Richards, Hull Named Student-Athletes of the Year; Hall of Fame Inductees Honored
April 4, 2004

Over the past four years, Ashland University soccer standout Becky Richards (Akron, OH/Revere) made a name for herself as one of the nation’s top defensive players. Her game was based on keeping players from going where they wanted to go.

Sunday (Apr. 4), Richards went someplace no other AU women’s soccer player had ever ventured – to the awards stand as the Ashland University Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

Richards, a senior, is the 2004 winner of that prestigious award, which was announced on Sunday during the 20th Annual Ashland University All-Sports Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction. The 2004 Male Student-Athlete of the Year award went to record-setting football player Michael Hull (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore).

The night’s festivities also included the induction of seven new members into the AU Hall of Fame. As usual, the sports banquet was held at the John C. Myers Convocation Center. Ashland University director of athletics Bill Goldring served as the master of ceremonies.

Voting for the Student-Athlete of the Year award is done by the university’s nine-person athletic committee. Voters are instructed to consider academic and athletic prowess and community service.

Richards, the first men’s or women’s soccer player to receive a Student-Athlete of the Year award, certainly has plenty of credentials in every category. She led the Eagles to four consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and four straight trips to the NCAA playoffs. A defender who combined speed with savvy, Richards was a first team All-America in 2003 and a second team choice in 2001. She was first team all-region for four years. Richards also was a four-time All-Ohio team member and ended her career tied for first in career assists at AU. Richards was named the GLIAC defensive player of the year as a junior and senior. She served as a team captain her final two seasons.

A biology major with a 3.94 GPA, Richards has been cited as a first team College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America the past two years. She was honored as AU’s outstanding sophomore and junior in the biology department and received an American Chemical Society Award in chemistry in 2001. She’s also received the Wendling Award for Discrete Mathematics.

Richards has received summer research fellowships at Boston College and Harvard University. This coming fall, she begins a year-long internship in Washington, D.C., with the National Cancer Institute.

Hull, a junior wide receiver, has established himself as one of the most prolific receivers in AU history. He holds AU records for receptions in a game (14), season (72) and career (139). All of that and he still has a season to play. Over the last three years, Hull has become one of the GLIAC’s most productive receivers. He’s known as a sure-handed, precise route-running wideout. The career receptions record Hull broke had stood since 1972. His single-season record also broke a mark that had also been in the books since 1972. Hull’s total of 823 receiving yards in 2002 is the second-highest figure in school history. He enters his senior season fifth in career receiving yards.

The wide receiver has earned All-GLIAC second team honors each of the last two years. He’s also a regular on the GLIAC all-academic squad – earning a berth on that team the last two seasons - thanks to a 3.75 GPA. Hull is a biology major.

Hull is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society. He is also a leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at AU and is a member of the AU Honors program. Hull’s collegiate career has also included a stint with the baseball team. He was part of the 2002 team that finished fifth at the NCAA Championships.

In addition to Richards, the other nominees for the female Student-Athlete of the Year award were Adriane Blewitt (Boardman, OH) from outdoor track and field, Alanna Buurma (Willard, OH) from basketball, Erika Loomis (Conneaut, OH) from cross country, Amanda Mercer (Flushing, OH/Belmont Union Local) from indoor track and field and Josie Nelson (Prior Lake, MN/Jordan) from softball. Blewitt and Loomis have already earned their degrees from AU. Buurma and Nelson are seniors and Mercer is a sophomore.

The candidates for the men’s award, in addition to Hull, included senior Vinny Beebe (Medina, OH/Cloverleaf) from indoor track and field, Nick Cordes (Madison, OH) from outdoor track and field, senior Josh Gaub (Brunswick, OH) from baseball and senior Nate Iler (Bucyrus, OH) from cross country. Cordes is a 2003 graduate.

The Hall of Fame class of 2004 numbers Ben Dagley (Class of 1990, Wrestling), Richard Ferrari (Class of 1976, Lacrosse), Richard McKenzie (Class of 1961, Football/Basketball), Bill Overmyer (Class of 1972, Football), Doug Powell (Class of 1990, Football), Jack Rendlesham (Class of 1977, Golf) and Bobbi Pugh Weaver (Class of 1993, Volleyball).

The night included the presentation of the Eagle Forever awards. Those citations went to Dr. John Flora and Dr. John Nethers.