2021-22 Indoor Track Athletes of the Week
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Aniya Seward, Lynchburg, So., Hurdles/Jumps
February 22, 2022Seward, a sophomore from Ebony, Va., put together a strong showing in both track and field events at the Virginia Tech Challenge. In a field largely composed of Division I competitors, Seward finished 11th overall in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.92 seconds. That is the second-fast mark in Lynchburg history and ranks #1 in the ODAC this season. It is also rated 17th in NCAA Division III. Seward also competed in the triple jump, where she finished eighth overall at 11.67 meters (38-3.50). That mark is just off her season-best leap of 11.69 meters, which is second in the ODAC and ranks 12th in the country. -
Tiffany McLaughlin, Hollins, Fy., Jumps
February 22, 2022McLaughlin, a first-year from Salem, Va., competed in a pair of jumps at the JDL DMR Invitational hosted by JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C. McLaughlin tightened her grip on the top mark in the ODAC in the high jump as she finished second overall in a mixed field of Division I and III athletes. Her leap of 1.60 meters (5-3.00) is a new Hollins program record and is new inches higher than the next closest competitor in the conference. That clearance also ranks 50th in Division III. McLaughlin also competed in the long jump and finished 15th overall at 4.39 meters (14-5.00) to mark her collegiate-best in the event.
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Xavier O'Brien, Roanoke, Sr., Hurdles
February 22, 2022O'Brien, a senior from Metuchen, N.J., put his name in the Roanoke record books following a strong showing at the Virginia Tech Challenge over the weekend. O'Brien competed in an otherwise all Division I athlete field in the 60-meter hurdles. He finished fifth in the prelims with a new school-record time of 8.34 seconds and then matched that mark in the finals to again place fifth. He ranks second in the event in the ODAC and 27th in NCAA Division III.
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Joe O'Connor, Washington and Lee, Sr., Jumps
February 22, 2022O'Connor, a senior from Henrico, Va., took the record he set last week in the pole vault and added bold typeface to his name by setting it against as part of his showing at the JDL DMR Invitational hosted by JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C. O'Connor cleared 5.10 meters (16-8.75) to win the event and reset the ODAC and Washington and Lee records. That height is the highest of any clear pole vault mark in league history, indoors or outdoors. O'Connor also took to the high jump and placed third at 1.85 meters (6-0.75). That is the second-best mark in the ODAC and third time he has achieved it this season.
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Katelyn Gamble, Washington and Lee, So., Sprints
February 15, 2022Gamble, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, continued her dominance in the sprints with three of the fastest times in the 60-meter dash in the ODAC this season at the VMI Winter Classic. Gamble reset her own Washington and Lee record (7.80) twice and matched it once in the event. In the prelims, she snapped it the first time at 7.71 seconds to place second behind only Western Carolina's Makaila McIntyre (7.68). Gamble then broke her record again in winning her semifinal heat a 7.63 seconds. In the finals, she topped the all-divisions field by matching her record at 7.63 seconds. That time slots first in the ODAC second charts and is tied for second in NCAA Division III, just 0.03 seconds off the top mark established on February 4 by Maddie Moran from Nebraska Wesleyan.
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Kaitlin Measell, Shenandoah, So., Jumps/Sprints
February 15, 2022Measell, a sophomore from Greencastle, Pa., competed in three events at the VMI Classic and went to the top of the ODAC charts in one of those disciplines. Measell set a personal collegiate indoor-best and snapped the Shenandoah record in the long jump by placing seventh overall at 5.45 meters (17-10.75). That leap is #1 in the ODAC and ranks 30th in NCAA Division III. Measell competed twice on the track, placing 26th in the 60-meter dash at 8.24 seconds and 26th in the 200-meter dash in 27.30 seconds.
