Generals Collect Eight First Place Votes

FOREST, Va. --- Defending ODAC champion Washington and Lee University was picked as the favorite entering the 2016 season as the Generals received eight first place votes towards 98 total points to lead the ODAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll.  Bridgewater College follows close behind with 90 tallies and two top nods, while Lynchburg College received the final first place vote on the way to 80 points to round out the top-three in the annual coaches' survey.

Last season, Washington and Lee edged Bridgewater by two points (48-to-50) for the league hardware, denying the Eagles a third straight conference title while capturing the 10th crown in Generals' program history.  Ian McDonald (25:47.9) led the charge for W&L, finishing second overall to Roanoke College's Harrison Toney (25:42.6) following the eight-kilometer race on Bridgewater's campus.  Four athletes apiece from the two schools earned All-ODAC accolades.

Shenandoah University served as the host for the 2015 South/Southeast Regionals, which saw two standouts punch their tickets to the national field.  RC's Toney finished second overall for the second straight season, catapulting him to an eventual All-American performance in 35th position (25:02.02) at the NCAA Division III Championships in Oshkosh, Wis.  Eastern Mennonite University's Alec Thibodeaux stopped the watches fourth in the regional race.  He capped his season by placing 162nd (25:51.7) in the 278-person field.

Team rosters are packed with returning talent in 2016 with 11 of the 14 All-ODAC honorees set to return to their squads.  Bridgewater leads the way with four standouts in tow. Trey Gibson and Robert Hiegel picked up All-ODAC First Team distinction, while Wyatt Campbell and Connor Maguder earned All-ODAC Second Team laurels. Washington and Lee features a trio of all-league returners in first teamers McDonald and Mac Strehler as well as second team finisher Alex Dolwick. Lynchburg welcomes back one from each team in Andrew Osborne and Drew Smith, respectively.  EMU and Virginia Wesleyan College each boast second teamers with Thibodeaux headed back to Harrisonburg and Trevor Maloney returning to Virginia Beach.

The 2016 season begins with a series of events on Tuesday, September 1.  The ODAC Preview will be hosted by eventual conference championship-host Washington and Lee on Friday, September 9.

Listed below is the 2016 ODAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll as well as preview capsules for each of the ODAC men's cross country programs.  For more information on ODAC men's cross country, 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.

2016 Poll Position: 2nd Head Coach: Brian Flynn 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 2nd (50 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Trey Gibson - 25:55.5 (3rd) 2015 Regionals Finish: 7th (198 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Trey Gibson - 26:54.0 (18th) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: Trey Gibson, Robert Hiegel   Second Team: Wyatt Campbell, Connor Maguder Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Did not compete at this distance   8K Course: Trey Gibson - 25:40.3 (AAE Inv.)		2016 Poll Position: 9th Head Coach: Bill Cooper 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 11th (344 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Matthieu Meyer - 29:43.5 (77th) 2015 Regionals Finish: Did Not Compete 2015 Regionals Top Time: None 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: None   Second Team: None Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Did not compete at this distance   8K Course: Alex Clem - 29:22.0 (ODAC Preview)
2016 Poll Position: 4th Head Coach: Isaac Bryan 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 5th (106 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Alec Thibodeaux - 26:31.5 (10th) 2015 Regionals Finish: 9th (256 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Alec Thibodeaux - 26:00.1 (4th) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: Alec Thibodeaux - 25:51.7 (162nd) Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: None   Second Team: Alec Thibodeaux Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Alec Thibodeaux - 19:55.60 (Commonwealth Challenge)   8K Course: Alec Thibodeaux - 25:35.90 (NCAA Pre-Nationals Invite.)		2016 Poll Position: 5th Head Coach: Kirk Nauman 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 4th (105 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Harrison Toney - 25:42.6 (1st) 2015 Regionals Finish: 12th (304 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Harrison Toney - 25:55.0 (2nd) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: Harrison Toney - 25:02.02 (35th) Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: None   Second Team: None Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Did not compete at this distance   8K Course: Kevin Waterman - 26:34.0 (Royals XC Challenge)
2016 Poll Position: 8th Head Coach: Ian Layne 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 6th (184 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Alex Cooper - 27:57.4 (35th) 2015 Regionals Finish: 17th (498 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Michael LoGrande - 28:42.8 (87th) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: None   Second Team: None Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Did not compete at this distance   8K Course: Michael LoGrande - 27:31.5 (Paul Short Run)		2016 Poll Position: 6th Head Coach: Andy Marrocco 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 7th (191 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Justin Mehrer - 27:22.3 (25th) 2015 Regionals Finish: 19th (523) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Ray Parsons - 28:31.9 (82nd) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: None   Second Team: None Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Justin Mehrer - 19:26.50 (Commonwealth Challenge)   8K Course: Justin Mehrer - 27:07.1 (Region Preview)
2016 Poll Position: 9th Head Coach: Danny Cash 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 9th (274 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Caleb Amstutz - 28:26.8 (52nd) 2015 Regionals Finish: 23rd (647 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Nick Reynolds - 29:00.3 (100th) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: None   Second Team: None Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Did not compete at this distance   8K Course: Caleb Amstutz - 28:26.8 (ODAC Champs)		2016 Poll Position: 7th Head Coach: Mat Littleton 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 8th (215 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Trevor Maloney - 26:36.7 (11th) 2015 Regionals Finish: 20th (526 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Trevor Maloney - 27:29.6 (41st) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: None   Second Team: Trevor Maloney Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Did not compete at this distance   8K Course: Trevor Maloney - 26:36.7 (ODAC Champs)
2016 Poll Position: 11th Head Coach: Betsy Leonard 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 10th (285 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Lewis Brooks - 27:43.7 (32nd) 2015 Regionals Finish: 25th (730 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Lewis Brooks - 28:01.6 (59th) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: None   Second Team: None Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Lewis Brooks - 20:16.80 (Commonwealth Challenge)   8K Course: Lewis Brooks - 27:43.7 (ODAC Champs)		2016 Poll Position: 2nd Head Coach: Brandon Spalding 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 1st (48 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Ian McDonald - 25:47.9 (2nd) 2015 Regionals Finish: 6th (198 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Mac Strehler - 26:31.8 (12th) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: Ian McDonald, Mac Strehler   Second Team: Alex Dolwick Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Mac Strehler - 19:41.00 (Galen Piper Challenge)   8K Course: Ian McDonald - 25:07.4 (Inter-Regional Rumble)
2016 Poll Position: 5th Head Coach: Jim Sprecher 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 3rd (56 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs Top Time: Anthony McBride - 26:02.1 (5th) 2015 Regionals Finish: 5th (145 pts.) 2015 Regionals Top Time: Anthony McBride - 26:28.9 (11th) 2015 NCAA D-III Champs Competitors: None Returning All-ODAC RUNNERS   First Team: Andrew Osborne   Second Team: Drew Smith Top Returners by Time   6K Course: Did not compete at this distance   8K Course: Andrew Osborne - 25:55.5 (Royals XC Challenge)