KERNSTOWN, Va. --- The ODAC Cross Country Championships return to Kernstown Battlefield in Kernstown, Va., just outside of Winchester. Shenandoah University will serve as hosts for the second time, joining the event it hosted in 2018.
This year's course uses a large area off Route 11 and features a mix of tight and soft turns with several longer straightaways to provide variety for both fields of runners. The women's six-kilometer race kicks off the championship at 11:00 a.m. ET. The men's eight-kilometer competition follows at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Timing will be provided by Blue Ridge Timing and posted to the results site at several intervals throughout the race as well as at the conclusion of each competition. Streaming for the event is provided by Shenandoah University via Blueframe Technology.
RELATED: ODAC Championships Site | Live Results | Championship Stream
The University of Lynchburg and Washington and Lee University finished first and second, respectively, in both events in 2021 on the championship course at Bridgewater. The Hornets collected just 26 points in the women's event, topping the Generals by seven markers. The margin was larger on the men's ledger with Lynchburg accounting for 22 points to W&L's 45.
The Hornets have won a record 18 men's titles to with seven women's crowns. Washington and Lee owns the conference record for women's championships with 19 overall.
Just one of last year's individual champions returns with Lynchburg's Kelsey Lagunas eyeing a second straight women's crown following her time of 23:28.8 at Bridgewater in 2021. Teammates Allison Dell (4th) -- the 2021 ODAC Rookie of the Meet -- and Sarah James (6th) along with W&L's Carolyn Todd (5th) and Elise Molinaro (7th) feature from last season's All-ODAC First Team. All one but member of the All-ODAC Second Team is back for another go including Bridgewater's Emily Smeds (9th), Lynchburg's Lauren Massey (12th), Shenandoah's Erin Atkinson (SU), and W&L's Claire Hamlet (8th), Parker Hawk (11th), and Mimi Kemp (13th).
On the men's side, there will be a new individual champion earning high honors on Saturday. Lynchburg's Frank Csorba finished second last season and is likely the favorite to top the field in Kernstown after becoming the first runner in ODAC history to crack 24 minutes on an 8K course at the Paul Short Run at the end of September. Three other members of last year's first team also return including teammate Sam Llaneza (4th), Roanoke's Chamberlain Zulauf (6th), and W&L's Josh Fingerhut, the 2021 ODAC Rookie of the Meet. Four runners are also back from the second team in Lynchburg's Connor McCroy (9th) and Bryce Davis (10th), Roanoke's Peter Smith (13th), and W&L's Jackson Jacobs (12th).
RELATED: 2021 Championship Recap | 2021 Results
ODAC teams feature favorably and often in the national and regional polls published by the USTFCCCA. On the women's ledger, Lynchburg slots 17th in the country and #1 in the South Region, while Washington and Lee is receiving votes towards the national survey and ranks third in the region. Shenandoah and Bridgewater also feature in the regional ranking as the ninth and 10th rated teams, respectively.
On the men's side, Lynchburg is 23rd in Division III and second in the South Region, while Washington and Lee sits 33rd in the country and third in the region. Roanoke slots eighth in the south.
Those looking to attend the ODAC Cross Country Championships should to the ODAC's exclusive ticketing partner Ticket Spicket to get your entry pass to the championships. Admission is $10 per car.
For more information on ODAC cross country and the 2022 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!