FOREST, Va. --- The turn of the calendar to October triggers the start of the next slate of sports to begin competition with ODAC swimming embarking on the 2021-22 season. While a few programs were in action the first weekend of the month, the year begins in earnest on Saturday with nearly all league teams traveling to Washington and Lee University and the W&L Natatorium for the ODAC Relays.

Swimming was the first sport to see teams lift league trophies last spring with an abbreviated competition schedule coming together in a split two-day championship event in early March. ODAC squads have returned to a more familiar preseason process, albeit with two classes of student-athletes that have not experienced preparation for a full collegiate season.

Since 2017, conference members have made a concerted effort to grow the sport. Evidence of that can be seen in not only in the number of teams now sponsoring swimming -- 12 women and 10 men -- but with rosters bursting with increased numbers for depth and high-level talent packing lanes in ODAC pools. Event winners, all-conference standouts, and program record holders are plentiful across the league.

In the sections below, we look back to what we saw at the 2021 spring championships and take a look at what to expect entering the new campaign. Be sure to check out interviews from three of our head coaches -- Lynchburg's Brad Dunn, Roanoke's Scott Thacker, and Washington and Lee's Kami Gardner -- for their thoughts entering the 2021-22 season.

2021 SPRING ODAC CHAMPIONSHIP | RESULTS

• For the first time, the ODAC Swimming Championships were competed in the new Liberty Natatorium to accommodate a later date and a new format adhering to COVID-19 pandemic protocols on March 5 and March 7
• Four ODAC schools opted out of the competition: Guilford, Randolph, Randolph-Macon, and Washington and Lee
• Roanoke hoisted its first ODAC swimming title, winning the men's crown with 1,001.0 points thanks to 11 individual event and five relay victories
  • Lynchburg earned the remaining two individual event medals 
  • RC's Josh Rauch (1650-free) and Connor Kinkema (400-IM, 100-breaststroke, 200-breastroke) set new ODAC overall and championship records
  • Kinkema and Jacob Winn took home ODAC Swimmer and Rookie of the Meet laurels, respectively, while head coach Scott Thacker earned ODAC Coach of the Year honors.
  • Lynchburg's Spencer Swam was tabbed the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• Lynchburg captured its first ODAC swimming championship with a 922.5 to 869.0 point-victory over Roanoke in the women's competition
  • The Hornets claimed seven individual event and two relay victories. Three different swimmers won a pair of individual events each.
  • Maroons' athletes won six individual medals and a trio of relays led by ODAC Swimmer of the Meet Kimberly Large.
  • Lynchburg's Delaney Kennedy earned ODAC Rookie of the Meet honors while head coach Brad Dunn earned ODAC Coach of the Year recognition.
  • Ferrum's Katie Shoaf garnered ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
  • Hollins' Hannah DeVarona was selected as the Bonnie Kestner Sportsmanship Award recipient.

GOING FOR AN ENCORE
Roanoke's men's program enters the 2021-22 season with a staggering amount of returning talent as they go in search of a second straight title. Seven different swimmers won individual events at Liberty with six returning this year. That list is led by Connor Kinkema, last season's Swimmer of the Meet. He won the 400-yard IM as well as the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststrokes, setting new ODAC overall and meet records in each event in the process. Ben Tate also won three times in the 500-yard freestyle and the 100-yard and 200-yard butterflies. Richie Evans and Brian Grimmett won the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyles, respectively, while Josh Rauch claimed the 1,650-yard freestyle in ODAC overall and championship record time. Jacob Winn, last year's ODAC Rookie of the Meet, won the 200-yard IM.

Check out the interview above with Roanoke head coach Scott Thacker, last season's ODAC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year.

TRYING TO REPEAT AS WELL
Lynchburg's women's program has its eyes set on a second straight ODAC championship with each of their event winners back on the roster from its 2021 spring title-winning side. That includes ODAC Rookie of the Meet Delaney Kennedy, who was one of three Hornets to capture multiple individual event medals. She won the 200-yard and 400-yard IM races. Karolena Steckler finished first in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstrokes, while Claire Galloway stopped the watches in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststrokes. Lindsey Hair won the 200-yard freestyle event.

Watch the interview above with Lynchburg head coach Brad Dunn, last season's ODAC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year.

LOOKING TO RETURN TO THE TOP OF THE PODIUM
Washington and Lee swimming has long been the talisman of the conference and championship target for other ODAC teams. The Generals women have claimed a record 30 league titles, while their men's program won the first six conference trophies since men's swimming became on ODAC sponsored sport in 2014-15.

