Sparks Repeats as Men's Champ, Lagunas Claims Women's Medal

BRIDGEWATER, Va. --- For the eighth straight championship, one school has claimed both of the conference cross country team trophies. This year, the University of Lynchburg is the ultimate winner as the Hornets men's and women's squads hoisted both pieces of league hardware following competition at the 2021 ODAC Cross Country Championships.

The custom course on Bridgewater College's campus was sogged with rain that fell overnight from Thursday to Friday and much of the day before the championship. But the clouds held their water for much of Saturday allowing conference runners the best footing they could ask for at the first ODAC cross country championship since the fall of 2019.

Lynchburg combined for just 48 points over the two events with the Hornets men posting just 22 points to out-pace second place Washington and Lee University by 23 markers. The team standings were much tighter in the women's competition with Lynchburg collecting 26 points to the Generals 33 tallies.

Max Sparks, winner of the 2019 ODAC men's race, added the 2021 ODAC Men's Runner of the Meet moniker to his resumé by completing the eight-kilometer course 26:28.3, just 0.8 seconds ahead of teammate Frank Csorba (26:29.1). W&L's Josh Fingerhut finished third at 26:34.6, earning him ODAC Men's Rookie of the Meet honors. Lynchburg's Kelsey Lagunas made it a double sweep of indivdual championships as her time of 23:28.8 over the six-kilometer course earned her ODAC Women's Runner of the Meet laurels. Washington and Lees Avery Schiffman placed second at 23:42.6, and Lynchburg's Stephanie Burnett chimed in third at 23:51.4. Fellow Hornet Allison Dell finished fourth at 24:17.1 to earn ODAC Women's Rookie of the Meet recognition.

Burnett took home a second honor as the league's athletic communications personnel tabbed her the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's cross country. Eastern Mennonite University's Isaac Alderfer garnered the same distinction on the men's ledger.

RELATED: 2021 ODAC Men's Results | 2021 ODAC Women's Results

Below is a full listing of team standings as well as the top-14 finishers that earned All-ODAC recognition and the special award winners from today's championships. There will be more to come with the ODAC Runner, Coach, and Rookie of the Year determinations following the regional championships, which are scheduled for November 13 and hosted by Converse College and the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau at Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg, S.C.

For more information on ODAC cross country and the 2021 championships, visit the websites of any of the participating schools.  You can also visit the home of the ODAC on the Internet at www.odaconline.com and view the ODAC cross country championship website.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram!