Teams Ready for Three-Day Event at Radford
SALEM, Va. --- A great deal of parity
amongst the ODAC schools will be showcased this weekend at the 2010
ODAC/Atlantic States Swimming Championships. The event is
slated to run from February 12-14 at Radford University's Dedmon
Aquatic Center.
Washington and Lee University won 14 of 18 events en route to
securing its 19th conference crown in the 2009
ODAC/Atlantic States Swimming Championship. The Generals
garnered three of the league's top awards last season with Lindsay
Strachan collecting ODAC Swimmer of the Year honors for the
second-straight year, Lauren Starnes securing Rookie of the Year
accolades and Kami Gardner earning the Coach of the Year
award. Randolph-Macon's Shafer Busch was tabbed the ODAC/Farm
Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The following sections break down this year's three-day affair
between the ODAC schools as well as Agnes Scott, Greensboro, The
College of Notre Dame and Salem, by discipline and individual
events. You can also access a schedule of events by clicking
the link below. For more information on all ODAC sports,
visit the ODAC on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.
ODAC Championship
Website
2010 Schedule of
Events 2009-10 ODAC
Top Times (regular season)
ODAC Team
Abbreviations
BC - Bridgewater College
E&H - Emory & Henry College
GC - Guilford College
HU - Hollins University
R-MC - Randolph-Macon College
SBC - Sweet Briar College
W&L - Washington and Lee University
INDIVIDUAL FREESTYLE EVENTS
50-YARD
FREESTYLE
2009 Event Champion: Alex Cooke,
Greensboro - 24.08
2009 ODAC Top Finisher: Julianne Miata, Washington
and Lee - 24.82 (2nd)
2010 ODAC Top Time: Sarah Simpson, Washington and
Lee - 24.84
Event Preview: This year's top time owner, Sarah
Simpson (W&L) remains poised to finish at or near the top with
her best time of the year sitting at 24.84. Simpson finished
third in last year's championship event in 25.00. A host of
new performers could easily vie for the top spot, including
Randolph-Macon's Sarah Almond and Elizabeth Buckley and Sweet
Briar's Dani Humphrey.
100-YARD
FREESTYLE
2009 Event Champion: Alex Cooke,
Greensboro - 53.16
2009 ODAC Top Finisher: Sarah Simpson, Washington
and Lee - 54.57
2010 ODAC Top Time: Sarah Simpson, Washington and
Lee - 53.98
Event Preview: Washington and Lee and
Randolph-Macon hold the top spots in this year's 100-yard freestyle
event. Sarah Simpson (W&L), Sarah Almond (R-MC) and Jenna
Worsham (W&L) finished second, third and fourth in last year's
championship and they enter this season's affair with the top three
marks (53.98, 55.99 and 56.17, respectively). Throw Izzy
Brassfield (W&L) and Elizabeth Buckley (R-MC) into the mix and
this sprint will be an exciting one.
200-YARD
FREESTYLE
2009 Event Champion: Lauren
Starnes, Washington and Lee - 1:57.63
2010 ODAC Top Time: Sarah Simpson, Washington and
Lee - 1:58.44
Event Preview: The Generals own four of the five
top spots this season in the 200-yard free. Sarah Simpson
(W&L) is the only swimmer to crack 2:00.00 this year and she
has shaved .18 seconds from her finish at the 2009 championship
(1:58.62). Teammates Delaney Rolf, Lauren Starnes and Izzy
Brassfield as well as Elizabeth Buckley from Randolph-Macon are all
in the mix to finish near the top this year.
500-YARD
FREESTYLE
2009 Event Champion: Lauren
Starnes, Washington and Lee - 5:13.10
2010 ODAC Top Time: Delaney Rolfe, Washington and
Lee - 5:20.82
Event Preview: A year ago Washington and Lee
freshman Lauren Starnes took home the gold in the 500-yard
free. This year, the Generals hold the top spot entering the
championship weekend in another freshman, Delaney Rolfe. In fact,
three of W&L's top five spots occupied are freshman: Rolfe, Ann
McCampbell and Rachel Mensch. Starnes and the Yellow Jackets'
Rebecca Stevenson will also make this event competitive.
1650-YARD
FREESTYLE
2009 Event Champion: Tess Hayden,
Washington and Lee - 18:04.60
2010 ODAC Top Time: Ann McCampbell, Washington and
Lee - 18:32.40
Event Preview: Tess Hayden (W&L) won the
1650-yard free for the Generals for the second-consecutive time in
2009, and she owns the league's third-best time this year
(18:55.19). Teammates Ann McCampbell and Kelly Mae Ross
should also add firepower to Washington and Lee in this
event. Rebecca Stevenson (R-MC) and Hannah Hesser (SBC) could
also push for the top spot.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY EVENTS
200-YARD
IM
2009 Event Champion: Jenna
Worsham, Washington and Lee - 2:12.60
2010 ODAC Top Time: Jenna Worsham, Washington and
Lee - 2:14.36
Event Preview: The Generals hold the top 10 spots
in the 200-yard IM this year. Jenna Worsham won the event in
2009 and she owns the league's top time this year (2:14.36).
Dana Fredericks placed second a year ago and holds the conference's
second-best time this season (2:15.52). Several other
Washington and Lee swimmers will contend for a top finish.
400-YARD IM
2009 Event Champion: Susan
Mahoney, Washington and Lee - 4:45.04
2010 ODAC Top Time: Katie Salvati, Washington and
Lee - 4:47.60
Event Preview: A new champion will be crowned in
this event with Washington and Lee's Susan Mahoney having
graduated. Randolph-Macon's Lara O'Brien took second last
year, but Katie Salvati (W&L), who finished fourth last year,
occupies the league's best time this season. Several other
athletes, including the Yellow Jacket's Brianna Lovell (who
finished sixth last year 4:59.73), will compete for first
prize.
