On Friday (May 2) afternoon, the Ashland University outdoor track and field teams accomplished something they hadn't done in more than a quarter century.
At the conclusion of the 2025 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship, the No. 18-ranked Eagle women and the No. 20 AU men each had won team conference titles – for the first time since being a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1999.
"It's absolutely unbelievable," said Ashland head coach
A.G. Kruger. "We've been so close, especially on the men's side. It feels so good to see all these kids come together and put it all together on a weekend."
In the women's standings, Ashland finished with 209 points, Findlay was second (168) and Hillsdale was third (135). On the men's side, the Eagles ended with 194 team points, with Tiffin second (164) and the Oilers third (152).
Ashland's plethora of conference titles on Friday started with:
Junior
Nate Slater won a league title in the men's 1,500 run, finishing in an improved provo time of 3:46.63 – and in a comfortable 3.23 seconds over the second-place finisher.
"It felt really good. I knew once we started the race that it was just going to have to be all-out from the start," Slater said. "I kind of started with the lead, and I didn't want to leave it to chance at the end. I just wanted to bet on myself.
"It's not even just the distance program this weekend. Sprints have been wonderful, throws really stepped up. Our jumpers have been great. It's been all-around inspiring to watch. You're not just doing it for yourself, you are doing it for the team."
In the women's 800 run, junior
Jade Avance won with an improved provo time of 2:05.73 – 2.57 seconds ahead of the next competitor.
"All glory to God," Avance said. "Just trying to go out there and execute what we do every single day. It was so much fun. Just trying to represent AU well."
Senior
Lily Dowdell had a big Friday, winning the women's 5,000 run in 17:12.19, and setting a new school record with a new provo time of 4:24.55 in the women's 1,500 run.
Junior
Dhiren Brickman is the men's outdoor track Great Midwest Elite 26 Award winner. The Elite 26 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating from a conference championship-qualifying program for each of the Great Midwest's 26 championship events.
Brickman has a 3.987 cumulative GPA as a Computer Science major.
SECOND PLACE – Sophomore
Odessa Smith in the women's 100 hurdles (new provo, 13.94 seconds), sophomore
Leslie Pollock in the women's discus throw (new provo, 45.63 meters/149-feet-8), Amapps in the men's 100 dash (improved provo, 10.40 seconds), Thress in the men's 800 run (1:51.07), and the women's 4x400 relay team of sophomore
Brianna Chenevey, freshman
Olivia Saylor, senior
Mia Gardner and Avance (improved provo, 3:40.05).
THIRD PLACE – Sophomore
Abigail Hartzler in the women's high jump (1.67 meters/5-feet-4½), Morris in the men's 100 dash (10.51 seconds), sophomore
Alex Eggleston in the men's 400 hurdles (new provo, 53.14 seconds), the women's 4x100 relay team of junior
Montana Walker, Chenevey, senior
Greta Barker and sophomore
Hailey Rios (45.77 seconds); Hunkele in the men's 400 dash (47.74 seconds), and Smith in the women's 400 hurdles (1:03.43).
FOURTH PLACE – Freshman
Jennifer Patrick in the women's discus throw (45.36 meters/148-feet-10), Gardner in the women's 400 dash (56.03 seconds), Chenevey in the women's 200 dash (24.03 seconds), Amapps in the men's 200 dash (20.96 seconds), and sophomore
Nalin Robinson in the men's discus throw (48.30 meters/158-feet-5).
FIFTH PLACE – Sophomore
Kara Fields in the women's 100 hurdles (14.27 seconds), graduate
Hope Sievert in the women's 800 run (2:13.69), freshman
Carter Smith in the men's pole vault (4.78 meters/15-feet-8¼, freshman
Ty Allen in the men's 110 hurdles (14.50 seconds), freshman
Alisha Hill in the women's discus throw (43.16 meters/141-feet-7), sophomore
Sidney Sheppert in the women's triple jump (11.50 meters/37-feet-8¾), Wood in the men's 400 dash (48.31 seconds), Hunkele in the men's 200 dash (21.47 seconds), Rios in the women's 100 dash (improved provo, 11.65 seconds), senior
Brock Janowicz in the men's discus throw (47.93 meters/157-feet-3), and freshman
Samuel Thomas in the men's 5,000 run (14:49.30).
SIXTH PLACE – Freshman
Caden McClure in the men's pole vault (4.63 meters/15-feet-2¼), Mann in the men's 100 dash (10.54 seconds), sophomore
Ethan Browning in the men's 400 hurdles (55.36 seconds), Slater in the men's 800 run (1:54.21), Walker in the women's 400 hurdles (1:05.54), and Chenevey in the women's 100 dash (11.73 seconds).
SEVENTH PLACE – Junior
Isiah King in the men's 110 hurdles (14.63 seconds), Fields in the women's high jump (tied, 1.54 meters/5-feet-0½), senior
Jacob Pielech in the men's 400 dash (48.49 seconds), and Wahl in the men's 200 dash (21.87 seconds).
EIGHTH PLACE – Senior
Wyatt Cory in the men's pole vault (4.18 meters/13-feet-8½), Wahl in the men's 100 dash (10.70 seconds), senior
Hannah Berheide in the women's 400 dash (57.37 seconds), Rios in the women's 200 dash (25.85 seconds), Pielech in the men's 200 dash (23.33 seconds), Barker in the women's 100 dash (12.12 seconds), sophomore
Zach Vales in the men's 1,500 run (3:57.46), and freshman
Hayden Valenti in the men's discus throw (46.67 meters/153-feet-1).
"All the people making finals, it's just absolutely amazing," Kruger said. "It's the whole team. That just makes all the difference in the world."
UP NEXT
The Baldwin Wallace Harrison Dillard Twilight last-chance meet on Thursday and Friday (May 8-9).
