Ashland University is well-known for its athletics, whether that be the women’s basketball team winning nationals not once but twice or track athletes like Trevor Bassitt and Katie Nageotte, making it on the podium to win medals at Worlds and the Olympics.
However, athletics isn’t the only thing that makes Ashland University so special, it is also the community.
The residents of Ashland are true supporters of the private university. Many take pride by attending athletic events, Ashbrook luncheons, concerts, and especially wearing the signature AU purple and gold. Almost all supporters have unique stories that really display the positive effect AU has had on the community.
Al Honaker, 80, graduated from Ashland High School in 1962. Almost every day he can be seen outside his home listening to the radio tuned to 88.9 WRDL and wearing his AU spirit wear.
Over the past several years, Honaker has attended almost every sporting event hosted by the university and high school. He has developed relationships with AU coaches and athletes, but the one who made a difference for him was John Ellenwood, head coach for the men’s basketball team.
“About 5 or 6 years ago, John Ellenwood told me to come down and watch the basketball team. Ever since then I have gone to all the games,” Honaker recalled.
During the men’s basketball practices, Honaker can be found in a chair off to the side watching the athletes practice or in Coach Ellenwood’s office talking with the coaches.
“Al Honaker is one of the biggest supporters of Eagle athletics and there is rarely a day where I don’t see him at our team workouts. The dedication he has shown to our team makes us play harder for him and this community,” senior player Cj Karasatos remarked.
Honaker is impressed with the track program on campus due to AU graduates Miles Pringle, Trevor Bassitt and Katie Nageotte.
Honaker is convinced that “Ashland track athletes are some of the best.”
In October, Honaker will be presented with the Fan of the Year award at the Hall of Fame brunch. This award is given to one fan each year who shows their unwavering support for all athletic teams on campus. The support from the Ashland community will follow students at every stage of life showing the effect Ashland has on the individuals who consider the campus “home.”

Greg Gorrell has been a long-time resident of Ashland. He attended Ashland University when it was known as Ashland College and graduated in 1973. However, his college experience was anything but ordinary.
During his first couple of years of college, Gorrell was studying to become a geologist, but the opportunity to work was calling his name, he recalled. He decided to take a year long break from college to work and earn money.
During that short period of time, Gorrell was drafted to the Vietnam War. He served in the infantry combat unit and was in Vietnam during 1967. Once Gorrell finished serving, he came back to Ashland College to finish out his degree, but this time he had a different mindset.
He said that he became more driven to complete his studies and he knew being in Ashland was the place for him. Gorrell switched his major to Business Administration with a minor in Finance and Economics.
He used his major and the skills he picked up at AU to serve on the Ashland University Advisory Council from 2001 to 2004 and as a member of Noon Lions since 1990.
Gorrell says he “owes all his success to Ashland University.”
“They taught me how to make decisions in the moment that weren’t popular but the right thing to do,” he continued.
The curriculum of Ashland University isn’t the only thing that Gorrell is grateful for. He is thrilled about the expansion of the campus with the most notable building for him being the Veterans building.
He believes that this building “[is a] great benefit to the younger veterans who are coming home and looking to secure an education.”
According to Gorrell, the Veterans building brings a sense of pride. He detailed that he knows how different life was after coming home from war.
Gorrell came back to AU after the war because “Ashland has good values, good standards, good education system and good Christian values.”