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Max Spark, Lynchburg, Sr., Distance
February 15, 2022Sparks, a senior from Canton, Conn., put his name on a pair of ODAC records after a stellar showing at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational hosted by Boston University. Sparks finished 70th overall in an all Division's field of competitors in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:15.57. That time and his converted time (for ODAC and NCAA rankings) of 8:21.32 both reset the ODAC record in the event, previously established by former Bridgewater standout Luke Sohl at 8:28.71 in 2014. That converted time tops the ODAC seasonal chart and ranks 17th in NCAA Division III. Sparks also joined his teammates in crushing the ODAC distance medley relay standard. Sparks, who ran the lead-off leg, was joined by Kyle Lauffenberger, Tor Hotung-Davidsen, and Sam Llaneza in finishing seventh overall at 9:55.08. That mark and the squad's converted time of 10:03.18 both eclipse the former league record of 10:04.07 set by Bridgewater in 2015. That time is #1 in the ODAC and slots seventh in the country.
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Joe O'Connor, Washington and Lee, Sr., Pole Vault
February 15, 2022O'Connor, a senior from Henrico, Va., etched his name in the ODAC records in the pole vault, an event record he has been ever so close to snapping since he began competing at Washington and Lee. O'Connor topped a field of 14 competitors in the event at the VMI Winter Classic by becoming the first man in ODAC history to eclipse 5.00 meters (16-4.75) in the indoor poll vault. Only one other competitor has done it outdoors with former Lynchburg standout Andy Rollins holding the outdoor league record at 5.02 meters. O'Connor's mark resets his own W&L program record and eclipses the previous ODAC benchmark of 4.90 meters set by Lynchburg's James Bell in 2009. O'Connor is now tied for fourth in NCAA Division III in the event.
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Katelyn Gamble, Washington and Lee, So.
February 08, 2022Gamble, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, is now the owner of the ODAC's top times in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes following a strong outing at the Joe LaRocco Invitational hosted by Roanoke College. Gamble, who previously established the top-time in the conference in the 60-meter dash (7.80) earlier this season, bested a field of 22 competitors to win the 200-meter dash in 26.14 seconds. That time is the fastest in the league this season and ranks 25th in NCAA Division III. It is also the third quickest mark in W&L program history. Gamble also competed in the long jump, placing third in the event in 4.97 meters (16-3.75).
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Jaylyn Lane, Virginia Wesleyan, Sr.
February 08, 2022Lane, a senior from Portsmouth, Va., continued her upward trend towards the top of the conference in multiple field and track events following an excellent day at the Richard Drake Invitational hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University. Lane finished fourth overall in the long jump at 5.41 meters (17-9.00), breaking the VWU record set by Rolonda Taylor (5.33m) at the 2018 ODAC Championships. Lane's leap is now first in the ODAC and ranks 26th in NCAA Division III. She also owns the top mark in the triple jump (11.90m), setting the ODAC record in that event earlier this year. Lane also competed in the 60-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay this weekend. She finished 14th in the dash at 8.08 seconds. She and her teammates finished fourth in the relay at 4:20.18.
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Sam Llaneza, Lynchburg, So.
February 08, 2022Llaneza, a sophomore from Bristow, Va., set new ODAC and Lynchburg records in the mile run while competing at the Liberty Open over the weekend. Llaneza bested a field of 43 competitors with a time of 4:10.02, resetting the conference record set by Eastern Mennonite's Isaac Alderfer (4:11.91) last season. For ODAC and NCAA season rankings, Llaneza's time converts to 4:13.22 for track size. His converted time not only tops the league charts, but ranks 14th in Division III.
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Geni Roberts, Virginia Wesleyan, Jr.
February 08, 2022Roberts, a junior from Ridgely, Md., continues to perform at a high national-caliber level following a stellar showing at the Richard Drake Invitational hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University. Roberts improved upon is already top ODAC in the triple jump, this time leaping out to 14.63 meters (48-0.00) to win the event and set a new Marlins record. That mark ranks ninth in NCAA Division III and is the best in the ODAC by nearly a meter. Roberts also won the long jump with a distance of 7.19 meters (23-7.25). While not quite his 7.26-meter ODAC-best jump from earlier this season, Roberts' jump this weekend is still better than any other conference competitor this year.
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Stephanie Burnett, Lynchburg, Gr., Distance
February 01, 2022Burnett, a graduate student from Midlothian, Va., put her best foot forward with a nationally-ranked showing in the 5,000-meter at the Steemer Showcase hosted by Wittenberg University. Burnett posted a time of 17:46.86 to top a 5K field of 26 competitors. When converted for ODAC and NCAA performance list consideration,* her time of 17:55.08 tops the conference chart by more than 34 seconds and ranks 20th in NCAA Division III. * The Steemer Showcase was competed on a 300-meter loop, which requires conversion to a standard 200-meter loop for ODAC rankings and for NCAA rankings this season. The NCAA championship will be competed on a flat 200-meter loop.
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Hannah Koepfinger, Roanoke, Sr., Pentathlon
February 01, 2022Koepfinger, a senior from King George, Va., put together a strong day in the pentathlon at the VMI Winter Relays, setting new personal-best marks in four of the five events including one ODAC season-best showing. Koepfinger finished fourth overall in the pentathlon with 2,910 points. That included a fourth place finish in the long jump with an ODAC season-best leap of 5.27 meters (17-3.50). That was a new personal-best jump as well, along with her marks in the 60-meter hurdles, high jump, and shot put. She placed fourth in the hurdles at 9.69 seconds, while chiming in seventh in the high jump at 1.31 meters (4-3.50) and sixth in the shot put at 8.27 meters (27-1.75). Koepfinger finished second in the 800-meter run in 2:31.91.
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Tor Hotung-Davidsen, Lynchburg, So., Mid-Distance
February 01, 2022Hotung-Davidsen, a sophomore from Oakton, Va., blistered in the 800-meter run at the Steemer Showcase hosted by Wittenberg University. Hotung-Davidsen topped a field of 53 runners with a time of 1:52.41. When converted for ODAC and NCAA performance list consideration,* his time of 1:54.02 tops the conference charts by nearly a second and ranks sixth in NCAA Division III. * The Steemer Showcase was competed on a 300-meter loop, which requires conversion to a standard 200-meter loop for ODAC rankings and for NCAA rankings this season. The NCAA championship will be competed on a flat 200-meter loop.
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Joe O'Connor, Washington and Lee, Sr., Pole Vault/Jumps/Hurdles
February 01, 2022O'Connor, a senior from Henrico, Va., competed in three events and posted three top-10 finishes including an event victory at the VMI Winter Relays over the weekend. O'Connor tied for first in the pole vault at 4.80 meters (15-9.00), which is second in the ODAC and trails only his previous season-best nationally seventh-ranked mark of 4.84 meters (15-10.50). O'Connor added an eighth place showing in the high jump at 1.85 meters (6-0.75), which ties for for the best in the conference along with his previous season-high and that of Cee Jay Williams from Lynchburg. O'Connor took to the track in the 60-meter hurdles. He posted a time of 8.63 seconds to qualify for the finals, and then placed seventh overall at 8.78 seconds. He already ranks third in the ODAC in that event at 8.55 seconds from a previous competition.
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Katelyn Gamble, Washington and Lee, Fy., Sprints/Jumps
January 25, 2022Gamble, a first-year from Houston, Texas, earns her second weekly award of the season after a record-tying performance at the Finn Pincus Invitational hosted by Roanoke College. Gamble, who won the first track honor of the season in December, won all three heats of the 60-meter dash. She claimed the preliminaries at 7.81 seconds and matched her own Washington and Lee record with a 7.80 sprint in the semifinals. She then won the final at 7.86 seconds. Gamble's best time of 7.80 seconds, which she also posted in December, ranks first in the ODAC and fourth in NCAA Division III. She also competed in the long jump, placing 6th at 4.83 meters (15-10.25).
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Jaylyn Lane, Virginia Wesleyan, Jr., Jumps/Sprints
January 25, 2022Lane, a junior from Portsmouth, Va., earns her second straight ODAC weekly honor with a record-breaking outing at the Finn Pincus Invitational hosted by Roanoke College. Lane reset her own Virginia Wesleyan and ODAC records in the triple jump. The previous conference record of 11.69 meters (38-4.25) was originally set by Lane at the 2020 ODAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Lynchburg's Aniya Seward matched that mark in December. Lane retook sole possession of the benchmark this past weekend as she posted a winning leap of 11.90 meters (39-0.50), making her the first woman in ODAC history to crack 39-feet in the indoor triple jump. Her new mark ranks third in NCAA Division III. Lane also participated in the Marlins winning 4x400-meter relay with a time of 4:22.07. That effort, with teammates Niya Crocker, Aanykka Jackson, and Casey Stedman, ranks second in the ODAC.
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Landry Moffo, Virginia Wesleyan, Sr., Hurdles
January 25, 2022Moffo, a senior from Stafford, Va., picks up his second straight weekly award after another record breaking performance at the Finn Pincus Invitational hosted by Roanoke College. Moffo competed in the 60-meter hurdles and won both his preliminary heat and the finals race. He posted a time of 8.42 seconds in the prelims, and then reset his own Virginia Wesleyan record with a time of 8.35 seconds. That was 0.01 seconds quicker than his time the previous week at the Mondo College Invitational. Moffo's new time maintains his hold on the ODAC's top placement and ranks 16th in NCAA Division III.
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Geni Roberts, Virginia Wesleyan, Jr., Jumps
January 25, 2022Roberts, a junior from Ridley, Md., picks up his second straight ODAC weekly honor after a record-breaking performance at the Finn Pincus Invitational hosted by Roanoke College. Roberts improved upon his already impressive marks in the long and triple jumps, breaking both of his own school records in the process. He won the long jump in 7.26 meters (23-10.00), strengthening his hold on the ODAC's top mark and moving up to fifth on the NCAA Division III performance chart. He occupies the fifth spot in the country in the triple jump as well. He posted a mark of 14.62 meters (47-11.75), again tightening his hold on the league's #1 position.
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Lauren Massey, Lynchburg, So., Distance
January 18, 2022Massey, a sophomore from Glen Allen, Va., collected her first collegiate victory at the VMI Team Challenge hosted at VMI's Corp Physical Training Facility. Massey defeated competitors from several mid-major Division I institutions to win the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:39.69, which slots fourth on Lynchburg's all-time charts. Due to VMI's facility featuring a banked track, Massey's time must be converted to flat track equivalencies for ODAC and NCAA rankings. Her converted time of 10:45.20 sits #2 in the ODAC and ranks 47th in Division III.
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Jaylyn Lane, Virginia Wesleyan, Jr., Jumps/Sprints
January 18, 2022Lane, a junior from Portsmouth, Va., went to work in both field and track events at the Mondo College Invitational hosted by JDL Fast Track. Lane earned a second place overall finish as the top Division III competitor in the triple jump with a leap of 11.52 meters (37-9.50). That mark ranks second in the ODAC and 11th in the country. Lane saw her ODAC record in the event of 11.69 meters tied by Lynchburg's Aniya Seward in December, which currently serves as the conference's best mark. Lane also competed in the 60-yard dash at JDL. In qualifying, she posted the ODAC's fourth-best time of 8.16 seconds to finish third.
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Landry Moffo, Virginia Wesleyan, Sr., Hurdles/Sprints
January 18, 2022Moffo, a senior from Stafford, Va., kicked off the 2022 portion of Virginia Wesleyan's schedule with a record-breaking performance at the Mondo College Invitational hosted by JDL Fast Track. Moffo earned a third place finish in the 60-meter hurdles against non-Division III competition with a time of 8.49 seconds. While that was 0.09 seconds off his previous ODAC season-best time of 8.40 seconds from December, it was still better than the next best time in the conference so far in 2021-22. In the preliminaries, Moffo qualified for the finals by breaking his own Marlins record with a time of 8.36 seconds. That is the new #1 time in the league and ranks 13th in Division III. Moffo also competed in the 200-meter dash, finishing 17th at 0:23.85.
