Roanoke, Washington and Lee Sit Tight in Top Three

FOREST, Va. --- Lynchburg College collected five first place votes on the way to 46 poll points as the Hornets were selected atop the 2011-12 ODAC Women’s Indoor Track Coaches’ Poll.  Roanoke College earned a pair of top billings as part of 43 tallies, and Washington and Lee University earned the remaining first place nod towards 40 points in the annual survey.  Both look to keep Lynchburg from winning its second straight and 11^th overall ODAC crown.

The 2011-12 campaign features a new squad as Shenandoah University joins the ODAC ranks.  The addition of the Hornets this season is a prelude to SU joining the conference as a full-time member beginning July 1, 2012.  Shenandoah played its first ODAC contests in field hockey this fall and will also compete under the ODAC banner this spring in outdoor track & field.

Lynchburg and reigning ODAC Coach of the Year, Doug Thomasey, saw several standouts graduate from the past year, but back in the fold is two-event ODAC Indoor Championships winner, Christina Washington.  She won the 400-meter dash (59.57) and helped her team to a victory in the 4x400-meter relay (4:03.29).  She also finished second in the 200-meter dash (27.11).  Krystal Foster finished third in the mile (5:24.39) and sixth in the 800-meter dash.  Jasmyne Johnson, who teamed with Washington in the 4x400 relay, took third in the 200 dash (27.30) and sixth in the 400 dash (1:02.67).  Kiley Trennepohl and Ashley Saba return after leading LC to a win in the distance medley with a meet record time of 13:13.27.  Nia Brown looks to move up the throwing ranks after tying for fourth in the shot put (36’2.25”).

Roanoke’s Carmen Graves split a pair of major awards in 2011 as she earned a share of both the ODAC Indoor Athlete of the Meet honor and combined (indoor and outdoor) ODAC Athlete of the Year accolade.  Graves won the triple jump (36’4”) at the indoor championships, and added second place finishes in the 400-meter dash (1:00.24) and 800-meter run (2:23.81) and a fifth place showing in the long jump (16’1.75”).  Elizabeth Bransky won the shot put (39’4.5”) and placed fourth in the weight throw (44’1.25”).  Meagan Tolley and Brittany Cornett recorded matching leaps in the triple jump (35’6.75”) to tie for third.  Tolley also added a second place finish in the 55-meter hurdles (8.93) and finished sixth in the 55-meter dash (7.88).

Washington and Lee welcomes the return of two-time event winner Marissa Thompson.  She captured titles in the 55-meter (7.37) and 200-meter (26.49) dashes.  Alexandra Hagan was third in the pole vault (8’6.25”), while Kelsey McClary and Taylor Maxey followed suit in the 55-meter hurdles (8.94) and weight throw (45’4.25”), respectively.  Annelise Madison added yet another third place showing for W&L with a time of 2:25.38 in the 800-meter run.  McClary tacked on a fifth place finish in the 55-meter dash (7.85).

Among the remaining top returning athletes, three call Bridgewater College home.  Distance runner Olivia Mills shared Athlete of the Meet honors with RC’s Graves after winning both the mile (5:19.21) and 5000-meter (18:22.49) runs.  Morgan Keplinger earned top prize in the 800-meter run (2:23.77), and Katie Cummings took second in the shot put (38’7.75”).

Virginia Wesleyan features the return of ODAC Rookie of the Year, Courtney Mebane. She won the 55-meter hurdles (8.86) and placed second in the high jump (5’1.75”).

Listed below is the 2011-12 ODAC Women’s Indoor Track Coaches’ Poll.  For more information, visit any of the participating schools’ websites, 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 by clicking HERE.  You can also follow the ODAC on Twitter by clicking HERE.

2011-12 ODAC WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK COACHES’ POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes