Before the 2026-27 athletic year begins, there still is one piece of 2025-26 Ashland University athletics business to attend to – the latest Eagles to be named Student-Athletes of the Year.
Senior women's soccer forward
Dani Hicks and redshirt senior football center
Ethan Enders have been selected as the 2025-26 AU Student-Athletes of the Year. They will be honored at the 2026 Ashland University Hall of Fame Induction and Student-Athlete of the Year recognition, Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. at the John C. Myers Convocation Center – prior to the Eagle football team's 102
nd Homecoming game at 1 p.m. vs. Tiffin at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
DANI HICKS, WOMEN'S SOCCER – 2025-26 ACCOLADES
- Helped Eagles to 14-3-5 overall record, championships in both the Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular season and tournament, and a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
- Great Midwest women's Collegiate Achievement Award winner
- College Sports Communicators (CSC) second-team Academic All-America
- United Soccer Coaches (USC) and Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) second-team All-American
- D2CCA Midwest Region Player of the Year and first-team all-region
- USC first-team all-region
- CSC Academic All-District
- USC first-team Scholar All-American
- Great Midwest women's soccer tournament Most Valuable Player
- Great Midwest women's soccer Offensive Player of the Year and first team
- Great Midwest Academic All-Conference
Hicks graduated in May with a degree in Exercise Science and a cumulative grade-point average of 3.95.
She is the seventh female to be chosen as AU Student-Athlete of the Year twice.
ETHAN ENDERS, FOOTBALL – 2025-26 ACCOLADES
- Helped Eagles to a 10-3 overall record, a co-Great Midwest championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II postseason.
- 2026 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society
- CSC Academic All-District
- Four-year starter and anchor of AU offensive line
- All-Great Midwest first team
- Great Midwest Academic All-Conference
Enders has graduated twice, with postgraduate GPAs of 3.80 and 4.00 in the online MBA program, and a 3.67 undergraduate GPA as an Accounting major.
He becomes the 16
th Eagle football player to be named AU male Student-Athlete of the Year.
ALL-TIME ASHLAND COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
| YEAR |
FEMALE |
MALE |
| 1988 |
Kristin Hopper (track and field) |
Dave Biondo (football) |
| 1989 |
Vickie Schmitz (basketball) |
John Walters (track and field) |
| 1990 |
DeAnn Cirino (track and field) |
Doug Powell (football) |
| 1991 |
Bobbi Pugh (volleyball) |
Bill Muller (swimming) |
| 1992 |
Bobbi Pugh (volleyball) |
Ron Greer (football) |
| 1993 |
Julie Haase (track and field) |
Larry Kaufman (wrestling) |
| 1994 |
Andrea Gregersen (swimming) |
Eric Berry (track and field) |
| 1995 |
Heather Lefford (softball) |
Eric Berry (track and field) |
| 1996 |
Desi Gillman (softball) |
Sean Robbins (track and field) |
|
|
Gene Stechschulte (baseball) |
| 1997 |
Becky Ball (track and field) |
Chad DiFranco (football) |
| 1998 |
Jamie McDaniel (swimming) |
Matthew "Bubba" Harris (football) |
| 1999 |
Becky Ball (track and field) |
Joe Veres (wrestling) |
| 2000 |
Jennifer Bartlett (volleyball) |
Ryan Knight (track and field) |
| 2001 |
Adriane Blewitt (track and field) |
T.J. Hellickson (wrestling) |
| 2002 |
Alicia Longstreth (softball) |
Nate Moore (baseball) |
| 2003 |
Adriane Blewitt (track and field) |
Craig Pickering (swimming) |
| 2004 |
Becky Richards (soccer) |
Michael Hull (football) |
| 2005 |
Jackie Mason (basketball) |
Nate Iler (track and field) |
| 2006 |
Megan Dort (swimming) |
Jody Stewart (track and field) |
|
Ashley Bigelow (soccer) |
|
| 2007 |
Megan Dort (swimming) |
Casey Jirsa (baseball) |
| 2008 |
Mary Kate Glowe (volleyball) |
Vince Cashdollar (football) |
| 2009 |
Betsy Morrison (basketball) |
Jacob Petkac (baseball) |
|
|
Dan Tierney (track and field) |
| 2010 |
Steph Tinney (track and field) |
Nick Bellanco (football/track and field) |
| 2011 |
Abby Kacsandi (track and field) |
Joe Horn (football/track and field) |
|
Allison Morgan (swimming) |
|
| 2012 |
Kari Daugherty (basketball) |
Brock Weaver (track and field) |
| 2013 |
Kari Daugherty (basketball) |
Donnie Dottei (football) |
| 2014 |
Alyssa Miller (basketball) |
Alex Sheil (swimming) |
| 2015 |
Jamie Sindelar (track and field) |
Drew Windle (track and field) |
| 2016 |
Hannah Mattar (swimming) |
Joe Brandt (wrestling) |
|
|
Stephen James (baseball) |
| 2017 |
Kelsey Peare (basketball) |
Adam Shaheen (football) |
| 2018 |
Andi Daugherty (basketball) |
Dominic Giunta (football) |
|
|
Matthew Wilcox (football) |
| 2019 |
Kylie Asmus (softball) |
John Duldner (soccer) |
| 2020 |
Jodi Johnson (basketball) |
Drew Noble (basketball) |
| 2021 |
Rachel Miller (track and field) |
Trevor Bassitt (track and field) |
| 2022 |
Erin Krupar (volleyball) |
Trevor Bassitt (track and field) |
| 2023 |
Annie Roshak (basketball) |
Gavin Posey (football) |
| 2024 |
Annie Roshak (basketball) |
Tony Pannunzio (football) |
| 2025 |
Dani Hicks (soccer) |
Tony Pannunzio (football) |
| 2026 |
Dani Hicks (soccer) |
Ethan Enders (football) |
