Ashland University's athletic department reached new heights during the 2014-15 academic year.
Another example of that came on Tuesday (June 23), as four Eagle senior student-athletes – Stephen James (baseball) and Jessica Bridenthal, Kim Habegger and Mack Taylor (outdoor track and field) – were named 2015 spring Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner's Award recipients. This is the first time four AU student-athletes earned the honor in one sports season.
The 2014-15 school year also saw Ashland student-athletes earn six Commissioner's Awards, tied for the most in school history (2012-13).
James put up one of the top Eagle offensive efforts in recent memory in 2015, hitting .398 with 67 runs scored, 86 hits, 18 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, 54 RBIs, eight stolen bases, a .462 on-base percentage and a .708 slugging percentage. James, an Exercise Science major, had a cumulative grade-point average of 3.81.
The Commissioner's Award is the 11th offseason honor for James, whose postseason highlights have included first-team Capital One Division II Academic All-America Baseball, first-team American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-America, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Midwest Region Player of the Year and GLIAC Player of the Year laurels.
Bridenthal finished her Eagle career with two All-American efforts at the Division II national outdoor track and field meet, placing second in the shot put (51-feet-7/15.72 meters) and fifth in the hammer throw (183-feet-3/55.86 meters). She earned the 2015 GLIAC Outdoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year honor, and placed third in the shot put (47-feet-11/14.60 meters) and hammer throw (183-feet-8/55.98 meters) at the conference outdoor meet.
Bridenthal, a 12-time All-American and a 2014 national champion in the indoor weight throw, is in Ashland's MBA program, and has a cumulative GPA of 3.63.
Habegger earned All-American status outdoors in the hammer throw, placing fourth at the national meet (188-feet-3/57.39 meters). At the GLIAC outdoor meet, she placed second in the hammer throw at 192-feet-1/58.55 meters.
Habegger, a three-time All-American, also is in AU's MBA program, and her cumulative GPA is 3.86.
Taylor was an All-American outdoors in the hammer throw for the first time, finishing seventh in the country at 197-feet-1/60.07 meters. He finished sixth at the GLIAC outdoor meet in the hammer throw (202-feet-3/61.65 meters).
Taylor, a Geology major, has a cumulative GPA of 3.54.
Ashland student-athletes have earned 27 GLIAC Commissioners' Awards since fall of 2007.
The GLIAC Commissioner's Awards, sponsored by Meijer, Incorporated, are presented after the fall, winter and spring athletic seasons to six female and six male student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and on the fields of play. All grade-point averages are based on a 4.0 scale.
|
Name/Semester |
Sport |
|
Name/Semester |
Sport |
|
Spring 2015 |
|
|
Winter 2011-12 |
|
|
Stephen James |
Baseball |
|
Jena Stutzman |
Basketball |
|
Jessica Bridenthal |
Outdoor Track & Field |
|
Spring 2011 |
|
|
Kim Habegger |
Outdoor Track & Field |
|
Logan Hursey |
Softball |
|
Mack Taylor |
Outdoor Track & Field |
|
Spring 2010 |
|
|
Winter 2014-15 |
|
|
Abby Kacsandi |
Outdoor Track & Field |
|
Hannah Mattar |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Winter 2009-10 |
|
|
Indoor Track & Field |
|
Stephanie Tinney |
Indoor Track & Field |
|
|
Winter 2013-14 |
|
|
Fall 2009 |
|
|
Alyssa Miller |
Basketball |
|
Nick Bellanco |
Football |
|
Spring 2013 |
|
|
Spring 2009 |
|
|
Holly James |
Golf |
|
Joe D'Andrea |
Golf |
|
Garrett Grey |
Outdoor Track & Field |
|
Winter 2008-09 |
|
|
Winter 2012-13 |
|
|
Sean McGraw |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Kari Daugherty |
Basketball |
|
Fall 2008 |
|
|
Tyler Remmel |
Swimming & Diving |
|
Nick Bellanco |
Football |
|
Fall 2012 |
|
|
Winter 2007-08 |
|
|
Brittany Snider |
Volleyball |
|
Brett Bartlett |
Basketball |
|
Donnie Dottei |
Football |
|
Fall 2007 |
|
|
Spring 2012 |
|
|
Lynsey Warren |
Volleyball |
|
Emlyn Knerem |
Softball |
|
Vince Cashdollar |
Football |
|
Erin Misheff |
Golf |
|
|
|
|
Garrett Grey |
Outdoor Track & Field |
|
|
|
AU
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