Jill Logan will return to Ashland, Ohio, for a very special reason on Homecoming weekend.
The pillar for her late husband, former Ashland University head track and field coach
Jud Logan, as well as the pillar for Olympic gold medalist pole vaulter
Katie Moon, will be dedicated in a ceremony at 4 p.m. on Oct. 10. The pillars are located at the Dwight Schar Athletic Complex.
A celebration of both Logan and Moon, speakers at the dedication will include Ashland President
Dr. Jon Parrish Peede, Ashland Director of Athletics
Al King, the Logan Family and Moon.
Drew Windle, 2025 AU Hall of Famer, also will be in attendance prior to his induction at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 11).
"I was so pleased, just beyond humbled," Jill Logan said about finding out initially about the pillar. "Al just took the reigns with that to make something happen. Looking very much forward to coming back to Ashland. That it's Homecoming weekend is going to be perfect. I think I have the opportunity to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a long time."
Following the dedication will be a reception. The public is invited to attend both the dedication and reception. The online RSVP link for the dedication is
HERE.
The lead donors for the pillars are
Dustin and Lori Ness, and
Dan Sipe.
Jud Logan served as the Eagles' head track and field coach from 2005-22, and was Ashland's throws coach for 13 years prior to that. As Ashland's head coach, he guided the men's program to three consecutive NCAA Division II championships – 2019 indoors and outdoors and 2021 indoors. His teams earned 42 Top 10 national placements, and his student-athletes won 59 individual national championships and collected 457 All-America honors.
He also earned 23 Coach of the Year awards, including:
- Three-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II men's national indoor Coach of the Year.
- 2019 USTFCCCA men's national outdoor Coach of the Year.
- 2008 USTFCCCA women's national indoor Coach of the Year.
- Five-time USTFCCCA Division II men's Great Lakes Region/Midwest Region indoor Coach of the Year.
- Four-time USTFCCCA Division II men's Great Lakes Region/Midwest Region outdoor Coach of the Year.
- Six-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) men's outdoor Coach of the Year.
- Three-time GLIAC men's indoor Coach of the Year.
Prior to and during his time with Ashland, Jud was a world-class hammer thrower, having competed on four United States Olympic teams – 1984, 1988, 1992 and 2000. He also competed in the Pan-American Games, the Goodwill Games and World Championships, and at one time, had the American record of 268-feet-8 in the hammer throw. Logan was the 1987 Pan Am Games men's hammer throw champion in Indianapolis, Ind.
He was a 2002 inductee in the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame, a 2015 inductee into the National Throws Coaches Association (NTCA) Thrower's Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame in December of 2024.
"I always say that it's what we've always known," Jill said. "We started dating in high school, then through college. Track and field has always been a part of our lives."
Jud initially thought of giving coaching a year.
"He commuted to Ashland University from North Canton, Ohio, for many years. He thought maybe it would be a temporary job for him," noted Jill. "But he fell in love with Ashland and the team and the atmosphere. He commuted as our kids wanted to graduate from their high school at North Canton Hoover.
"It was just part of our lives, and it was our normal. It's something I truly enjoyed. He always referred to the track team as his kids and our kids, and they truly were."
So much success with Eagle track and field culminated in the three consecutive D-II national championships. Jud missed the 2019 indoor title while battling B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
"You've heard him say, all he ever wanted was to be able to see that confetti cannon and be a part of that celebration," Jill said. "To be able to watch that…he was in his bed at the Cleveland Clinic (for the first title), and we were able to watch that, and of course, he knew before I knew, knowing the scoring system, that they won.
"Just absolutely amazing, knowing that that gave him the incentive that, 'I'm going to beat this. I'm going to be out there for outdoors.'"
A larger than life figure in track and field, what was Jud like as a husband and a father?
"Amazing, supportive of our kids," Jill said. "He was just proud to be able to do anything to give them support in whatever career path or choices they made. Big family man. Wherever we were, we became family. Just very supportive."
Jud passed away at age 62 on Jan. 3, 2022. He never got the chance to coach in a meet at the new Niss Athletic Center.
"He got to see it, thank goodness," Jill said. "I think he was always proud of the Conard Field House. Just take what you have and work with it and make things happen. We are going to make this work here in Ashland, and they did.
"The moving of the hammer cage to the top of the field right behind the Niss, he was convinced that was just for him. He made it his. I was so happy that he was at least able to see it and have the kids in there a little bit."
Jill is looking forward to next month's ceremony – and all of the memories and emotions it will bring.
"Any time I've come back to Ashland, it's a homecoming," she said. "We'll have the opportunity to see a lot more people. And with Katie being there, I'm so excited to honor her, as well. And it's been a long time since I've seen Drew Windle.
"It just amazes me that these former athletes of Jud's are continuing to excel, and not just in athletics. I'd love to get a number of every athlete who went into coaching that Jud had coached. There are many. Hopefully, a lot of them will be able to come back. I'm really looking forward to it."
