FOREST, Va. --- The University of Lynchburg has already had a banner cross country season with both of its teams preparing to compete in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday. The success of the program was further highlighted on Friday with the announcement of the 2022 ODAC Cross Country Special Awards as part of the all-conference process.

In a vote of the leagues' head coach, Lynchburg nearly swept all six special honors announced for the first time today with only a tied situation for men's rookie of the year preventing a clean sweep. Hornets standouts Kelsey Lagunas and Frank Csorba garnered ODAC Runner of the Year honors, while Lynchburg mentor Jake Reed collected both ODAC Coach of the Year laurels. Lynchburg first-year Hailey Smith collected ODAC Rookie of the Year recognition on the women's ledger, while teammate Jonathan Cobb and Washington and Lee University first-year Colin Verrett shared men's rookie distinction.

The ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurances Scholar-Athletes --- W&L's Carolyn Todd and Josh Fingerhut --- were announced along with the All-ODAC First and Second Teams following the ODAC Championships hosted by Bridgewater College earlier this fall. A complete listing of honors is posted below.

RELATED: 2022 ODAC Championship Results | 2022 NCAA Division III South Results

The announcement of the ODAC's final cross country awards comes on the eve of the NCAA Division III Championships, which are set for Saturday, November 19, in East Lansing, Mich., at Forest Akers East Golf Course. Lynchburg teams will both feature in the dual 32-team fields, which are further bolstered by 70 individual qualifiers each for a maximum of 294 runners per competition. The ODAC accounts for five individual qualifiers overall.

Lynchburg's women are currently ranked 18th in the country and #1 in the South Region by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Those rankings are up 14 spots nationally and one position in the region from this time last season. Lagunas, the ODAC individual champion and sixth-place finisher at the regional championships last weekend, leads a group that collected the lowest possible team score (15) at the conference meet and just 30 points at regionals to win automatic qualification by 18 points over Emory University.

Hornets Sarah James, Allison Dell, Molly Silva, Lauren Massey, and Jackie Wilson all placed 10th or better at the regional meet and picked up All-ODAC recognition from their conference meet performances. Look for Smith, the top-placing rookie runner at the ODAC Championships, to round out the Hornets roster of runners.

The ODAC will see four additional runners competing in Michigan at the national championships. All-ODAC runners Carolyn Todd and Kristen Clodgo from Washington and Lee earned individual entries after placing fourth and 17th, respectively, at the regional championships. This will be Todd's second straight season competing on the national stage as an individual qualifier.

Bridgewater College junior Emily Smeds makes her first cross country national appearance. She finished 14th in the regionals. Shenandoah University senior Erin Atkinson joins Todd in qualifying for the season's final for a second time. She chimed in 18th at the regional championships.

RELATED: NCAA Meet Information | Live Stream | Live Results

On the men's side, Csorba one one of several standout runners that have helped Lynchburg to its currently USTFCCCA rankings of 19th nationally and #2 in the South Region. The ODAC individual champion became the first runner in conference history to crack 24 minutes on an eight-kilometer course after posting a time of 23:56.0 at the Paul Short Run.

Hornets mentor Reed, who joins program director Jim Sprecher in guiding the Lynchburg cross country and track & field programs, was one of two Hornets to collect regional honors from the USTFCCCA earlier this week. The South Region's Women's Coach of the Year is joined by regional champion Sam Llaneza as the South Region Runner of the Year.

Csorba and Llaneza, who finished third at the ODAC Championships, spearhead a group of nine possible runners in Michigan. In addition to Csorba and Llaneza, look for the Hornets additional five competitors to come from a contingent of seven All-ODAC standouts in Corbin Green, Marko Kovacevic, Cooper Hurst, Bryce Davis, Tor Hotung-Davidsen, Cobb, and Connor McCroy.

One additional ODAC runner will compete in Michigan. Washington and Lee's Charles Scharf earned his place in the field after placing seventh at the regional championships.

Listed below is the entire slate of 2022 ODAC Cross Country Awards. For more information on ODAC 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 at follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.