LYNCHBURG, Va. --- It has been more than a year since the ODAC conducted a track & field championship, but that hiatus comes to an end this weekend with the 2021 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The University of Lynchburg will serve as hosts using the Dr. Jack Toms Track at Shellenberger Field as well as surrounding throwing areas on the Lynchburg-based campus.

The timeline is a bit different than in previous seasons. While the ODAC championships continues a two-day format, there will be a day in between to accommodate travel and COVID pandemic protocols. The first day of competition is set for Friday, April 30, while the final day will be Sunday, May 2.

Friday's start is set for 1:00 p.m. ET with the beginning of field events. Track events begin at 3:00 p.m. ET. On Sunday, the start times are 11:00 a.m. ET for field events and 4:00 p.m. ET for the first track event. An awards ceremony is tentatively slated for 8:45 p.m. ET.

The Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network (LHSN) will be providing free live video streams for both days of competition. Links for those streams via YouTube can be found below.

RELATED: 2021 Event Schedule | Day 1 Stream | Day 2 Stream | Live Results

Predicting the ODAC Championships is never an easy task. As a new way to benchmark each ODAC team entering the championship weekend, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has expanded its suite of rankings using the DirectAthletics/TFRRS timing system to including an intra-conference snapshot of each league in the country. Athletes earn points for their schools based on their performances in each event and ranking in that event against other athletes from conference teams. The points are added up with a ranking from most-to-least points determining a team's spot in the table.

In the men's rankings, Lynchburg is more than double the second-rated program in the ODAC with 1,783.27 points. Lynchburg is also ranked 20th in the latest USTFCCCA Top-25 rankings. Washington and Lee University (885.45) and Shenandoah University (736.69) round out the conference's top-three in TFRI points.

On the women's ledger, Lynchburg against tops the chart with 1,444.15 points, but the margin is much tighter as you move down the table. Roanoke College sits second at 996.50 points, while Washington and Lee chimes in third at 947.20 points. Bridgewater College is the only other program with more than 800 points at 811.97.

Below is a link to both of those tables on the USTFCCCA website, as well as a quick snapshot at how each team got there. Listed are each team's top-three (and ties) ODAC rankings across all events. To see a team's full breakdown, click on one of the links below, scroll down to the ODAC, and click on the point total for that team to see its overall rankings page in comparison to the other ODAC teams.

USTFCCCA Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) Charts: Men | Women

For more information, 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.