FOREST, Va. --- Spring sports have been extraordinarily successful for the ODAC and its member schools in recent seasons, lending to a lot of excitement as the weather turns warmer in the final third of the academic year. That was true of the 2020 campaign as well before competition was halted due to the climate surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, some of the ODAC's best teams and student-athletes did take to their respective arenas and gave us a glimpse of what could have been an outstanding season.

In this installment of a series of season wrap-up features designed at recognizing some of those early achievements in the conference's spring sports, we take a look at the ODAC's women's track & field programs.

In addition to the sections below showcasing a conference-wide view of the sport, wrap-ups and features from our member schools will be included to provide a more in-depth perspective for each program. The school features are posted at the bottom of this release and will be included as they become available.

ODAC OVERVIEW

The 2020 outdoor track & field season was brought to a halt before it opened as the first meets were slated for the days following the suspension of competition in March. That included the cancellation of the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships. For the sections below, we take stock of the accomplishments of the each of the league's programs thru the indoor season to get a sense of what we could have expected should the outdoor campaign have been conducted. The "track & field rating index" scores produced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) from the indoor season will be referenced for each program and are linked to their posted ranking.

BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 397.82 points (4th of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | Calista Ariel (18), English Jackson (18), Kacee Hooker (14)
Bridgewater College has finished first or second in each of the past six ODAC outdoor championship meets dating back to 2014, and despite a fourth-place ODAC indoor finish, the Eagles boast some of the league's top talent that were focused on continuing that streak. Seniors Calista Ariel, Felicia Clements, and English Jackson each had qualified for the NCAA indoor championships before they were canceled. The trio also combined for five of the Eagles' seven performances that earned ratings of 20 or more points by the USTFCCA. Ariel tops BC's chart with a 24.61-point rating, the second-highest mark in an individual event for any athlete in the ODAC. She did that by posting a time of 9:56.13 in the 3K at the Tufts Final Qualifier. She won that same event at the ODAC indoor meet for a second straight year. Ariel also rated at 20.54 points in the mile run (5:16.83) at the Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational hosted by Shenandoah. Clements cleared 1.67 meters in the high jump in the same meet for a 23.42 rating. Jackson earned 22.94 and 20.31 ratings in the 5K (17:26.94) at the Tufts Final Qualifier and in the ODAC 3K (10:23.67). She won and set the ODAC meet record in the 5K (17:35.81), earning ODAC Track Athlete of the Meet honors. Sydney Moseley posted ratings of 21.05 points in the weight throw (14.52m) at VMI and 20.89 points in the ODAC shot put (12.17m). Kacee Hooker earned a lot of points for Bridgewater at indoor ODACs in placing fourth in the 200-meter (26.73s) and 400-meter (1:01.84) dashes and fifth in the 60-meter (8.11s) dash.

EASTERN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 87.11 points (8th of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | Ashlyn Eby (5)
Eastern Mennonite University may have only accounted for seven points on the ledger at the ODAC indoor meet, but several athletes put together solid seasons. Ashlyn Eby's fourth place finish in the 60-meter hurdles at the ODAC championships was EMU's top-rated performance of the season (13.44 points) and the fifth-best 60-hurdles rating in the league. Tahira Bakare was strong in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes with ratings of 11.25 and 10.97, respectively. Cor'shauna Cunningham was making strides in the shot put with a heave of 11.14 meters at the Kaye & JJ Smith Invitational for a 10.18 mark. Jordan Jones was the Royals' top high jumper (5.77 rating) and participated in both indoor relays.

EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 6.85 points (10th of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | N/A
Emory & Henry College was in the midst of its second season of collegiate track & field and building up its roster. The throws are where both the Wasps' women's and men's programs have made the biggest strides. Lorin Zehr posted the Wasps highest rating as her toss of 12.56 meters in the weight throw at VMI netted a 4.65 rating. Zehr also rated out at 1.64 points with a heave of 9.68 meters in the shot put at the Noke Elite Meet. Yasmin Thorpe will continue to build on solid showings in the sprints, which included a 30.11-second mark in the 60-meter dash and 1:10.67 in the 400-meter dash at the Coastal Carolina Invitational.

GUILFORD COLLEGE

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 18.78 points (9th of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | N/A
Guilford College was looking forward to the spring season to continue the retooling of its roster. Several first-year athletes showed promise with Julia Taylor leading the way with a team-best rating in the 400-meter dash (4.80) after posting a time of 1:02.99 at the ODAC championships. Classmates Emily Winder in the 5K (2.49 rating at 20:14.76), Shelice Alverez in the 60-meter dash (1.20 rating at 8.38s), and Khaira Bolden in the 60-meter hurdles (1.03 rating at 10.57s) also put together solid winter seasons. Micheleigh Higgins looks to take over in the throws for the Quakers.

