It has been a year full of accolades, recognition and great amounts of success for the men and women’s track and field team at Ashland University and this did not change at their recent showing at the GLIAC Championships where both the men and the women placed third overall.

The No. 1 ranked men’s team had a phenomenal opening day in the throwing events. The Eagles swept the men’s weight throw by capturing the top four spots. Junior Danny Roberts won the event with a throw of 21.03 meters. Freshmen Alex Hill (21.00 meters) and senior Jordan Crayon (20.81) joined Roberts on the podium in Findlay, Ohio. 

Hunter Heaton, Paul Murray, Tyler Sievert and Nick Hall ran in the distance medley relay and finished with a time of 10:03.29 which was good enough for second place in the event. 

Going into the weekend, the Eagles were sending just two women to the national championship. After the GLIAC Championship, AU will now be sending five women to NCAA’s. 

Among those women, Samantha Duale was able to improve her provisional time in the 60-meter dash, taking home first place with a time of 7.53 seconds and senior Megan Tomei placed third in the women’s shot put. 

AU also had three top eight finishers in the women’s portion of the long jump with Marlecia Holston finishing in fifth place for the top Eagle finish. 

Day 1 of the meet also saw the Eagles dominate the podium in the women’s pentathlon with three top five finishers. Junior Marie Hammer took home first place while sophomore Tiffany Pryce took home the bronze and freshmen Paula Wollenslegel finished fifth. 

Day 2 of the championships saw the Eagles find even more success. 

Senior Elijah Talk took second place in the men’s shot put, while Roberts, senior Jason Zahn, and Junior Zachary Smelcer came away in fifth through seventh place respectively. 

The men’s team saw two more top three finishers as Brandon Wilson placed third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.20 seconds and Jared Ryder took third in the heptathlon. 

Myles Pringle continued his historic season by taking first in the men’s 400-meter dash and second in the high jump. 

Following the meet, Pringle was named GLIAC men’s track athlete of the year and Tomei was named the GLIAC women’s field athlete of the year and Hill received the honor of GLIAC field freshman of the year at the event. 

The men and women who have qualified for Nationals will be competing on March 9-11 in Birmingham, Ala. for the National Championship.