Athletes Bring AU to the World Stage

2022 WORLD GOLD & BRONZE MEDALIST Men’s 4x400 Relay | Men’s 400M Hurdles 2022 WORLD CHAMPION Women’s Pole Vault

Behind incredible performances from Trevor Bassitt ’21 and Katie Nageotte ’13, Ashland University out-medaled entire countries at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

At July’s outdoor worlds meet, held in Eugene, Ore., the Ashland alumni duo combined for three medals, with Bassitt collecting two in the 400-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay and Nageotte earning one in the pole vault.

Nageotte matched her 2021 Summer Olympics gold medal by again finishing first among the world’s best in the pole vault. She rose to the occasion again, clearing 4.85 meters (15 feet, 11 inches) for her best mark of the year and equaling the best vault in the world this season. Using a short approach, she cleared the height on her first attempt with ease to edge Team USA teammate and training partner Sandi Morris, who needed two tries, for top honors.

“This year has been a struggle to say the least,” Nageotte told reporters referencing a tight Achilles tendon on her take-off leg among other setbacks. “To come out on top … is really special.”

Bassitt qualified for the 400 hurdles finals in impressive fashion and then turned in an epic performance. He entered the home stretch (last 100 meters) in sixth-place and kicked it into high gear, passing three of his competitors, including France’s Wilfried Happio, at the line by two-hundredths of a second, for the bronze medal. His time of 47.39 was a personal best.

“I knew it was close. When I finally saw my name pop up, it was unbelievable,” he said. “I mean, obviously, I got third, but I feel like in an event like the 400-meters hurdles in the World Championships, if you get on the podium, there’s no losing. It’s a special thing.”

Turns out Bassitt was not done. He stuck around the meet and the coaches called him to be part of the 4x400 team. He anchored the prelims race and ran a 45.29 leg in helping Team USA to the top qualifying time of 2:58.96. While Bassitt wasn’t part of the finals team, which won by finishing in 2:56.17, he was still awarded a gold medal.

At the indoor worlds in Serbia in March, Nageotte took silver in the pole vault at 4.75 meters (15 feet, 7 inches) and Bassitt matched her with a silver in the 400 meters (45.05). Those five combined world medals were as many or more than Australia (five), Belgium (five), Canada (five), Brazil (four), Japan (four), Italy (four), Norway (four), Nigeria (three), Germany (two) and Peru (two), among others.

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It wasn’t always easy to manage the high expectations Renee shouldered as she went after her academic and athletic pursuits. Like her siblings, though, she attributes the ability to balance everything to the many mentors at AU. “Thanks to … (professors) Dee Gregory, Bob Cyders, (coaches) Robyn Fralick and Kari Pickens, I was able to be successful both in the classroom and on the basketball court. These individuals saw the good, bad and the ugly as a young collegiate athlete that was juggling learning to be an educator during the day to leading the best team in the nation in the evenings. I learned that communication, collaboration, respect and trust are key areas that have set me up for success,” she said.

Today, Renee is a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Ashland City Schools who already added an M.Ed. to her résumé and looks forward to continue giving back to the community that has supported her so much.

Anna Stimpert ’22, like Jake, Troy and Renee, earned a bachelor’s degree in education and already has started her teaching career in seventh-grade science at Crestview Middle School. The youngest of the family joked they “saved the best for last,” but on a more serious note succinctly summed up being the last of an amazing legacy at AU. “I just feel very proud and thankful to have (gone) to such a great

her family’s unflinching faith for Bodhi’s successful outcome. “Everything was 100% God. How (Bodhi) had the original diagnosis when the pediatrician just happened to check his abdomen when he was in for a cough and how we kept getting good news after the initial diagnosis. We know that it wasn’t just us,” she said.

“Even with my business, the phones stopped ringing the day Bodhi got the diagnosis and the phones started ringing again the week he went back to school,” she continued. “That is not me, that is God. I had my best year in real estate that year, the year I only worked for six months.”

With life having returned to normal, Josh and Jen became co-owners of McConnell Real Estate Partners. They offer concierge real estate services to buyers, sellers and investors, with properties ranging from multi-family investments to multi-million-dollar homes on some of the most beautiful beaches throughout the Charleston area. Jen is the broker-in-charge, overseeing all the agents while continuing to work with clients as well, and Josh’s expertise lies on the finance and real estate investment side.

The motivation for their business changed, though. It wasn’t simply an opportunity to combine and explore their passions anymore, but a calling. With Bodhi and those nerve-racking five long months of appointments and trips back and forth to MUSC forever etched in their minds, now a portion of every commission their agency school, along with my six siblings. Ashland will forever be home and it will always hold a special place in (our) hearts,” she said.

When Anna and Renee crossed the commencement stage this May to receive their degrees, it marked the near end of an amazing run (Anna is working toward an M.Ed. still). A run that saw at least one member of the Stimpert family, and most of the time two and sometimes even three, enrolled at AU. The Stimpert children explored their personal academic and career interests and grew as individuals culturally and spiritually, all while still being close enough to home to reconnect with family whenever they desired.

“Kate started the ball rolling and the others just fell in line. They saw Kate had a great experience,” said Mary. “They all had good experiences, great teachers, great coaches. Many professors took a personal interest in them, offered constant encouragement. AU really opened doors for each of them.”

While there are many families who share a legacy story at Ashland University, nothing quite compares to the seven Stimperts sticking together for a decade at AU.

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makes goes toward pediatric cancer research that is being done by his oncologist. Over the past two years, their brokerage has donated just over $75,000 to pediatric cancer research. As a way to raise additional funding for Dr. Kraveka’s research lab, the McConnell’s also formed a nonprofit—the McConnell Foundation. Quite simply, they want to help find cures to fight pediatric cancer, so other families can experience the same miracle they did.

The McConnell Foundation hosted its first event, a black-tie gala in June of this year and raised $44,000 that night. That brings the McConnell’s total donation to pediatric cancer research to about $120,000 in a short two-and-a-half-year span. “We are excited about the momentum we have with the foundation and will continue to donate to pediatric cancer research through the brokerage as well,” she said.

McConnell’s persistence, something she first embraced under Dr. Lewis at AU, has not only led her to an impressive career, but down a path to become a budding philanthropist.

5 Hugh Howard Media Relations and Social Media Manager