W&L Receives Two First Place Votes, Lynchburg Tight for Third

FOREST, Va. --- Reigning ODAC champion Bridgewater College secured seven first place votes towards 63 total points to lead the 2015-16 ODAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll.  Washington and Lee University picked up the remaining two top nods and 53 tallies, while Lynchburg College rounds out the top-three with 50 points from the league's head coaches.

The Eagles won four individual events and one relay on the way to claiming the program's fifth overall men's indoor track & field title and first since 1997.  It also snapped a streak of 17 straight crowns for Lynchburg.  Bridgewater welcomes back three athletes who stood atop the podium.  Nevin Heckman stopped the watches first in the 400-meter dash (1:57.20), while Sam Gunther and Scott Long joined the since graduated Tim Miller and Kevin Morris in winning the distance medley (10:50.66).  BC also won the 60-meter dash (Jacob Wright - 0:06.973), 5,000-meter run (Luke Sohl - 15:08.22) and triple jump (Stefan Vessels - 13.86m).

W&L's Ian McDonald won a pair of events at the conference championships to earn ODAC Athlete of the Meet honors, while Guilford College's Alex Martin put together a trio of top-four showings to earn ODAC Rookie of the Year honors.  McDonald won the mile (4:27.37) and 3,000-meter (8:47.18) runs.  Martin placed second in the long jump (6.81 meters), third in the 60-meter dash (0:07.05) and fourth in the 200-meter dash (0:23.11).

McDonald's success continued on the national stage as he was the ODAC's lone men's representative at the 2015 NCAA Division III Championships.  McDonald broke his own ODAC and W&L records in the mile run, posting a time of 4:12.07 (previous mark of 4:12.51) to finish as the national runner-up and earn All-America status.

Fans of ODAC indoor track & field will not be short on returning talent to follow, with 35 All-ODAC athletes and plethora of others knocking on the all-conference door occupying rosters in 2015-16.  That list includes 10 All-ODAC First Team honorees that won events at last season's championships.  Joining W&L's McDonald and BC's Gunther, Heckman and Long are three event champions from Eastern Mennonite University, two from Virginia Wesleyan College and one from Lynchburg.  EMU's Jeremy Heizer won the shot put (15.02m), while teammates Richard Robinson and Drew Vorlijk claimed top prize in the 60-meter hurdles (0:08.55) and high jump (1.94m), respectively.  VWC's Trey White won the 400-meter dash (0:50.27) and was joined by Marquis Sivels in helping the Marlins to first place in the 4x400-meter relay (3:28.02).  LC's Evan Truman out-jumped the competition in the long jump (6.98m).

Listed below is the complete 2015-16 ODAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll as well as preview capsules for each of the ODAC men's programs.  For more information, 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.