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Geni Roberts, Virginia Wesleyan, Jr., Jumps
January 18, 2022Roberts, a junior from Ridley, Md., opened the 2022 calendar year with a pair of nationally top-seven or better rated jumps at the Mondo College Invitational hosted by JDL Fast Track. Roberts won the long jump with a leap of 7.09 meters (23-3.25). That mark is #1 in the ODAC by nearly a foot and ranks seventh in NCAA Division III. Roberts also finished third in the triple jump at 14.14 meters (46-4.75). He is the only leader in that event by almost two feet and ranks sixth in the country.
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Madison Gray, Shenandoah, Fy., Mid-Distance
January 11, 2022Gray, a first-year from Inwood, W.Va., made the most of her first collegiate competition by winning one individual event and helping the Hornets to a pair of relay victories at the Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational hosted by Shenandoah University. Gray won the 800-meter dash with a 2:30.29. That time tops the ODAC charts and sits 28th in NCAA Division III this season. Gray also anchored SU's winning teams in the 4x400-meter and 4x800-meter relays. The Hornets posted times of 4:24.38 and 10:25.05, respectively. Their 4x400m time sits third in the conference.
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Kiara Felston, Shenandoah, Jr., Throws
January 11, 2022Felston, junior from Dover, Pa., put together a pair of strong throwing performances at the Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational hosted by Shenandoah University to open the 2022 calendar year. Felston finished second overall in both the shot put and the weight throw. She heaved the shot 10.30 meters (33-9.50), which is the fifth-best time in the ODAC this season. She tossed the weight 12.85 meters (42-2.00), which is second in the conference only to her previous season-best throw (13.66m) set at the Bast-Cregger Invitational in December.
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William Crowder, Shenandoah, So., Sprints
January 11, 2022Crowder, a sophomore from Winchester, Va., was the fastest down the line twice at the calendar year-opening Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational hosted by Shenandoah University. Crowder won both his preliminary heat and the finals heat of the 60-meter dash and did so both times with the top time in the ODAC. In the preliminaries, he ran 6.98 seconds, which was the fastest time in the conference this season until he posted a mark of 6.96 seconds in the finals. That time ranks 23rd in NCAA Division III and is just 0.06 seconds off the school-record set by Elijah Morton at the 2020 ODAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
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Wyatt Schannauer, Shenandoah, Jr., Throws
January 11, 2022Schannauer, a junior from Sinking Spring, Pa., put together a strong showing in the throws at the Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational hosted by Shenandoah University. Schannauer won the shot put with a mark of 13.55 meters (44-5.50) and finished second in the weight throw at 14.40 meters (47-3.00). Both distances rank second in the ODAC. Schannauer's mark in the weight throw is a new collegiate personal-best toss at indoor meets.
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Katelyn Gamble, Washington and Lee, So., Sprints/Jumps
December 07, 2021Gamble, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, made the most of her first collegiate indoor meet by starting of the 2021-22 season with a new Washington and Lee record as part of a strong showing at the Bast-Cregger Invitational hosted by Roanoke College. Gamble finished second overall in the 60-meter dash at 7.83 seconds. It was the third time she ran the race during the meet after posting a mark of 7.85 in the preliminaries and a Generals' record 7.80 in her semifinals heat. That time, which is #1 in the ODAC and second in NCAA Division III, eclipses the previous W&L record of 7.82 seconds set by Dana Lee in 2016. Gamble also took a turn at the long jump, placing fifth overall at 5.09 meters (16-8.50). That leap ranks third in the conference and 41st in the country.
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Aniya Seward, Lynchburg, So., Jumps/Hurdles
December 07, 2021Seward, a sophomore from Ebony, Va., went record hunting to kick off the 2021-22 indoor track & field season at the Bast-Cregger Invitational hosted by Roanoke College. Seward reset the Lynchburg and tied the ODAC standard in the triple jump, winning the event at 11.69 meters (38-4.25). That tied the previous league benchmark set by current Virginia Wesleyan standout Jaylyn Lane at the 2020 ODAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Seward's mark is not only #1 in the ODAC, but ranks third in NCAA Division III in the early national tables. Seward was also highly successful on the track as she twice posted a time of 8.98 seconds to finish second overall in the 60-meter hurdles. That time leads the ODAC and sits fourth in the country.
