Ashland University's women's lacrosse team won its first Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season championship in 2025 – and that has led to a near clean sweep of the conference's top 2025 season awards.
As announced by the Great Midwest on Thursday (May 1) afternoon, five Eagles were lauded with six conference "of the year" citations:
- Head coach Lauren Simko is the circuit's Coach of the Year after guiding AU to the regular-season league crown and a program-best 12 wins through the regular year. She also was the Great Midwest co-Coach of the Year in 2024, and the league's Coach of the Year while with Ursuline in 2021.
- Freshman midfielder Tori Wanat is the Great Midwest Freshman of the Year and Midfielder of the Year. Wanat's rookie season has included 46 goals and 18 assists for 64 points, as well as 122 draw controls and 41 ground balls.
- Junior Ashley Fisher is the conference's Attacker of the Year. Fisher far and away leads the conference with 101 points and 47 assists, and her 54 goals are tied for second. She is the first Eagle in program history to post at least 100 points in a season.
- Junior Annie Duncan has garnered the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award. She is 10-5 with a 10.68 goals-against average and 105 saves so far in 2025. Her .439 save percentage is third-best in the conference.
- Sophomore attacker Ashley Drexler is the conference's women's lacrosse Elite 26 Award winner, for having the top cumulative grade-point average of any player participating in the conference tournament. Drexler sports a 4.00 GPA as an Exercise Science major.
Five Ashland players are first-team all-conference selections – Fisher, Duncan, Wanat, junior attacker
Rachel Crumbacher and junior defender
Lauren Hinders. Crumbacher, the program's all-time leader in points, assists and draw controls, collected 41 goals and 36 assists for 77 points during the regular year, along with 108 draw controls. Hinders made the move back to defense this spring, and had 38 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers during the regular year.
Two Eagles are second-team all-conference picks – Drexler and junior defender
Lily Holmes. Drexler had 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points during the regular season, and Holmes started all 17 regular-season games and helped AU allow just 9.51 goals per game.
Ashland (12-5) hosted a Great Midwest Tournament semifinal on Thursday at noon vs. Thomas More (5-13) at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
ALL-TIME ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S LACROSSE GREAT MIDWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HONOREES
2025 – Lauren Simko (Coach of the Year),
Tori Wanat (Freshman of the Year, Midfielder of the Year and first team),
Ashley Fisher (Attacker of the Year and first team),
Annie Duncan (Goalkeeper of the Year and first team),
Ashley Drexler (Elite 26 Award and second team),
Rachel Crumbacher (first team),
Lauren Hinders (first team),
Lily Holmes (second team).
2024 – Lauren Simko (co-Coach of the Year),
Ashley Drexler (Freshman of the Year, Midfielder of the Year and first team,
Lauren Simko (co-Coach of the Year),
Ashley Fisher (first team),
Alexis Montalvo (first team),
Rachel Crumbacher (second team).
2023 – Cassady Becker (first team),
Natalie Sonntag (first team),
Jillian Rekulak (first team),
Rachel Crumbacher (second team),
Alexis Montalvo (second team),
Bri Doctor (second team),
Madie Gash (third team),
Tori Sharlow (third team).
2022 – Cassady Becker (Attacker of the Year and first team),
Natalie Sonntag (first team),
Alexis Montalvo (second team),
Talia DiLello (third team),
Madie Gash (third team).
