Washington and Lee Places 13 on First Team

SALEM, Va. --- Washington and Lee University placed 13 student-athletes on the 16-woman All-ODAC Swimming First Team following its record 20^th ODAC title last month at Radford University.  The Generals secured 17 honors in total between the first and second teams, as well as garnering all but one of the major individual awards.

Senior Sarah Simpson took home ODAC Swimmer of the Years honors, and was joined by ODAC Coach of the Year, Kami Gardner, and ODAC Rookie of the Year, Brittany Ross.  The Generals' Jenna Worsham was tabbed as the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year in a vote of the league's sports information directors.  Randolph-Macon College's Ellie Shea was honored with the Bonnie Kestner Sportsmanship Award.

Simpson's award, combined with her Atlantic States Swimmer of the Year honor, marks the third straight season a W&L swimmer has won the ODAC's top accolade (Lindsay Strachan won in 2008 and 2009).  Simpson swam in seven total events and enjoyed victory on six occasions.  Individually, she won the 50-yard (24.93) and the 200-yard (1:56.10) freestyles while placing second in the 100-yard freestyle (54.37).  She teamed with her fellow Generals to win four different relays.  She swam the lead leg of the meet-opening 200-yard free relay (1:38.91) and took to the pool for the final leg in the 400-yard medley (4:01.47), 800-yard freestyle (7:55.31) and 400-yard freestyle (3:37.68) relays.

Gardner picked up her second straight top coaching honor after leading the Generals to their third straight ODAC crown, all coming in Gardner's first three seasons in Lexington.  This year's victory also marked successive seasons in which W&L has crossed the 1,000-point plateau.  In 2009, Washington and Lee racked up 1,010 points.  This year, the Generals amassed an ODAC-high 1,048 points en route to the championship.

Ross is the third General to win the league's best rookie award in as many seasons (Tess Hayden in 2008; Lauren Starnes in 2009).  Ross swam in four total events including three individual disciplines.  She won the 100-yard butterfly (59.54) and 200-yard butterfly (2:12.12) events, and placed third in the 200-yard individual medley (2:14.31).  She then teamed with fellow All-ODAC First Team choices Jocelyn Cassada, Dana Fredericks and Simpson to win the 400-yard medley relay (4:01.47).

Worsham is a standout both in and out of the pool.  In the classroom, the Generals' senior boasts a 3.609 grade point average while majoring in English and Theatre.  She is a member of the University Wind Ensemble, as well as a multiple honoree on the All-ODAC Academic Team.  In the water, Worsham is a four-time All-ODAC First Team swimmer, including this season.  At the recent ODAC Championships, she swam in seven events and won the 200-yard IM (2:12.43).  She placed fourth in the 100-yard freestyle (54.86) and sixth in the 200-yard freestyle (2:00.54), and was a member of each of four winning W&L relay teams (200 free, 200 medley, 400 free and 800 free).

As recipient of the 2010 Bonnie Kestner Sportsmanship Award, Shea was selected as the ODAC swimmer whose actions best represent the notion and strong values of good sportsmanship that are inherent in NCAA Division III athletics.  In the pool at the 2010 championships, Shea swam in four events that included a second place finish with her teammates in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:40.69).  Individually, she competed in the 100-yard (57.59 - 8^th), 200-yard (2:07.96 - 11^th) and 50-yard (27.43 - 14^th) freestyle events.

Listed below are the complete All-ODAC Swimming Teams.  For more information, visit any of the participating schools' websites or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.