provo), women's 4x400 relay of sophomore
Brianna Chenevey, juniors
Montana Walker and Avance and senior senior
Mia Gardner (3:40.38, new school record, improved provisional).
THIRD PLACE – Sophomore
Zach Vales in the men's mile run (4:08.14, improved provo), senior
D.J. Duncan in the men's 60 hurdles (8.11 seconds), fifth-year
Alena Williams in the women's 60 dash (7.45 seconds, improved provo), graduate
Hope Sievert in the women's 800 run (2:12.97), Chenevey in the women's 200 dash (23.99 seconds, improved provo).
FOURTH PLACE – Freshman
Ty Allen in the men's 60 hurdles (8.23 seconds); Gardner in the women's 400 dash (55.09 seconds, improved provo), Wood in the men's 400 dash (47.72 seconds, improved provo), senior
Sarah Masuoka in the women's pole vault (3.88 meters/12-feet-8¾).
FIFTH PLACE – Junior
Kennedy Flores in the women's shot put (13.60 meters/44-feet-7½), senior
Emilie Lemon in the women's mile run (4:57.39), sophomore
Kara Fields in the women's 60 hurdles (8.92 seconds), sophomore
Hailey Rios in the women's 60 dash (7.50 seconds).
SIXTH PLACE – Fifth-year
Chris Graber in the men's triple jump (13.18 meters/43-feet-3), Hunkele in the men's 400 dash (47.82 seconds, improved provo), Chenevey in the women's 60 dash (7.57 seconds, improved provo), junior
Daylen Madison in the men's 800 run (1:51.20), junior
Derrick Amapps in the men's 200 dash (21.89 seconds).
SEVENTH PLACE – Junior
Levi Hondred in the men's triple jump (13.09 meters/42-feet-11½), sophomore
Colin Ellis in the men's 800 run (1:52.61).
EIGHTH PLACE – Turner in the men's 400 dash (48.52 seconds), Rios in the women's 200 dash (24.73 seconds), sophomore
Sidney Sheppert in the women's triple jump (10.69 meters/35-feet-1), sophomore
Allie Dunlap in the women's pole vault (tied, 3.73 meters/12-feet-2¾).
Also earning top meet honors was freshman
Carter Smith, the league's men's Freshman of the Meet.
UP NEXT
The announcement of the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships qualifiers on Tuesday (March 4). The 2025 NCAA Division II Championships will be March 13-15 in Indianapolis, Ind..
