Athletics

http://www.goashlandeagles.com

Athletic Director

Al King

Ashland University offers 24 intercollegiate sports – 12 for women, 11 for men, and 1 co-ed. The Eagles play in NCAA Division II, and in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Fall 2024 Highlights

Even for a program more than 100 years old, there’s a first time for everything.

During the fall of 2024, Ashland University’s football team finished 9-4 overall and 8-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, winning the conference championship outright. Qualifying for the NCAA Division II postseason for the ninth time, the Eagles won a road playoff game for the first time in program history – 40-38 at No. 6-ranked Charleston.

Ashland also was 23rd in the final 2024 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches Poll.

Eagle head coach Doug Geiser earned Great Midwest Coach of the Year honors, and senior wide receiver Tony Pannunzio was lauded as a second-team College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America.

WOMEN’S SOCCER - In 2024, Eagle women’s soccer finished 17-2-2 overall and 12-0-2 in the Great Midwest – winning both the league's regular-season and tournament championships. Ashland also qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the sixth consecutive time, and was slotted No. 16 in the final United Soccer Coaches (USC) Top 25 NCAA Division II poll of 2024.

Both junior forward Dani Hicks (second team) and senior forward McKinley Mendenhall (third team) landed CSC Academic All-America citations. On the conference level, Hicks was Offensive Player of the Year, senior midfielder Merrik Mihalek landed Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row, and head coach Cayleb Paulino garnered Coach of the Year recognition.

VOLLEYBALL - Ashland volleyball finished 2024 at 19-11 overall and 12-4 in the Great Midwest, winning the East Division and qualifying for the conference tournament.

A relatively-young squad was paced by freshman outside hitter Samantha Young, who was cited as the Great Midwest’s Freshman of the Year. Senior middle hitter Kenzie McConnell was the league’s volleyball Elite 26 Award winner, 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.

MEN’S SOCCER - Eagle men’s soccer boasted a first-team CSC Academic All-American in fifth-year midfielder Oliver Whaley. Whaley is the program’s second Academic All-American all-time. On the field, Ashland finished 2024 at 10-7-1 overall and 9-4-1 in the Great Midwest, qualifying for the league tournament for the third season in a row.

CROSS COUNTRY - Two Ashland cross country runners – junior Nate Slater and senior Lily Dowdell – finished in sixth place in their respective Great Midwest Championship races. Slater made history as the Eagle men’s team’s first first-team All-Great Midwest honoree.

Winter 2024-25 Highlights

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - Ashland women's basketball ended 32-4 overall and 19-1 in the Great Midwest in 2024-25, winning both the conference regular-season and tournament titles for a fourth straight year. AU also reached the D-II Sweet 16 for the eighth time in program history. Senior forward Zoe Miller was third-team CSC Academic All-American and Great Midwest Player of the Year, and both Miller (D2CCA) and senior forward Hayley Smith (WBCA) earned All-American honors.

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD - AU indoor track and field saw the women's team win the Great Midwest title for a second straight year, and both the men's and women's teams finish 12th in the country (women tied). Eagle head coach A.G. Kruger was the conference's women's indoor Coach of the Year, and for the first time, sophomore Molly Winner is the circuit's women's indoor field Athlete of the Year.

SWIMMING AND DIVING - Sophomore Riley Hunt finished in a tie for 14th in women's 3-meter diving at NCAA Division II nationals to earn second-team All-American honors. Hunt also earned third-team CSC Academic All-American status, along with being the Great Midwest women's Diver of the Year. Junior Joey Lenczyk was second-team CSC Academic All-America, and the conference's men's Diver of the Year.

WRESTLING - The Eagles earned a fourth Great Midwest championship in the last four years, head coach Colt Sponseller is the Great Midwest Coach of the Year for the third time, and 141-pounder Brock Durbin is the Eagles' first Great Midwest Freshman of the Year. Eight Eagles went to the D-II championships.

MEN'S BASKETBALL - Junior forward Maceo Williams is AU men's basketball's second Great Midwest Player of the Year in the last three years. The Eagles went 15-13 overall and 11-9 in the Great Midwest, and qualified for a conference tournament for the 11th straight season.

Spring 2025 Highlights

WOMEN'S LACROSSE - Ashland women's lacrosse had a season of firsts in 2025, winning program's first conference regular-season and tournament championships, and making program's first appearance in NCAA Division II postseason. The Eagles went 14-6 overall and 8-0 in the Great Midwest, and boasted the program's first two D-II all-region selections, junior attacker Ashley Fisher and freshman midfielder Tori Wanat. Ashland also nearly swept all of the conference's top awards, including Coach of the Year Lauren Simko.

STUNT - Eagle STUNT set program records for wins and games played (24-9 record), went to nationals for third year in a row, and beat Trevecca Nazarene in overtime at nationals for second year in a row.

BASEBALL - The Eagles reached both the Great Midwest and D-II postseason tournaments, and finished the season at 37-19 overall and 24-8 in the conference. Ashland boasted the G-MAC's co-Player of the Year in graduate outfielder Max Caron, and the circuit's Freshman of the Year in outfielder Sean Krueckeberg.

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD - Both Eagle teams won the Great Midwest outdoor championship at home, marking the first time both have won a conference outdoor title in the same year since 1999. Kruger was lauded as the conference's Coach of the Year for both men and women, Winner once again was the Field Athlete of the Year on the women's side, and junior Dhiren Brickman was the conference's men's outdoor Elite 26 Award winner (top GPA at the championships).

MEN'S GOLF - The Eagles played in NCAA Division II postseason for second time in three years, ending in 19th place at the regional tournament.

WOMEN'S GOLF - AU women's golf played in NCAA Division II postseason for second season in a row, finishing in a tie for 11th at the regional tournament.

SOFTBALL - The Eagles went 23-23 overall and 13-11 in the Great Midwest, returning to the G-MAC Tournament.

WOMEN'S TENNIS - Ended 2024-25 campaign at 10-7 overall and 3-6 in the Great Midwest.

MEN'S TENNIS - Finished 2024-25 season at 8-9 overall and 2-6 in the Great Midwest.

All Eagle Teams Continue To Sport 3.0+ GPAs Through 2024-25

It's become a trend – all Ashland University athletic teams ending a semester with a grade-point average of at least 3.0.
 
And it has happened again, as every Eagle team finished the 2025 spring semester with at least a 3.0 – the fourth straight semester this has occurred.
 
"It is exciting to see how well our teams are doing and that they continue to improve and put their focus and energy not only in competition but also in their academics," said Elizabeth Hoge, Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator/Director of Academic Support Services for Athletics. "Our students are high-achieving in and out of the classroom and we are proud of how well they do. Credit to our success coach DaJuan Seward for all he does working with our student-athletes and helping them with adjusting to college and recognizing what they can all achieve."
 
Said Ashland Director of Athletics Al King, "Kudos to our student-athletes for the work they put in. Second, thanks to the coaches who don't just provide lip service to this, they seriously work at getting the message across. They are just as competitive in emphasizing academic performance as they are winning on the field of play.
 
"Thanks to our academic support services across campus, and Catherine Williams for their help and guidance. Our FAR, Dr. Mitch Metzger, has become heavily involved in student-athlete success and it's paid off in a big way. And in our department, Elizabeth Hoge and DaJuan Seward have made remarkable strides in so many areas. Numbers like this don't happen by accident, it's a commitment, an approach and a demand to excel academically day in and day out."
 
The cumulative GPA for the entire athletic department in the spring of 2025 was 3.38.