INDIVIDUAL BACKSTROKE EVENTS
100-YARD
BACKSTROKE
2009 Event Champion: Alex Cooke,
Greensboro - 57.62
2009 ODAC Top Finisher: Lindsey Strachan,
Washington and Lee - 58.13 (2nd)
2010 ODAC Top Time: Jocelyn Cassada, Washington
and Lee - 1:01.79
Event Preview: The top two finishers last year in
the 100-yard back graduated, so that puts the 2009 third-place
finisher, Washington and Lee's Brielle Weinstein in line for a
chance at the top spot. Weinstein currently sits fourth
amongst the top times this year. Jocelyn Cassada (W&L) owns the
top spot (1:01.79), but did not swim this event last season.
Others to keep an eye out for are Katie Salvati (W&L), Andrea
Seffens (W&L) and Tess Hayden (W&L). Sweet Briar's
Hannah Hesser will also add to the competiveness.
200-YARD
BACKSTROKE
2009 Event Champion: Lindsey
Strachan, Washington and Lee - 2:05.71
2010 ODAC Top Time: Katie Salvati, Washington and
Lee - 2:12.54
Event Preview: Washington and Lee's Katie Salvati
grabbed a third-place finish last year, but owns the top spot going
into the championship weekend this year. Brielle Weinstein
(W&L) placed fourth last season and will again contend this
year. The Generals' Jocelyn Cassada and the Yellow Jackets'
Sarah Almond will also deepen a strong field of backstroke
swimmers.
INDIVIDUAL BUTTERFLY EVENTS
100-YARD
BUTTERFLY
2009 Event Champion: Julianne
Miata, Washington and Lee - 1:00.46
2010 ODAC Top Time: Delaney Rolfe, Washington and
Lee - 1:01.43
Event Preview: Washington and Lee, Randolph-Macon
and Sweet Briar all have swimmers who are in the top five
performers so far this season. The top two finishers last
season graduated and Hannah Hesser (SBC) placed third; however, she
has three other swimmers ahead of her in the race to the top this
year. Delaney Rolfe (W&L) holds the top mark, while
Randolph-Macon's Catherine Ware and Washington and Lee's Brittany
Ross round out the top three.
200-YARD
BUTTERFLY
2009 Event Champion: Lindsey
Strachan, Washington and Lee - 2:16.13
2010 ODAC Top Time: Brittany Ross, Washington and
Lee - 2:14.35
Event Preview: An event that will crown a new
champion in 2010, the 200-yard fly features three of the top five
swimmers that are set to compete in the 100-yard fly.
Washington and Lee's Brittany Ross enters as the top-time
favorite, while teammate Delaney Rolfe is just .21 seconds behind
her. Sweet Briar's Hannah Hesser finished fourth last year,
but has improved her mark by 3.17 seconds this
year to make it a competitive batch of swimmers.
Randolph-Macon's Catherine Ware and Lara O'Brien could also
contend.
INDIVIDUAL BREASTSTROKE EVENTS
100-YARD
BREASTSTROKE
2009 Event Champion: Lynn
Bazzel, Washington and Lee - 1:08.41
2010 ODAC Top Time: Lynn Bazzel, Washington and
Lee - 1:08.76
Event Preview: Washington and Lee's Lynn Bazzel
touched first last year in the 100-yard breast and also holds the
league's top mark this year. Dana Fredericks (W&L) and
Jenna Worsham (W&L) finished second and third, respectively in
2009 and sit atop the favorites again this year. Also making
some noise for the Generals are Megan Bock and Erin Schwartz.
Bock enters the weekend with a time of 1:10.12, while Schwartz
rounds out the league's top five places.
200-YARD
BREASTSTROKE
2009 Event Winner: April Whitley,
Agnes Scott - 2:26.67
2009 ODAC Top Finisher: Susan Mahoney, Washington
and Lee - 2:28.24 (2nd)
2010 ODAC Top Time: Erin Schwartz, Washington and
Lee - 2:31.55
Event Preview: The Generals produced three
top finishes last year in the 200-yard breast. Dana
Fredericks and Lynn Bazzel finished third and fourth,
sequentially. The teammates have actually reversed spots
heading into this weekend and Bazzel has the league's second-best
time, while Fredericks has the third best mark. Newcomer
Megan Bock could also add a spin to this event, as well as
Randolph-Macon's Kellianne Mullin, who touched in 2:34.44 for a
fifth-place nod in 2009.
RELAY BREAKDOWN - ALL DISTANCES AND DISCIPLINES
200-YARD
FREESTYLE RELAY
2009 Event Champion: Washington
and Lee - 1:38.17
2010 ODAC Top Times: W&L - 1:39.76; R-MC -
1:43.39; SBC - 1:44.30
400-YARD
FREESTYLE RELAY
2009 Event Champion: Washington
and Lee - 3:39.62
2010 ODAC Top Times: W&L - 3:42.11; R-MC -
3:46.44; SBC - 3:50.11
800-YARD
FREESTYLE RELAY
2009 Event Champion: Washington
and Lee - 8:00.00
2010 ODAC Top Times: W&L - 8:00.55; R-MC -
8:22.98; BC - 9:00.85
200-YARD MEDLEY
RELAY
2009 Event Champion: Washington
and Lee - 1:49.13
2010 ODAC Top Times: W&L - 1:54.27; R-MC -
1:55.17; SBC - 1:58.23
400-YARD MEDLEY
RELAY
2009 Event Champion: Washington
and Lee - 4:00.28
2010 ODAC Top Times: W&L - 4:09.69; R-MC -
4:17.72; SBC - 4:23.14