The ODAC's contingent of 17 track & field stars earned 10 total All-American honors and set a pair of conference records following three days of competition at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y.
The ODAC saw sixteen stars compete at the indoor national championships. Increase that total by one as 17 conference standouts learned they will be competing at the 2023 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships next weekend in Rochester, N.Y., at the Polisseni Track & Field Complex at St. John Fisher University.
ODAC teams and individual athletes are competing in last chance meets as they gear up for possible qualification in the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships. That all comes on the heels of a strong regular campaign that culminated in the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships and led to this year's All-ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Awards.
In a vote of the league's head coaches, five individual honors per gender are recognized by the conference. Additionally, the ODAC's athletic communications personnel name the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
This year's ODAC Field Athletes of the Meet from the ODAC outdoor championships are Eastern Mennonite University multi-event star Ray Ray Taylor and Bridgewater College record-breaking thrower Peter Fulton. The ODAC Track Athletes of the Meet are multiple All-American sprinter Adalia Coleman from Bridgewater and Roanoke College speedster Brady Fowler.
The ODAC Rookies of the Year both hail from the University of Lynchburg in mid-distance standouts Hailey Smith and Chasen Hunt. Both earned the same honors during the indoor season, along with outdoor ODAC Women's Coach of the Year, Jim Sprecher. The outdoor ODAC Men's Coach of the Year is Brandon Uhl from Washington and Lee University.
The league's athletic communications personnel identified two different stars from the indoor season as this year's ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Those distinctions belong to a pair of distance standouts in W&L's Carolyn Todd and EMU's Jansen Miller.
It's a different kind of double-double for the University of Lynchburg as the Hornets completed a full sweep of the ODAC indoor and outdoor track & field events with their men's and women's team titles at the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Monday. Lynchburg has now won ODAC bests of 31 men's and 13 women's outdoor crowns.
It has been a banner season for ODAC track & field with event winners and All-Americans shining indoors and those athletes -- as well as others -- showing off their talent in the outdoor arena. The campaign comes to a head this weekend with the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships kicking off what could be an outstanding run for league stars with national competition on the horizon.
Bridgewater College and the Jopson Athletic Complex serve as the host and host venue for this year's conference championship event. This season's affair is set for Sunday and Monday, April 30-May 1. Competition for field events begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, with running events starting at 5:00 p.m. ET. On Monday, field events commence at 11:00 a.m. ET with running events speeding into gear at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Live video of action will be provided by the Bridgewater College athletic communications department. Live results are provided by Blue Ridge Timing.
Week 34 marks the final weekly report for track & field with the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships set for this coming Sunday and Monday at Bridgewater College. Several league teams competed one final time before the conference event with continued strong results. Those earning ODAC Outdoor Track & Field athletes of the Week for Tuesday, April 25, include (pictured, l-r, t-b): Quinlin Zunk and Evan Langhammer from Washington and Lee and Hailey Smith and Sam Llaneza from Lynchburg.
They say that records are meant to be broken. Well, ODAC track & field athletes were listening with two handfuls of school and conference records falling like the rain through Week 33 of action. Those earning ODAC Outdoor Track & Field athletes of the Week for Tuesday, April 11, include (pictured, l-r, t-b): Sam Llaneza and Aniya Seward from Lynchburg men's and women's track & field, Ray Ray Taylor from Eastern Mennonite women's track & field, and Geni Roberts from Virginia Wesleyan men's track & field.
ODAC track & field athletes participated in a pair of meets hosted by conference members in Week 32. Records and personal-bests were again set despite the number of overall competitors reduced due to the holiday weekend. Those earning ODAC Outdoor Track & Field athletes of the Week for Tuesday, April 11, include (pictured, l-r, t-b): Adalia Coleman from Bridgewater women's track & field, Luke Diemoz from Lynchburg men's track & field, Ashley D'Ambrosia from Washington and Lee women's track & field, and Peter Fulton from BC men's track & field.
Three ODAC records were matched or tied by conference track & field athletes as we continue Week 31 reporting. We are just three weeks into the outdoor season, so there is no telling just how good ODAC stars will be when conference championships and NCAA qualifying picks up in earnest at the end of the month. Those earning ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week awards for Tuesday, April 4, include (picture, l-r): Brady Fowler from Roanoke men's track & field, Peter Fulton and Adalia Coleman from Bridgewater women's track & field, and Kim Roden from RC women's track & field.
