W&L Heads Strong League Group in Regional Field

SALEM, Va. --- Cross country teams from most of the competing schools in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) are making their way down to Tucker, Georgia, this weekend for the South/Southeast Regional Cross Country meet hosted by Emory University.  The squads hope that their time at Emory is a layover on their way to Wilmington, Ohio, than a stopping point before catching the return flight back to their home school.

It has been two weeks since the ODAC championship meet, an event that saw its runners deal with better than ideal temperatures in Harrisonburg, Va.  But for the regional, the story should be much different.  The Georgia climate should provide the 14 ODAC squads (seven men, seven women) with a much more conducive setting for top times.

Times from the regional meet will determine who moves on to Wilmington College and the NCAA Division III National Championship meet.  Overall, 32 teams per gender will qualify for the country's final meet.  Two teams from each of the eight regionals will automatically qualify (16 total) with another 16 teams earning at-large bids based on criteria pre-determined by the NCAA.  Only the top five teams in each region will be considered for at-large selection.

Earning individual entry into the championship is solely based on automatic qualification with the top seven from each region moving on to Wilmington (56 total individual runners).  To determine the top individual runners, those already qualifying with teams must be removed from the results and the remaining individuals are renumbered in time order.

Washington & Lee University goes into each side of the event as the top rated ODAC squad.  On the women's side, ODAC Runner of the Year, sophomore Jackie Burns, and Freshman of the Year, Kat Telfeyan, lead the Generals into the regional field.  Burns topped the ODAC conference meet with a time of 24:36.60 followed by Telfeyan's 25:17.20.  Five other conference first and second team selections add depth to 2006 Coach of the Year Kris Hoey's squad.

Roanoke College and Eastern Mennonite also look to make some noise in Georgia.  The Maroons will be led by All-ODAC First Team selections Mallory McClain (25:39.90), Meg Harnett (25:50.80) and Liz Mumaw (25:52.80) while the Royals' Kendra Nissley (25:49.10) and Deb Keiser (26:26.00) spearhead EMU's efforts following All-ODAC First Team showings.

The W&L men boast four league all-stars led by All-ODAC First Team selections Michael Welsh (28:29.30), Vance Berry (28:47.80), and Tom Brower (29:10.20), who also won the conference's Scholar-Athlete Award for men's cross country (teammate Becca Taylor won the award for the women).

ODAC Coach of the Year, Lori Schrock, brings a talented Bridgewater College squad to the regional headed by a pair of All-ODAC first teamers in Brandon Spalding (28:32.00) and Nathan Rittenhouse (28:52.90).  Lynchburg College and Virginia Wesleyan College will also push for the top.  League meet second-place finisher Jeremy Falke (28:18.90) highlights the Hornet contingent while All-ODAC Second Team selection Robert Aaron (29:31.80) and Rookie of the Year Derek Hizer (29:43.20) top the ranks for the Marlins.

Conference champion and Roanoke first teamer Eric Johnson (28:08.50) will most likely push for an individual at-large bid into the national title race.

For more information on the upcoming regional event, please visit the meet's Emory University-hosted website at www.go.emory.edu/Statistics/Current/MCC/XCRegionals/index.htm