FOREST, Va. --- The landscape of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference had largely remained unchanged since the turn of century, but the last few years have seen the addition of new sport sponsorships and new league member institutions.  That trend continues in 2014-15 as the ODAC prepares for the debut of its 24th sport, men's swimming.

Four schools will compete under the ODAC banner for men's swimming for the first time in league history.  Full-time conference members Hampden-Sydney College, Randolph-Macon College and Washington and Lee University will be joined by associate member Greensboro College in forming the four-school contingent in men's swimming.  All four programs have been competing at the NCAA Division III level for varying amounts of time, some with associations with other conferences.

Much like the schools that sponsor women's swimming, the men's swimming institutions will continue competing in a full slate of events against both conference and non-conference competition.  Those affairs will include head-to-head matchups as well as multi-team meets and invitational competition.  The conference season will culminate with the first ODAC Men's Swimming Championships, which will be held in conjunction with the ODAC Women's Swimming Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.  The previous two years, select men's programs have competed in an invitational as a complement to the women's conference championships.

Greensboro and Hampden-Sydney are both newer programs, having started all competition in the 2011-12 season.  Greensboro will be under new leadership in 2014-15 as the former Millersville University assistant coach Katie McNerney takes over The Pride's reigns, serving as head coach for both the men's and women's programs. Greensboro got its first program victory in its inaugural campaign, picking up a win at LaGragne College on December 16, 2011.  Senior Edward Kirby, Jr. leads The Pride into 2014-15, having won multiple events at last year's invitational.  Sophomore Isaac Burt is also one to watch.

Hampden-Sydney's first three season's have seen considerable improvement behind head coach Betsy Prengaman.  It only took the Tigers two meets before notching their first victory, a 105-64 win at Greensboro on January 27, 2012.  Since that first victory, H-SC's program has continued to progress, having won nine head-to-head matchups in addition to topping the men's invitational at the ODAC championships.  Swimmers to watch include senior Lee Ayscue, junior Ford Scott, and a quartet of sophomores in David Anderson, Connor Lachine, Ryan Mitchell, and Conor O'Heir.  Each either won events or were apart of relay wins at last year's invitational.

Randolph-Macon men's swimming traces its roots back to the 1960's before the program went into hiatus in 1973.  In 2010, the Yellow Jackets reinstuted their men's program and began competition in the Bluegrass Mountain Conference, in which Washington and Lee also competed.  Over the past three season's behind head coach Brent Kintzer, every team record has been reset, many multiple times.  In 2013-14 alone, 11 new standards were established.  Senior Bobby Brajdic stamped his name to six records last season and eight overall.  Sophomore Mohamed Saleh appears five times after a strong rookie year in Ashland.  Seniors Preston Edwards and Elliot Meyer and sophomores Josh Carter, Robert Redenz and Daniel Whitehead also set new program marks.

Washington and Lee has a storied history in the nearly 100 years of men's swimming competition, with its program beginning in 1920.  The Generals have claimed four Bluegrass Mountain Conference titles as well as four Southern Conference crowns among its conference affiliations.  W&L has had plenty of success at the NCAA level, having produced four national champions.  Fifty-one athletes have gone on to be recognized as First Team All-Americans.  Head coach Kami Gardner's roster is dotted with returning swimmers and newcomers, led by senior Alex Cram and junior Harris Pritchard, both captains of this year's squad.  Sophomore Brennan Haley returns to the pool after a year away and is the only W&L record-holder on the current roster, having helped set team marks in the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relays in 2013.

The men's swimming slate begins on Saturday, October 11 and continues thru the turn of the calendar to 2015.  The ODAC Men's Swimming Championships will cover three days in Greensboro, February 13-15.  Any swimmers that reach specific qualification marks will move on to the NCAA Division III Swimming Championships in Shenandoah, Texas, on March 18-21.

For more information on ODAC men's swimming, 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.