What a weekend for ODAC track & field stars! Schools records dropped from the sky and even an ODAC record features a new entry -- if not a new name -- as we continue Week 30 reporting with some very strong marks with high national rankings for the conference's track & field standouts. Those earning ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week awards for Tuesday, March 28, include (picture, l-r): Peter Fulton from Bridgewater men's track & field, Kacey Kelly from Lynchburg women's track & field, Adalia Coleman from BC women's track & field, and Frank Csorba from LYN men's track & field.
Outdoor track & field started in earnest in Week 29 with nearly all schools competing in a handful of meets over the weekend. Some school records have already taken a tumble and, while it is still early, many ODAC stars are positioned well in the national rankings. Those earning ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week awards for Tuesday, March 21, include (picture, l-r): Samuel Crawford from Roanoke, Kiara Felston from Shenandoah, Michael Smith from Bridgewater, and Betsy Mohnkern from Lynchburg.
Division III Management Council approved the new members of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) during the annual NCAA Convention in San Antonio, Texas, on January 11-14. Virginia Wesleyan University first-year Julia Hathaway was appointed to represent the ODAC as well as Pennsylvania’s Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) in the SAAC’s partnership program.
Sweet Briar College is proud to announce the addition of indoor and outdoor track and field as NCAA intercollegiate sports, athletic director Jason Vittone announced today, Jan. 5.
Randolph director of athletics, Tom Galbraith, announced Tuesday the hiring of Todd Pettyjohn as head women's track and field / cross country coach. He will also serve as an assistant coach for the men's programs in the same sports.
It is rare to have a "first" for a set of awards that have been bestowed since the early 1980's, but that is exactly what we have this season following the announcement of the Marjorie Berkley and Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Awards on Tuesday afternoon. Shenandoah University women's basketball forward Olivia Weinel and Eastern Mennonite University cross country and mid-distance track athlete Isaac Alderfer garnered the conference's highest honors from the ODAC Board of the Directors.
Weinel is the first recipient of either honor from Shenandoah since the Winchester-based school joined the ODAC prior to the 2012-13 season. Alderfer is the sixth Royal to earn the Jopson Award and 12th overall high honor winner from EMU. He is the first Royals' student-athlete to claim either trophy since Tyler Denlinger earned the Jopson Award in 2017.
Thirteen ODAC competitors competed in Winston-Salem indoors, and now 13 ODAC stars will travel to Geneva, Ohio, to compete outdoors following the announcement of the 2022 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship fields on Friday evening.
There are three changes to the conference's contingent that took part in the indoor championships at JDL Fast Track in March. Throwers Tucker Kindig from Shenandoah University and Peter Fulton from Bridgewater College are two of eight ODAC men headed north, while University of Lynchburg runner Kelsey Lagunas is one five women's competitors from league schools.
Kindig and Fulton are the lone men's qualifiers from their schools. Eastern Mennonite University sprinter Alijah Johnson will compete in a pair of events, while fellow Royal and mid-distance runner Isaac Alderfer joins Johnson on the national stage for the second time this year. Lynchburg's duo of mid-distance runners, Tor Hotung-Davidsen and Sam Llaneza, are also competing nationally for a second time in a little over two months. The same can be said for Virginia Wesleyan University jump Geni Roberts and Washington and Lee University pole vaulter Joe O'Connor.
While Lagunas appears in her first national track & field meet of the year, this will be the second run-out a pair of Lynchburg teammates in distance runner Stephanie Burnett and hurdler Aniya Seward. Like EMU's Johnson, Bridgewater sprinter Adalia Coleman will feature in a pair of races. She'll be joined in one of those by W&L speedster Katelyn Gamble.
The outdoor track & field postseason continued on Friday with the announcement of the All-ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Awards in addition to several special honors determined the by the league's head coaches from the recently completed ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Bridgewater College sprinter Adalia Coleman repeats as not only the Outdoor Track Athlete of the Meet, but adds this to the same award she earned for the 2021-22 indoor season. Virginia Wesleyan University jumper Jaylyn Lane is also a repeat honoree as she was named the Outdoor Field Athlete of the Meet to match the same recognition to earned indoors. Roanoke College mentor Gene Galloway was named the ODAC Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year, while Maroons' thrower Elisabeth Cullen received ODAC Women's Outdoor Rookie of the Year. It was announced during the championship that University of Lynchburg distance runner Stephanie Burnett secured the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year award from the the conference's athletic communications personnel.
