Washington and Lee, Randolph-Macon Dominate First Team

FOREST, Va. --- Washington and Lee University placed nine student-athletes on the 13-woman All-ODAC Swimming First Team following its record 21^st ODAC title last month at the Christians Aquatic Center.  The Generals secured 17 honors in total between the first and second teams, and picked up a pair of major individual honors.  Randolph-Macon College won three major awards, also claiming 10 spots on the first and second teams.

R-MC junior Sarah Almond took home ODAC Swimmer of the Years honors, and was joined by ODAC Coach of the Year, Ben Delia, and ODAC Rookie of the Year, Tracilyn Babington.  Generals’ sophomore Delaney Rolfe was tabbed as the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year in a vote of the league's sports information directors.  Teammate Kelly Mae Ross was honored with the Bonnie Kestner Sportsmanship Award.

Almond won the 50 and 200-yard freestyle events, while helping the Jackets to victories in the 200 and 800-yard free relays on the first two days.  She added a win in the 100-yard freestyle and teamed with Lizzy Buckley, Tracilyn Babington and Ellie Shea in setting a new ODAC and meet record with a time of 3:36.63 in the 400-yard free relay.  Almond also joined her teammates on day one in finishing second in the 400-yard medley relay.

Delia completed his fourth regular season following the ODAC/Atlantic States Championships, leading the Yellow Jackets to their fourth straight second-place finish at the conference’s season-ending meet.  He has coached 30 All-ODAC student-athletes, including 10 this season.  Delia has won 27 dual meets during his tenure.

Babington enjoyed four victories in seven events.  On Friday and Saturday, Babington was part of the winning 200-yard free relay, won the 100-yard breaststroke, helped her teammates to second place finishes in the 200 and 400-yard medley relays while also finishing second in the 50-yard freestyle.  On Sunday, she helped R-MC to its record-breaking win in the 400-yard free relay, and qualified for nationals for the second time in the meet by eclipsing the NCAA B-cut mark of 2:24.86 in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:24.21.  She previously qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Rolfe, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, boasts a 3.841 grade point average as a Generals' student-athlete.  She has been recognized as both a W&L and ODAC scholar-athlete.  Rolfe competed in five events during the championships, placing second each time.  Individually, she was the runner-up in the 200 and 500-yard freestyles and the 200-yard butterfly, and was a part of the second place 400 and 800-yard free relays.

Ross competed in four events in Christiansburg, placing second in the 800-yard free relay, fourth in the 1,650-yard free, eighth in the 500-yard free and ninth in the 200-yard free.

Listed below are the 2011 Swimming All-ODAC Teams.  For more information on ODAC swimming, visit the ODAC on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.

2011 SWIMMING ALL-ODAC TEAMS
SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Sarah Almond, Jr., Randolph-Macon
COACH OF THE YEAR:  Ben Delia, Randolph-Macon
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Tracilyn Babington, Fr., Randolph-Macon
ODAC/FARM BUREAU INSURANCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Delaney Rolfe, So., Washington and Lee
BONNIE KESTNER SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: Kelly Mae Ross, So., Washington and Lee