After finishing near the top of the field in the preliminaries at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, Ronnie Ash returned to take on the event finals on Saturday evening and claim his first national crown.

Ash finished the 60m hurdles in a personal best time of 7.63, coming in first at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium at Texas A&M University. His time also makes a new mark as a new school record for Bethune-Cookman, in addition to making a new facility record at Gilliam ITS. Ash is also Head Coach Garfield Ellenwood's first national champion at Bethune-Cookman.

Coach Ellenwood feels that this outcome is not only a sign of the outstanding potential in Ash's future, but also of the direction of the program. "It is a blessing from the Lord that we have made these strides in such a short period of time," Ellenwood commented. "My staff and I are working diligently to make B-CU a force on the NCAA Division I level. I appreciate the support that teachers and support staff have given us. We feel this is just the beginning of a legacy for B-CU Track & Field!"

In addition to becoming the 2009 NCAA National Champion in the 60m hurdles, Ash was also named as an All-American by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. This is the second time that he has been on the All-American list in his young career at the collegiate level.

This meet wraps up the final competition for the Wildcats in indoor competition. Outdoor competition for the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman begins this month.