When the 2016-2017 school year came to an end, many Ashland University students went their separate ways as they began their summer jobs, internships or perhaps their first job out of college. Even though there were less people on campus, the AU athletic department stayed busy during the summer including crowning a few more national champions and announcing multiple coaching changes across the board. Below is a list of the top ten events that you missed this summer.

1. Adam Shaheen signs his rookie deal and begins training camp

On April 28, Adam Shaheen became the highest Eagle player to ever be drafted in the NFL draft when the Chicago Bears picked the 6-6 tight end in the second round with the 45th overall pick. The Ashland standout’s work was just beginning as he embarked on a long summer preparing for his first pro season. On May 18, Shaheen inked a four year deal with the Bears as he will look to become the ninth former Eagle to play in a regular season game on an NFL team. According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com, Shaheen has impressed the Bear’s coaching staff during camp and throughout the first half of the preseason. Dickerson said that as long as Shaheen can prove to be an effective blocker at the pro level then he should see ample playing time in his first season. The Bears open the regular season on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. against the Atlanta Falcons.

2.Laina Snyder and Adam Shaheen named GLIAC scholar athletes of the year

After dominating seasons in their respective sports, Adam Shaheen and Laina Snyder were recognized for their work outside of sports as they swept the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference awards for Male and Female scholar athletes of the year. After winning the second National Championship in school history for women’s basketball, Snyder brought home a slough of awards including being named an All-American and the Division II Basketball Bulletin Player of the Year. On June 27, she was named as the female scholar athlete of the year in the GLIAC after averaging a team high 17.4 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game while achieving a 3.91 cumulative-grade point average in Business Management through her first three years at AU. Shaheen finished his junior year with a 3.67 GPA in Business Administration after dominating the gridiron with 57 catches for 867 yards and a D-II record 16 touchdown catches. Since 2007-2008, AU has more GLIAC Scholar Athletes of the Year than any other school in the conference.

3. Track Team dominates at National Tournament

After being one of the most dominant track and field teams throughout the entire indoor and outdoor seasons, the Eagles capped off a dominating season at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Bradenton, FL by finishing tied for third as a team on the men’s side to go along with some tremendous individual performances from both the men and the women.

Junior, Daniel Roberts led a near sweep of the podium in the men’s hammer throw as he won his first National Championship. Roberts’ teammate, Jordan Crayon was close behind as he finished in second.

Senior, Bryn Campbell also found a spot on the podium as he finished in a tie for fourth. Sophomore, Myles Pringle continued his historic season as he capped the year off with a National Championship in the men’s 400-meter dash. Pringle became the first Eagle men’s track athlete to win a national title in both the indoor and the outdoor seasons. The men and women combined to have 15 athletes named as All-Americans in the outdoor season.

4. Jordan Crayon competes at USATF Championships

Jordan Crayon has been a star for the Eagles over the past four seasons and he wasted no time continuing his throwing career after he graduated in May. After a second place finish in the hammer throw at the 2017 Outdoor championships, Crayon took eighth place at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships. Crayon holds the record for the fifth best hammer throw in D-II history and he will not be away from the Eagles for long as he will return as an assistant coach on the track & field teams for the 2017-18 season.

5. Logan Cooke named men’s golf coach

The summer of 2017 seemed to be the summer of change around the Athletic department as four teams announced the hiring of a new head coach over the summer. The first hire that the athletic department made was to name Logan Cooke as the new head coach of the men’s golf coach. Cooke will take over the program after Darrin Jones announced his retirement following a 13-year career. Cooke will take over the program after having a stint as an assistant coach with the Eagles for a couple of seasons.

6. Andrew Bolinger named women’s golf coach

16 days after Cooke was hired to coach the men’s team, Andrew Bolinger was named as the new head coach of the women’s golf team on June 22.

Bolinger will enter the position after spending the last two years as the second assistant golf professional at Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor, MI.

Like Cooke, Bolinger is no stranger to the GLIAC as he attended Tiffin University where he was a member of the golf team.

7. Jacob Sussman takes over cross-country program

Early in the summer, the athletic department announced that the current cross-country coach, Tom Scott, had taken a job as the head track and field coach at Coker College and on June 19, Jacob Sussman was chosen as Scott’s replacement for the program. Sussman is a 2014 graduate of AU and spent his first two years out of college as the assistant coach of the program. Sussman was a three-time All-American at AU during his time.

8. Emlyn Knerem to be Sheilah Gulas’ replacement

Sheilah Gulas was the epitome of consistency for the AU softball program for the last 21 years, but during the 2017 season Gulas announced her intention to retire at the conclusion of the season. So began a coaching search that had not been seen at Ashland in over two decades.

On June 9 the athletic department named Emlyn Knerem as the new head coach for the program.

Knerem will return to AU after finishing her four year career for the Eagles as one of the most dominating women to ever stand in the pitcher’s circle. Knerem holds five program records, including most career wins with 95. Knerem has been a softball coach for the past five years including most recently with the Kent State Golden Flashes as an assistant coach.

9. 2017 Hall of Fame Inductees

Each year, the athletic department inducts new members into the Ashland University Hall of Fame and this year saw seven athletes cement their names in Eagle History.

The list of inductees are: Brandon Cornell ( Baseball ’05), Mark Smithberger (Baseball ’02), Heather Lefford Edborg (Softball ’95), Amber Rall Groves (Women’s Basketball ’07), Roger Lyons (Men’s Basketball ’74), Tim Houseman (Football ’94) and Kelly Jacobs (Women’s Soccer ’99).

10. Women’s Basketball recognized at Columbus Clippers game

Winning a National Championship in basketball brings with it a lot of recognition from within the basketball community, but in the case of the Eagles their recognition goes beyond the court.

On July 19, Robyn Fralick and the AU women’s basketball team was recognized for their perfect 37-0 season at the Columbus Clippers game.

Coach Fralick threw out the Ceremonial first pitch as the Eagles were honored in style.