*indicates returning athlete

2015-16 Poll Position: 1st Head Coach: Brian Flynn/Shane Stevens Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: Sam Gunther, Nevin Heckman, Scott Long   Second Team: Darin Council, Connor Maguder   Third Team: Danny Breedlove, Myles Conley, Sam Smith, Jordan Weatherwax 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 1st (125 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   800m Run: Nevin Heckman (1st - 1:57.20)*   5,000m Run: Luke Sohl (1st - 15:08.22)   Triple Jump: Stefan Vessels (1st - 13.86m)   60m Dash: Jacob Wright (1st - 0:06.973)   Triple Jump: Darin Council (2nd - 13.38m)*   400m Dash: Sam Gunther (2nd - 0:50.75)*   Mile Run: Connor Maguder (2nd - 4:28.34)* 4x400m Relay: 3rd - 3:29.54 Distance Medley Relay: 1st - 10:50.66		2015-16 Poll Position: 4th Head Coach: Britten Olinger Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: Jeremy Heizer, Richard Robinson, Drew Vrolijk   Second Team: Alec Thibodeaux   Third Team: Azariah Cox, Tyler Denlinger 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 4th (63 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   Shot Put: Jeremy Heizer (1st - 15.02m)*   60m Hurdles: Richard Robinson (1st  - 0:08.55)*   High Jump: Drew Vrolijk (1st - 1.94m)*   800m Run: Alec Thibodeaux (2nd - 1:57.25)*   60m Hurdles: Azariah Cox (3rd - 0:8.60)*   800m Run: Tyler Denlinger (3rd - 1:58.01)*   Weight Throw: Jeremy Heizer (3rd - 14.19m)* 4x400m Relay: 5th - 3:30.67 Distance Medley Relay: 4th - 11:00.28
2015-16 Poll Position: 7th Head Coach: Danny Cash Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: None   Second Team: Trent Evans, Alex Martin, Jonathan Sumner   Third Team: None 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 6th (39 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   Long Jump: Alex Martin (2nd - 6.81m)   5,000m Run: Andris Goncarovs (3rd - 15:21.70)   60m Dash: Alex Martin (3rd - 0:07.05)*   200m Dash: Alex Martin (4th - 0:23.11)*   Triple Jump: Yashua Clemons (5th - 13.00m)*   800m Run: Trent Evans (5th - 1:58.67)*   3,000m Run: Andris Goncarovs (5th - 9:00.66) 4x400m Relay: 2nd - 3:29.04 Distance Medley Relay: 8th - 11:54.85		2015-16 Poll Position: 3rd Head Coach: Jim Sprecher Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: Evan Truman   Second Team: Brian Fuentes   Third Team: Linwood Stevens 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 2nd (85 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   Weight Throw: Hunter Bailey (1st - 14.75m)   Pole Vault: Brian O'Dea (1st - 4.60m)   Long Jump: Evan Truman (1st - 6.98m)*   60m Hurdles: Brian Fuentes (2nd - 0:08.59)*   Shot Put: Spencer Latham (2nd - 14.41m)   Weight Throw: Spencer Latham (2nd - 14.42m) 4x400m Relay: 8th - 3:37.91 Distance Medley Relay: 6th - 11:08.79
2015-16 Poll Position: 9th Head Coach: Bill Cooper Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: None   Second Team: None   Third Team: None 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 9th (6 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   Pole Vault: Gavin Cook (4th - 3.60m)*   60m Hurdles: Anthony Quinn (5th - 0:08.65)*   Mile Run: Ryan Purrington (8th - 4:41.89)   Shot Put: Collin Lahan (11th - 12.37m)*   800m Run: Matthieu Meyer (13th - 2:09.46)*   Mile Runn: Matthieu Meyer (13th - 4:52.43)* 4x400m Relay: N/A Distance Medley Relay: N/A		2015-16 Poll Position: 5th Head Coach: Finn Pincus Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: None   Second Team: Cameron Thompson, Harrison Toney, Kevin Waterman, John Wiggins   Third Team: None 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 7th (36 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   200m Dash: Cameron Thompson (2nd - 0:22.991)*   3,000m Run: Harrison Toney (2nd - 8:49.11)*   5,000m Run: Harrison Toney (2nd - 15:11.86)*   Mile Run: Justin Ginnings (5th - 4:34.66)*   800m Run: Cody Meadows (6th - 1:59.27) 4x400m Relay: 6th - 3:35.13 Distance Medley Relay: 2nd - 10:54.00
2015-16 Poll Position: 8th Head Coach: Andy Marrocco Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: None   Second Team: Anthony Banks   Third Team: None 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 8th (29 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   200m Dash: Everton Eastwood (1st - 0:22.88)   High Jump: Anthony Banks (2nd - 1.88m)*   400m Dash: Ansel Borhauer (4th - 0:51.00)*   60m Dash: Everton Eastwood (4th - 0:07.06)   Weight Throw: Justin Neff (5th - 13.68m) 4x400m Relay: 7th - 3:35.32 Distance Medley Relay: 7th - 11:32.59		2015-16 Poll Position: 6th Head Coach: Mat Littleton Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: Marquis Sivels, Trey White   Second Team: None   Third Team: Ed Chase 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 5th (41 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   400m Dash: Trey White (1st - 0:50.27)*   200m Dash: Trey White (3rd - 0:22.994)*   High Jump: Ed Chase (3rd - 1.88m)*   Long Jump: Ethan Fowlkes (4th - 6.57m)   400m Dash: Dan Elmore (6th - 0:51.82)   Triple Jump: Ethan Fowlkes (6th - 12.90m)   Pole Vault: Wade Jernigan (6th - 3.15m)* 4x400m Relay: 1st - 3:28.02 Distance Medley Relay: 5th - 11:06.84
2015-16 Poll Position: 2nd Head Coach: Brandon Uhl Returning All-ODAC Athletes   First Team: Ian McDonald   Second Team: Robert Jones   Third Team: Phillip Harmon, Jacob Strauss, Levi Warring, Charlie Zachariades 2015 ODAC Champs Finish: 3rd (72 pts.) 2015 ODAC Champs - Top 5 Individual Performances   Mile Run: Ian McDonald (1st - 4:27.37)*   3,000m Run: Ian McDonald (1st - 8:47.18)*   60m Dash: Aaron Jeong (2nd - 0:06.980)   Pole Vault: Robert Jones (2nd - 4.00m)*   400m Dash: Isidro Camacho (3rd - 0:50.81) 4x400m Relay: 4th - 3:29.60 Distance Medley Relay: 3rd - 10:56.16