Ashland University’s nationally ranked men’s and women’s Indoor Track and Field team continued their successful season at the Niss Athletic Center on Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 8, when the Eagles hosted the fourth annual Jud Logan Light Giver Open.  

2024 U.S. Olympian and Ashland University graduate, Trevor Bassitt, returned to his alma mater to run at the Jud Logan Light Giver Open. While in Ashland, Bassitt won the men’s 400-meter dash with a time of 45.67. He also ran in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, with a time of 8.01, placing third.  

Ashland University’s track and field coaching staff did not shy away from the competition either. Assistant Coach T.J. Skinner won the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.81. Alongside Skinner, was volunteer assistant coach Rachel Richeson who won the women’s weight throw elite, throwing 25.28 meters.  

No school record is safe around senior Lily Dowdell. She won the women’s mile with a time of 4:51.65, breaking her own record from earlier this season and improved her provisional mark towards the NCAA DII championships in Indianapolis, March 13-5.  

Junior Jade Avance wanted a taste of breaking records as well. She won the women’s 800-meter run, breaking her own school record and lowering her provisional mark in the process, running a time of 2:09.03.  

The two banded together with teammates graduate student Hope Sievert and junior Montana Walker to break another school record in the women’s distance medley, running a time of 11:28.53. The previous record was set at the G-MAC championships in 2024 with a time of 11:50.51, with both Dowdell and Avance being a part of the previous record.  

To continue with their success, more Eagles were added to the list of provisional marks earned to take them to the NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships. For the women’s team, senior Mia Gardner earned her provisional mark in the women’s 400-meter dash, running a time of 56.36.  

Senior Kelsey Kinsley earned her provisional mark in the women’s shot put, throwing 14.01 meters.  

Sophomore Hailey Rios in the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 24.70.  

For the men’s team, redshirt freshman Ty Allen earned his mark in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, running a time of 8.15. 

Sophomore Zach Vales earned his mark in the men’s mile, running a time of 4:08.08.  

The men’s distance medley relay squad of junior Daylen Madison, senior Jacob Pielech, sophomore Colton Thress, and junior Nate Slater placed third with a time of 9:55.61.  

Senior Brock Janowicz in the men’s weight throw elite, throwing 18.78 meters.  

The following Eagles won their respective events: graduate student Alena Williams in the women’s 60-meter dash, running a time of 7.58 and lowering her provisional mark in the process; Madison in the men’s 800-meter run with a time of 1:51.24 and improving his provisional mark; the men’s 4×400-meter relay squad of senior Colin Hunkele, sophomore Brian Turner, and seniors Ethan Schuster and Noah Wood with a time of 3:12.19 and improving their provisional mark and fifth-year Aniya Seward in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with an improved provisional mark time of 8.58. 

The following Eagles placed second in their respective events: sophomore Molly Winner in the women’s weight throw elite, throwing 19.89 meters and being ranked No. 1 in DII coming into the weekend; sophomore Brianna Cheveney in the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 24.42; senior D.J. Duncan in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.82; sophomore Odessa Smith in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with an improved provisional mark time of 8.67; Rios in the women’s long jump, jumping 5.67 meters and senior Wyatt Corey in the men’s heptathlon with 5,047 points. 

The following Eagles placed third in their respective events: redshirt sophomore Hailey Rios in the women’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.68; sophomore Leslie Pollock in the women’s weight throw elite, throwing 19.51 meters and being ranked No. 2 in DII coming into the weekend; junior Derrick Amapps in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 21.79; Rios in the women’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.68; Winner in the women’s shot put elite, throwing 14.76 meters; junior Garrett Baker in the men’s pole vault elite, vaulting 5.16 meters and junior Abby Wheeler tied for third in the women’s high jump with a height of 1.65 meters.  

The Eagles look to continue their success on the road Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14-15, at Kent State’s Doug Raymond National Qualifier.