On the men's ledger, Eastern Mennonite University sprinter Alijah Johnson garnered ODAC Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Meet laurels. VWU jumper Geni Roberts is the ODAC Men's Field Athlete of the Meet for the second straight year and adds this to the same honor he earned a couple months ago indoors. Lynchburg mentor Jim Sprecher repeats as the ODAC Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year. Bridgewater multi-discipline athlete Aaron Moon was tabbed the ODAC Rookie of the Year. EMU mid-distance runner Isaac Alderfer earned ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year plaudits.
For the second time in as many season, the University of Lynchburg was not only home to the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, but it is the residence of the conference's two trophies with the Hornets securing both the men's and women's crowns. Lynchburg increases its ODAC record total to 30 men's championships, while the Hornets women have lifted four straight prizes and now feature a conference-best 12 women's titles.
Weather played a role in much of Saturday's competition on day two of the championships. Running times and field event marks were lower than expected, especially after eight league records were reset on day one. Still that didn't keep several individuals from putting their best feet forward.
Week 34 marks the final instance of ODAC weekly track & field report. The times and distances remained at a high level as league athletes prepare for ODAC Championships this weekend. Those earning ODAC weekly awards for Tuesday, April 26, include (pictured left and top): Meghan Chaffins from Randolph women's track & field, Adalia Coleman from Bridgewater women's track & field, and Devin Teal and Tor Hotung-Davidsen from Lynchburg men's track & field.
Five ODAC records fell in a banner series of events for conference athletes in week 33. Four of those new marks are on the men's side with school records and national top-25 rankings dotting each side of the ledger. Those earning ODAC weekly awards for Tuesday, April 19, include (pictured left and top): Geni Roberts from Virginia Wesleyan, Alijah Johnson from Eastern Mennonite, and Aniya Seward and Lizzie Davis from Lynchburg.
It was a lighter week in Week 32 for ODAC track & field athletes with three meets dotting the league schedule. Conference stars made good use of their opportunities with school records set and league records coming into view. Those earning ODAC weekly awards for Tuesday, April 12, include (pictured left and top): Peter Fulton from Bridgewater men's track & field, Lizzie Davis from Lynchburg women's track & field, and Kacee Hooker and Kennedy Fauntleroy from BC women's and men's track & field.
ODAC track & field teams were busy in week 31 with student-athletes competing in five meets over the weekend. Some even competed a two separate venues. Schools records and high national rankings are common occurrences not only from this week's selections, but also from those recognized in the honor rolls. Those earning ODAC weekly awards for Tuesday, April 5, include (pictured left and top): Tucker Kindig from Shenandoah men's track & field, and Stephanie Burnett, Allison Bobst, and Tor Hotung-Davidsen from Lynchburg women's and men's track & field.
School and ODAC records fell as conference teams continued to move their track & field endeavors outdoors in week 30. Those earning ODAC weekly honors for Tuesday, March 29, include (pictured left and top): Joe O'Connor from Washington and Lee men's track & field, Kaitlin Measell from Shenandoah women's track & field, Landry Moffo from Virginia Wesleyan men's track & field, and Aniya Seward from Lynchburg women's track & field.
The outdoor track & field trickled into action in week 28 and was a full go with multiple teams competing in week 29, leading to our first outdoor weekly awards of the season. Those earning ODAC weekly honors for Tuesday, March 22, include (pictured left and top): Katelyn Gamble and Quinlin Zunk from Washington and Lee women's track & field, Wyatt Schannauer from Shenandoah men's track & field, and Alex Shadkhoo from Lynchburg men's track & field.
Colby DelBene of Forest, Virginia, has been named Head Cross Country Coach/Assistant Director of Track & Field at Virginia Wesleyan University, according to Cameia Alexander, VWU Director of Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track and Field.
With the start of the 2021-22 academic and athletic campaigns quickly approaching, ODAC members and their student-athletes continue to haul in major postseason honors from the 2020-21 season. Conference student-athlete distinction and influence extends well beyond their athletic arenas with several taking home Academic All-America recognition from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships came to a close on Saturday, but not before ODAC student-athletes made some noise with a half-dozen All-American awards earned. In total, eight stars out of the conference's contingent of 16 qualifiers competed on Saturday.
The 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships continued on on Friday with another array of track, field, and multi-discipline events. Seven of the ODAC's contingent of 16 athletes were in action in either finals or preliminary competition.
The 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships kicked off on Thursday afternoon with a mixed bag of field, track, and multi-discipline events on the docket. Eight of the ODAC's contingent of 16 athletes were in action in either finals or preliminary competition.
ODAC Stars Earn 10 All-American Honors, Set Two ODAC Records
May 27, 2023The ODAC's contingent of 17 track & field stars earned 10 total All-American honors and set a pair of conference records following three days of competition at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y.
