Wildcats freshman track & field student-athlete Ronnie Ash has been selected to represent Team USA for the 110m hurdles in this year’s NACAC under 23 Championships in Toluca, Mexico. Ash is the first student-athlete in Bethune-Cookman history to represent Team USA in the NACAC games.
The NACAC is the North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association. The event takes place every other year, and involves teams comprised of the best athletes under the age of 23 from the United States, Canada and Caribbean. Ash, as previously stated, will represent the United States of America in the 110m hurdles as one of just two (2) participants per country, per event. The Raleigh, N.C. will be one of the youngest participants in this year’s field at the age of 19.
“This is a truly a huge honor for Ronnie,” expressed B-CU head coach Garfield Ellenwood. “He worked extremely hard all season, earned All-America status for himself and the school, and now represents not only B-CU but also Team USA in the NACAC games. What a huge, huge honor for a freshman.”
Ash recently finished his first collegiate outdoor season by collecting All-America honors in the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the 110m hurdles. He collected a third-place finish behind Jason Richardson of South Carolina and possible teammate for the NACAC games?Ty Akins of Auburn. Ash was the only freshman to make it to the finals of his respected event.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to represent the United States of America,” stated Ash. “This is a proud day for me, my family and Bethune-Cookman University. I just want to represent for everyone, and continue to improve on a great freshman year that I just concluded. Once again, this is a great honor and I’m really just at a loss for words.”
B-CU coach Garfield Ellenwood continued to stress the importance of this event and what it now does for recruiting and other aspects of track & field at B-CU.
“This now puts us in the limelight, so to speak, for track & field as the school has already established a name for itself in some of our other well-respected sports. To make it simple, this continues to show the expansion of the Wildcats Track & Field program and the plans that we, as a staff, have for the future here in Daytona Beach.”
For more information on this year’s NACAC games in Toluca, Mexico, please locate your internet browser to http://www.nacac.sportcentric.com. You can also contact the B-CU Office of Sports Information at (386) 481-2206.