HOLLINS UNIVERSITY

Hollins University was embarking on its first season of collegiate track & field as HU participated in a limited schedule indoors in addition to the 2020 ODAC Championships. The squad picked up its first points as a program in the 4x400-meter and distance medley relays. Kacie Shifflett, who was a member of the distance medley squad, was the highest finisher at the ODAC indoor championships as she slotted 16th in the mile run (6:45.11).

UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 554.84 points (2nd of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | Maya Lacy (21), Sammi Woods (15), Zoe Scales (14)
The University of Lynchburg's return to the top of the ODAC spring championship ledger has the Hornets challenging for the most titles in league history. Lynchburg, winners of the 2018 and 2019 outdoor team titles, have hoisted 10 total pieces of outdoor hardware. Roanoke leads the list with 11 crowns. The Hornets' championship haul continued indoors in 2020 with a 5.5-point win over Washington and Lee. Maya Lacy, Sammi Woods, and  Jessica Cammarata each won individual events. Woods, who won the ODAC shot put with a heave of 12.71 meters, bettered that mark at the Keydet Invitational. She tossed the apparatus 13.13 meters to earn the Hornets highest USTFCCCA event rating at 24.57 points. That is one of five 20-plus individual event ratings for Lynchburg. Cammarata won the ODAC 400-meter dash in 59.90 seconds for a 23.49 rating, while Lacy claimed the 60-meter hurdles title in 8.90 seconds for a 23.45 mark. That time qualified her for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Zoe Scales and Vuronika Barnes also eclipsed 20 points. Scales rated at 20.78 points in the ODAC triple jump (11.13m), while Barnes' rating of 20.54 followed up Cammarata in the 400-dash (1:00.83).

ODAC/VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU INSURANCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Bridgewater senior Calista Ariel put together one of the most stellar careers in ODAC history both in and out of her athletic arenas. In the classroom, the Fredericksburg, Va. native maintains a 3.917 grade point average as a health and exercise science major. She has now won an ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year award three times as she adds the 2020 outdoor honor to her 2020 indoor and 2019 cross country accolades. Ariel has earned distinction as Academic All-District by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and appeared each semester on the Bridgewater Dean's List. She will soon be a four-time Academic All-ODAC honoree. Ariel has completed internships with the Peace Corps as well as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for WIC (Women, Infant, and Children).

The 2020 USTFCCCA South/Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year was one of five women and nine overall ODAC athletes to qualify for the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in March before the event was cancelled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Ariel qualified in the 3,000-meter run, for which she earned South/Southeast All-Region status along with the 5,000-meter and mile runs.

Overall, Ariel is a 13-time All-ODAC honoree. She was a first team finisher in cross country from 2017-19 including the 2018 ODAC individual crown. Her remaining 10 honors came via her indoor and outdoor track exploits. She won events seven times including the outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase (2018 and 2019), the indoor 3K (2019 and 2020), the indoor and outdoor 5K events (both in 2019), and 1,500-meter run (2019). Ariel's victory in the 2019 steeplechase set a new ODAC championship record at 11:11.53, which she then eclipsed about three weeks later for a new ODAC overall record time of 10:50.41.

In addition to qualifying for the 3K at the 2020 NCAA indoor championships, Ariel competed four times on the national stage. Twice she took part in the cross country national championships, finishing as high as 93rd overall in 2018. At the 2019 indoor championships, Ariel set a new Bridgewater record in the 3K at 9:56.30 to qualify for the finals. She placed 11th at 10:09.90, just outside of All-America territory. She didn't have to wait long for that All-American honor as she finished seventh overall in the steeplechase at the 2019 outdoor meet, posting times of 10:53.05 in the prelims and 11:03.95 in the finals.

RANDOLPH COLLEGE

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 131.99 points (6th of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | Meghan Chaffins (6), Jordan Sheets (4), Kayanna Barrington (1.5)
Randolph College was under new leadership in 2019-20 with former WildCat standout Ryan Purrington taking over the reins. Meghan Chaffins was solid this winter with three of the WildCats top-four rated individual marks by the USTFCCCA. She had a team-best rating of 13.35 points after placing fourth in the ODAC high jump (1.53m), just ahead of Jordan Sheets rating of 13.26 for placing fifth in the ODAC 400-meter dash (1:02.27). Chaffins along with Taja Hunley and Keyanna Barrington would have competed in vertical and horizontal jumps outdoors. One to watch in the distance events would have been Jacqueline Clardy-Josephs, who also enjoyed a strong first-season in cross country last fall, earning All-ODAC Second Team honors.

