GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Washington and Lee University did not compete against outside competition last season due to COVID-19 pandemic management protocols. The one-year hiatus did not dullen the Generals championship appetite as W&L's men's and women's programs both lifted trophies following four days of competition in the 2022 ODAC Swimming Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
The Generals own league records for titles in both sports. They have now claimed 31 overall women's championships, while they have collected seven out of eight total trophies handed out in ODAC men's swimming history. W&L out-paced Randolph-Macon College for the women's crown with 957.0 points compared to the Yellow Jackets 544.0 markers. The University of Lynchburg chimed in third with 526.0 tallies. In the men's standings, W&L's 933.5 points topped second place Roanoke College with 743.5 markers and third-place Lynchburg with 536.0 points.
Generals' mento Kami Gardner garnered both the ODAC Men's and Women's Coach of the Year plaques. Sophomore Brynn Martinson received a pair of special honors as her three individual event victories powered her to ODAC Swimmer and Rookie of the Meet laurels. W&L senior Claudia Barnett secured ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
On the men's side, Roanoke's Ben Tate secured ODAC Swimmer of the Year accolades, while W&L first-year Matthew Snyder earned ODAC Rookie of the Meet honors. Lynchburg senior Spencer Swam repeated as the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete.
RELATED: 2022 ODAC Swimming Championships Results
Conference swimmers set a total of 11 new records. Martinson was responsible for four of them as she set new overall and championship standards in the 50-yard (0:23.60) and 100-yard (0:51.27) freestyles. Classmate Sophia Rollo accounted for the remaining women's record as she set the championship mark in the 200-yard individual medley (2:05.44). All three times eclipsed the NCAA B-cut benchmark. Sara Gaston topped that mark in the 200-yard backstroke (2:02.84), while W&L's relay teams in the 200-yard (1:34.66) and 400-yard (3:28.02) freestyle and 200-yard medley (1:44.73) also crossed that initial NCAA standard.
Roanoke's Tate snapped both the championship and overall conference record in the 500-yard freestyle, posting a winning time of 4:35.31. Steven Ewing did the same for W&L in the 1,650-yard freestyle, with his time of 16:12.81 also eclipsing the B-cut standard. The Generals 200-yard medley relay team reset both league records with a time of 1:31.62.
The Generals Steven Warren accounted for the remaining B-cut with a time of 2:03.48 in the 200-yard breaststroke.
Posted below is a table listed the event winners and records broken for each event. 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 come a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instragram.