ODAC Athletes of the Week | Indoor Track & Field

ODAC Athletes of the Week | Indoor Track & Field

FOREST, Va. --- Indoor track & field returned to action with one event two weekends ago and a trifecta of outings this past weekend. As expected, ODAC athletes performed well, dotting the week 20 report with several strong displays of achievement. Earning ODAC Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week awards for Tuesday, January 17, include (picture, l-r): Geni Roberts from Virginia Wesleyan, Ray Ray Taylor and Alijah Johnson from Eastern Mennonite, and Betsy Mohnkern from Lynchburg.

Below are entries for each of the winners from today's release. The schedule below will be used for reporting ODAC Athletes of the Week:

  • Mondays: basketball, swimming, wrestling
  • Tuesdays: indoor track & field

For more on ODAC athletics, 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 and Instagram.

MEN'S INDOOR FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Geni Roberts | Virginia Wesleyan | Sr. | Jumps
Roberts, a senior from Ridgely, Md., collects his first ODAC weekly award of the 2022-23 season following strong showings at a pair of meets over the past two weeks. The Marlins All-American competed in the long jump at the Rams Indoor Invitational hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University to kickoff the new year on January 8. He placed seventh overall at 6.75 meters (22-1.75). That would stand as the third-best mark in the ODAC until this weekend when Roberts competed twice at the VMI Invitational. He finished second in the long jump at 7.21 meters (23-8.00), second only to his season-opening and NCAA Division III-leading 7.26-meter leap at the CNU Holiday Open in December. His jump at VMI would slot inside the top-five posted marks in the country. Roberts also took part in the triple jump, in which he finished second as well at 14.41 meters (47-3.50). That distance tops the ODAC and ranks sixth in the nation.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S INDOOR FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
MEN'S INDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Alijah Johnson | Eastern Mennonite | Sr. | Sprints
Johnson, a senior from Upper Marlboro, Md., picks up his second ODAC week award in as many reports with his first coming before the annual holiday hiatus in December. Johnson competed in four total events this weekend at two different meets: the VMI Keydet Invitational and the Kaye and JJ Smith Invitational hosted by Shenandoah University. At VMI, Johnson finished fifth in the 400-meter dash at 0:49.45. That time ranks 16th in NCAA Division III, while his converted time of 0:50.25 tops the ODAC season chart. He also competed in the 60-meter dash, posting a prelims time of 0:07.05 and a ninth-place finals time of 0:06.96. The latter time is fourth in the conference and 36th in the country. At SU, Johnson again competed in the 60-meter dash and stopped the watches at 0:07.05 in the prelims and 0:06.98 in the finals to place third. He then joined teammates Bryson Hunter, Bellamy Immanuel, and Abenezer Abebe for a second place showing in the 4x400-meter relay at 3:36.13. That ranks fourth in the conference.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S INDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
WOMEN'S INDOOR FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Ray Ray Taylor | Eastern Mennonite | Gr. | Jumps/Sprints
Taylor, a graduate student from Pottstown, Pa., collects her second ODAC weekly honor of the season and the second in as many reports with the first coming before the holiday break in December. Taylor, a multi-event athlete, competed in eight total disciplines this weekend at the VMI Keydet Invitational and the Kaye and JJ Smith Invitational hosted by Shenandoah University. At VMI, Taylor set the EMU record in the long jump by placing 11th overall at 5.56 meters (18-3.00). That tops the ODAC season chart and ranks seventh in NCAA Division III. She added a seventh place showing in the triple jump at 11.06 meters (36-3.50), the second-best mark in the conference and 25th in the country. Taylor completed twice on the track at VMI. She finished 15th in the 60-meter hurdles at 0:09.59 and 15th in the 200-meter dash at 0:26.37. Her converted time of 0:26.78 in the latter event slots fifth in the conference. At SU, Taylor finished third in the high jump at 1.50 meters (4-11.00). That mark ranks third in the ODAC. She also competed in the three track events, placing fourth in the prelims of the 60-meter dash at 0:08.28 and second in the 60-meter hurdles finals at 0:09.66. That followed a time of 0:09.98 in the prelims. Taylor and teammates Kendra Oguamena, Elili Asefa, and Vanessa Gardiner finished second in the 4x400-meter relay at 4:21.88.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S INDOOR FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Betsy Mohnkern | Lynchburg | Jr. | Hurdles/Sprints
Mohnkern, a junior from Livonia, N.Y., put together a pair of strong events on the track at the VMI Invitational over the weekend. Mohnkern matched her collegiate-best time in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing 10th overall and tops among Division III competitors with a time of 0:09.42. That marks ranks third in the ODAC. Mohnkern added another top-five ODAC finish in the 400-meter dash. She crossed the line 21st overall at 1:02.57, just behind her previous season-best mark of 1:01.64, which converts to 1:02.46 and ranks fourth in the conference.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK