Five Eagles Land Great Midwest Athlete Of The Week Recognition

A fall-best five Ashland University student-athletes earned Great Midwest Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week recognition on Monday (Oct. 26) afternoon – junior Wes Taylor and freshman Reese Landis in cross country, junior Caden Davis and senior Riley Hunt in swimming and diving, and junior middle blocker Livi Miller in volleyball.
 
Taylor and Landis both turned in strong showings for the Eagle men's and women's thinclads on Saturday (Oct. 24) morning at the Alabama Huntsville Chargers Invitational. In the women's 6K, Landis finished in third place individually with a new collegiate PR of 20:52.9, helping the AU women to an eighth-place team finish. In the men's 8K, Taylor took 10^th in a PR time of 24:07, as the AU men finished 15^th as a team.
 
At least one Ashland runner has earned Athlete of the Week status following each of the Eagles' five meets this fall.
 
With the regular season concluded, the Eagle men and women will turn their attention to the 2026 Great Midwest Championships, Nov. 7 at 10:30 a.m. at Tiffin.
 
Davis and Hunt each stood out as the Eagle swimming and diving teams opened the home portion of their 2026-27 schedule on Friday (Oct. 23) night at the Messerly Natatorium against Edinboro. Davis won both the men's 100-yard butterfly in 50.27 seconds and men's 200 fly in 1:54.37, and was part of the winning men's 200 freestyle relay (1:28.36) and men's 200 medley relay (1:35.69), as the Eagle men won 189.5-97.5. Hunt took both women's diving events, earning 254.55 points in 1-meter and 305.35 points in 3-meter, to help the Eagle women take a 147-145 decision.
 
The Eagle men and women will remain at home for another non-conference dual on Friday (Oct. 30) at 6 p.m. vs. Oberlin.
 
Miller played a key role in the volleyball team maintaining the best record in the Great Midwest in a 3-1 (25-18, 25-7, 19-25, 25-15) win at Thomas More on Friday night – hitting .714 with 10 kills while adding two block assists and a dig in the victory.
 
She is AU's leading hitter this season at .332, while collecting 115 kills and 66 total tackles (62 assists).
 
The Eagles' (18-5 overall, 12-1 Great Midwest) next match will be Tuesday (Oct. 27) at 7 p.m. at Malone (4-19, 2-9).
  AUG. 31 – Jaime Duran (men's soccer defense), Jenna Shedden (East Division volleyball).
SEPT. 8 – Ava Parrett (women's cross country).
SEPT. 14 – Tessa Blain (women's soccer offense), Jenna Shedden (East Division volleyball).
SEPT. 21 – Braeden Geist (men's cross country), Jenna Shedden (East Division volleyball), Jack Talkington (football defense), Tom Woodward (men's soccer offense).
SEPT. 28 – Wes Taylor (men's cross country).
OCT. 5 – Hayden Clark (men's soccer offense), Abbey Queen (East Division volleyball).
OCT. 12 – Reese Landis (women's cross country).
OCT. 19 – D.J. Harvey (football offense), Mark Pillar (men's golf).
OCT. 26 – Caden Davis (men's swimming & diving), Riley Hunt (women's swimming & diving), Reese Landis (women's cross country), Livi Miller (East Division volleyball), Wes Taylor (men's cross country).