Veldheer Valedictorian Honor Continues Strong 2025-26 AU Athletics Academic Year

Ashley Veldheer recently had quite a 48-hour stretch.
 
The Ashland University softball centerfielder went from senior class valedictorian and speaking at commencement on Saturday (May 9) morning to officially being part of an NCAA Division II postseason team come Monday (May 11) morning.
 
"It was, honestly, really fun," Veldheer said of speaking at commencement. "It was just a cool experience to be able to have that opportunity. At Ashland, we really do have such a great support system, through the coaches, everyone with Ashland athletics, and our professors do such a great job working with us as student-athletes.
 
"And I definitely couldn't have done any of it without this support system that we have here."
 
Veldheer and the Eagles (32-17) will play in the program's first D-II playoff game in 11 years on Thursday (May 14) at 2:30 p.m. vs. Saginaw Valley State (37-14). She is a .286 hitter with 13 runs scored, two doubles, a triple, eight RBIs and a stolen base so far this spring.
 
"It's honestly been surreal," Veldheer said of the entire year. "I feel like seeing so many of the things that we all have worked so hard for as student-athletes…on the softball team, we have worked so hard just to make the NCAA tournament, and make a run in the postseason.
 
"It's just been a dream come true, all of our hard work coming to fruition."
 
Veldheer wasn't the only Eagle student-athlete recognized at commencement, as both women's soccer midfielder Emily Pate and baseball pitcher Seth Witt were two of the senior class's salutatorians.
 
During the 2025-26 academic year, four AU student-athletes have earned Great Midwest Athletic Conference Elite 26 awards, tying for the most for the athletic department since joining the league – Veldheer, junior Rachel Stanchek (women's swimming/diving), sophomore Kaelyn Wagner (STUNT) and junior Ashley Drexler (women's lacrosse).
 
Also, three Eagles have earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America citations in 2025-26 – senior women's soccer forward Dani Hicks (second team), Stanchek (third team), and senior men's diver Joey Lenczyk (second team).
 
In the fall of 2025, all Eagle athletic teams sported a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 for a fifth consecutive semester.