While Washington and Lee did not compete at the ODAC championships last spring, the Generals did host a handful of events on campus and showed their quality. In addition to standout sophomore and first-year classes looking forward to their first ODAC competitions, a total of 16 W&L swimmers earned All-ODAC honors in 2019-20, further bolstering W&L's championship-caliber pedigree. That includes nine individuals on its women's roster led by 2020 event winners Caroline Baber (200-IM), Sara Gaston (200-back), and Jillian Cantrell (200-fly). Laney Van Lenten joined them on the first team, while Claudia Barnett, Turner Bobbitt, and Erika Ehret were second team qualifiers. Audrey Dietz and Sally Ennis collected third team laurels.

The Generals men's team features seven returners from the 2019-20 awards list. Steven Warren was a first team finisher. Five earned second team honors including Todd Echols, Dawson Kramer, Landon Potter, Logan Robinson, and Colin Whiting. Matthew Fricker appeared on the third team.

Tune in to the interview above with Washington head coach Kami Gardner as the 10-time ODAC Coach of the Year previews her squads.

RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE SWIMMERS | 2021 SPRING ALL-ODAC SWIMMING AWARDS
There is no shortage of award-winning swimmers returning to ODAC waters this season with a combined 60 standouts dotting league rosters. That includes 29 on the women's ledger and 31 on the men's side. Legend: ROM = Rookie of the Meet; SOM = Swimmer of the Meet; * = Event(s) Winner

• ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM | WOMEN
  • LYNCHBURG: Corrin Ford, Claire Galloway**, Lindsey Hair*, Delaney Kennedy (ROM)**, Molly Shand, Karolena Steckler**, Grace Zalkind
  • ROANOKE: Maddie Andrews, Grace Fountain, Hannah Petty, Maria Vinson*
• ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM | WOMEN
  • BRIDGEWATER: Jessica Touve, Katelyn Wiglesworth
  • LYNCHBURG: Madeline Corbett, Claire Evko, Caitlyn Freece, Madelyn Foreman, NoraNoël Nolan, Savannah Solenberger
  • ROANOKE: Bailey Gallagher, Elizabeth Roberts, Julia Volz
• ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM | WOMEN
  • BRIDGEWATER: Amanda Nesslrodt, Katie Roach, Katie Tolone
  • LYNCHBURG: Emma-Grace Spach, Erin Wojtkowski
  • ROANOKE: Quinn Keatley, Paige Shaika
• ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM | MEN
  • LYNCHBURG: Kevin Bennett**, Kellen Campbell, Parker Hayungs, Trevor O'Neill
  • ROANOKE: Connor Bitz, Jake Bowery, Richie Evans*, Brian Grimmett*, Cole Hensen, Connor Kinkema (SOM)***, Josh Rauch*, Ben Tate***, Davis Wheeler, Xavier Williams, Jacob Winn (ROM)*
• ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM | MEN
  • BRIDGEWATER: Cullen Beach
  • HAMPDEN-SYDNEY: Woody Parsons
  • LYNCHBURG: Landon Ellis, Chris Jennings, William Kasemeyer, Ryan Legge, Jackson Sitton, Mason Swanner, Jason Weed
  • ROANOKE: Jacob Cole, Ian Densley
• ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM | MEN
  • BRIDGEWATER: Luke Wintersgill
  • GREENSBORO: Spencer George
  • LYNCHBURG: Matt Fields
  • ROANOKE: Kaleb Payne
  • VIRGINIA WESLEYAN: Tyler Strong

THE SCHEDULE AND CHAMPIONSHIP

• A few ODAC teams kicked off their season schedules the weekend of October 1-3, but the remainder of the conference begins competition this weekend, October 8-10.
• Most league teams will compete in a unique meet at the ODAC Relays hosted by Washington and Lee on Saturday, October 9.
• The ODAC Swimming Championships return to the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C., for four days of competition on February 10-13. A select few events will kickoff action on Thursday evening, February 10. The remainder of the championship will feature morning preliminary and evening finals sessions. Thursday's events are slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET, while competition in preliminaries on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starts at 10:00 a.m. ET. Finals on Friday and Saturday start at 6:00 p.m. ET, while the finals on Sunday begin at 5:00 p.m. ET.
• For any ODAC swimmers that qualify, the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships will be conducted March 16-19 at the Indiana University Natatorium on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in Indianapolis, Ind.

For more information on ODAC swimming, 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 follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.