ROANOKE COLLEGE

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 455.23 points (3rd of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | Alison Moreau (18), Claire Aurand (16), Hannah Koepfinger (12)
While Roanoke College sits atop the all-time ODAC women's outdoor titles list with 11 trophies, the Maroons have finished third each of the past four conference meets since hoisting the last of four straight league prizes in 2015. Of all the high-point competitors during the indoor season, thrower Jayna Jean-Jules posted the highest USTFCCCA rating in the league at 24.63 points following her ODAC weight throw winning toss of 15.51 meters. It also marked the third straight season she won the event. Hannah Koepfinger had the highest rating in the ODAC for any one single athlete at 34.22 points as she competed in the pentathlon at the Shenandoah Final Qualifier. That's the same meet where Lindsey Baxter cleared 3.44 meters in the pole vault to rate at 24.20 points. Claire Aurand also cracked 20 points (20.90) in placing second in the ODAC 60-meter dash. Fellow sprinter Alison Moreau had three ratings of 16.38 points or better.

SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 187.81 points (5th of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | Natalie Lepri (9), Emily Miller (9), Rebecca Doran (8)
Shenandoah University has hovered in the middle of the pack in ODAC outdoor meets thru its first seven seasons in the league, finishing as high as fourth in 2016. The Hornets were in that area again this winter, placing fifth overall at ODACs with potential to move up come the outdoor season. Distance runner Emily Miller posted three events with double-digit USTFCCCA ratings, including a 16.17-point performance in the ODAC mile run (5:15.58). Thrower Natalie Lepri owns SU's best single-event rating at 18.33 points in the ODAC weight throw (14.07 meters). Jamie Ryan also reached double figures (11.38) by tossing the weight 13.28 meters at the VMI Winter Relays. Delia Mack was solid in the pentathlon in collecting 2,019 event points on the way to a 16.47 USTFCCCA rating at the Keydet Invitational.

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 119.77 points (7th of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | Jaylyn Lane (28)
Virginia Wesleyan University multi-event standout Jaylyn Lane shined at the ODAC indoor championships as she collected the most overall points (28) and won two events on the way to being named ODAC Field Athlete of the Meet. She set new ODAC overall and meet records in the triple jump at 11.69 meters, earning her VWU's top USTFCCCA rating at 24.55 points. That performance also qualified her for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Lane posted the Marlins top-four USTFCCCA rated performances -- 23.90 in the ODAC long jump (5.27m), 23.08 in the ODAC 60-meter dash (7.89s), and 20.76 in the 200-meter dash (26.30s) at the Holiday Open. She is the only ODAC competitor with four 20-plus point ratings. Others to watch at VWU are Jayla Cross and Niya Crocker in the sprints as well as Mariama Diallo in the throws.

WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY

USTFCCCA ODAC Ranking | 632.14 points (1st of 10 teams)
2020 Indoor Top-3 Point Leaders | Alexa Castellana (23), Nikki Doherty (18), Anne Cunningham (15)
Washington and Lee University may have come up 5.5 points shy of Lynchburg for the ODAC indoor championship, but the evidence of the Generals' quality is clear. Nine different indivdual event finishes earned a USTFCCCA rating of 20 points or better, led by Anne Cunningham's 2:19.36 time in the 800-meter run at JDL towards a team-best 24.43-point rating. She won the same event (2:25.34) at the ODAC championships. Nikki Doherty posted a 23.33 rating in winning the ODAC 200-meter dash (26.08) as well as a 20.77 rating in the 60-meter hurdles (9.08s) at the Noke Elite Meet. Sara Stephenson, the ODAC cross country champion, also had a pair of 20-plus rated performances at 23.09 in the mile run (5:14.32) at the Noke Elite Meet and 20.29 in the 5K (17:51.51) at VMI. She earned ODAC Rookie of the Year laurels after placing second in the mile run (5:18.52) and third in the 3K (10:31.94). Avery Schiffman, who won the ODAC mile (5:17.59 - 18.38 rating), earned a 22.20 rating in the 800-meter run (2:19.96) at JDL. Murfee Jones won the ODAC pole vault at 3.41 meters for a 21.82 rating. Alexa Castellana did the same in the high jump at 1.64 meters for a 20.94 mark.

Click one of the graphics below to be taken to that school's season wrap-up feature. These features will be added as our members complete them.

For more on ODAC women's track & field, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and following @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.