Generals' Cross Country Athlete Tabbed for ODAC/Farm Bureau Honor

SALEM, Va. --- Washington and Lee University cross country athlete, Robert Warneford-Thomson, is one of eight student-athletes from Old Dominion Athletic Conference member schools to earn a 2009 ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award during the fall athletic schedule.  Warneford-Thomson was tabbed from a pool of nominees by a vote of each of the conference's sports information directors.

The ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award is given to a student-athlete in each of the conference's 22 sponsored sports.  Farm Bureau Insurance of Virginia is the presenter of each of the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards, forming a partnership with the ODAC to emphasize the NCAA Division III philosophy of the complete student-athlete experience.  To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore standing and have spent at least one full academic year at the nominating institution, must maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, and must have participated in at least 50-percent of the team's events.

"I've benefitted greatly from the leadership of my captains from last year and this year that have set the example of ‘train hard and study hard and give it 100 percent' because you only have one shot," explained Warneford-Thomson in a phone interview.  "So, I was really excited to receive this award and it came completely out of the blue and I hope it will steer me to help keep my studies up."

Warneford-Thomson, a sophomore from Richmond, Virginia, has yet to declare a major in his studies, but that hasn't kept him from starring in the classroom as he boasts a 3.854 grade point average.  Both a Washington and Lee and ODAC scholar-athlete, Warneford-Thomson is an officer in the Beta Beta Beta national honor society, which added a W&L chapter just recently.

On the course, Warneford-Thomson bettered his 28^th place finish in 2008 with a 12^th place showing in this year's event, earning him All-ODAC Second Team honors.  He was the Generals' top finisher at the Oberlin Inter-Region Rumble, and placed seventh overall to help W&L to the team title at the Guilford Cross Country Festival.

When asked what it takes to be successful as a student-athlete, Warneford-Thomson explained that "it takes a lot of time, but beyond that, I think it just takes a more holistic approach to your total development.  It's really important to keep things in balance and always have an awareness of what your responsibilities are, but I will say it takes a lot of late nights in the library and whatever I need to do to keep myself healthy."

For more information about the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards, visit the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.