The COVID-19 pandemic certainly caused upheaval, notably pushing all 2020-21 collegiate sports seasons into the spring semester. But听听(Broadway, Va./Broadway) also used that upheaval to his advantage, thriving under unique opportunities for both flexible training and extra-curricular projects.

Boosted by outstanding efforts in all aspects of his title of “student-athlete,” Alderfer was named to the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA) Academic All-American Third Team. The 91短视频 junior was one of only 44 men named to the Academic All-America teams, and the only athlete from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference named to any of the men’s or women’s teams.

“It feels extra special to have been selected for this award this year because I feel like I was able to grow a lot in a lot of different areas of my life,” said Alderfer. “The past year has gifted me with the unique opportunity to have space to broaden my academic experience while also staying excited about running and improving my times enough to finally reach the national level of competition.”

Alderfer had a dominant spring semester on the track, finishing with a trip to the NCAA National Championships in the 800m. He re-wrote the 91短视频 track & field history books, breaking the program records for the mile, indoor 800m, outdoor 800 and outdoor 1500m. His mile time of 4:11.91 also broke the ODAC record, and he toppled the ODAC Championships mark in the outdoor 1500m. After the ODAC meet, Alderfer was named the Track Athlete of the Meet and the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete.

At Nationals, he elected to run in only the 800m after also having a qualifying mark in the 1500m. Between indoor and outdoor seasons, the middle distance runner earned All-Region honors four times, and was named the Track Athlete of the Year twice by the Virginia Sports Information Directors. He was named the 91短视频 Athlete of the Year at the end of the season.

Holding a 3.97 GPA as an environmental science major, Alderfer combined his photography minor when he participated in and photographed a northern saw-whet owl banding project this past November. He is a member of 91短视频’s Sustainable Food Initiative club, conducts biology research on campus and is a barista in Common Grounds (91短视频’s coffeehouse). This summer, Alderfer was the events coordinator and a participant in the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions Climate Ride, a bike ride across the United States.

“I had a really busy couple of semesters, but because of how our seasons played out with more limited competition due to COVID restraints, I was able to have more flexibility with how I used my time,” Alderfer explained. “Especially in the fall, I had the chance to focus on a number of really neat academic projects that took a lot of time and energy because we did not have a cross country season during that time. Coach Bob was really instrumental in keeping training interesting, and keeping me motivated in new ways despite the lack of competition.”

Coach Bob Hepler spearheaded Alderfer’s training and helped balance his involvements outside of running.

“Isaac is that rare top-level athlete who values his education and service to others more than his individual athletic achievements,” Hepler said. “He is humble, hard-working, and selfless. Being his coach is a joyful privilege.”

Johnson ran in his first-ever national meet, finishing 14th as the lone Old Dominion Athletic Conference representative in the 17-man field. He ran in the third heat and finished with a time of 21.88, just shy of his PR time of 21.45.

Alderfer narrowly missed qualification in the 800m race in order to advance, missing the eighth qualifying spot by mere milliseconds with a time of 1:53.13.

This was the first outdoor National Championship for the junior, who is coming off of an ODAC championship and record, alongside many other personal records across the season. Alderfer was a seven-time ODAC Athlete of the Week across the indoor and outdoor seasons. 

Their coaches were pleased with both the efforts and the caps to their breakout seasons.

“Alijah had a tremendous season,” said Associate Coach Kyle Dickinson. “He was able to have a break-through season mentally and physically. He had multiple PRs, broke an ODAC Championship Record and was able to break through and qualify for the National Championships. Alijah is a tremendous young man who is going to come back even stronger next year as we continue to rewrite the record books. (Coach) Bob (Hepler) and I are extremely proud of him.”

Johnson earned All-ODAC First Team honors after winning the 200m at the ODAC Championships. He also claimed All-Region honors in the 200m after both the indoor and outdoor seasons this year.

Alderfer wraps up a decorated season, one that contains an ODAC championship, an ODAC scholar-athlete award, and many other accolades from the ODAC, the region, and 91短视频.

Head Coach Bob Hepler on Alderfer: “I’m very proud of Isaac. He had such an amazing year with four school records, an ODAC championship and championship record, and an all-time ODAC record in the indoor mile. He made huge strides as an athlete in his first college outdoor season. Isaac is more than an amazing runner. He is a true scholar and an amazing young man. I am blessed to be a part of his life.”

The Team Scholar All-American award is in recognition of teams who excel in the classroom by achieving a cumulative semester GPA of 3.2 or higher. The Fall 2020 award was calculated by taking the average GPA for all student-athletes on a team’s roster, regardless of competitions completed during that semester.

In their second season of existence as a program, the Royals have six women on the roster, including two freshmen and four returning 91短视频 students. All six are in their first year with the Royals’ triathlon team.

2020-21 91短视频 Women’s Triathlon
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

“The women’s triathlon team simply likes to swim, bike and run,” said Coach Bob Hepler. “They continue to improve at all three. They’ve become good cyclists. They are a solid running group. They are officially mediocre swimmers. They were horrible at the start of the fall, but have worked hard. It should be noted that Anna is actually a fantastic swimmer! Their strong academic work ethic is reflected in their team GPA and in their improvement as triathletes.”

This is the story of five student-athletes who, amidst nursing clinicals, cross-country practices, late nights with friends and early mornings of exams, became 91短视频鈥檚 . Their story is told in the student-produced documentary film Persist.

Follow the team as they pound mile after mile on foot, bicycle, and in the water. The film was shot and produced by students in Professor Jerry Holsopple鈥檚 video production class at races, on the track, and in the pool.

Watch the trailer:

Women鈥檚 triathlon is labeled a 鈥渆merging sport鈥� within the NCAA, so all events and championships include teams from Division I-III. This means the team regularly competed against much larger schools in their four-event season, culminating in an October qualifier for the national championships. Senior Abigail Shelly ended her season with a finish in Tempe, Arizona. 

From pre-competition jitters to simply mastering the many skills of three different sports, the film showcases how individual courage and dedication inspired the entire team. Senior Emma Hoover particularly struggled to learn how to swim competitively.

In the documentary, Hoover recalls, 鈥渨e get to the point where we鈥檙e starting our swim warm-ups, and there鈥檚 this moment, where Abigail will look at everybody, and Abigail goes, 鈥榦kay, no more negative thoughts.鈥� And she did it every single race. And I just felt like, 鈥榦kay 鈥� now is the time to just let it all go, this is what it is. It鈥檚 time to work.鈥欌��

The team included Hoover, a history, social science and education major; Shelly, an education and liberal arts major; Mim Beck, a nursing major, Lydia Chappell Deckert, an English major; and Leah Lapp, a biology and chemistry double-major.

The team is coached by . 

The video production crew is Keith Bell, Mykenzie Davis, Ethan Green, Jared Oyer, and Anthony Parker.

The select group of honorees were selected by the College Triathlon Coaches Association.

Shelly holds a double major at 91短视频 in education (English as Second Language Licensure) and liberal arts, along with a minor in honors, and has a 3.97 GPA. She was also the Royals’ top runner on the cross country team.

“This is an incredible honor,” said Shelly. “If this speaks to anything, I believe it is to my coaches and professors, as they have been incredible in the past year as they understood my need to balance and deep-dive into both athletics and academics. The classroom and the field are not mutually exclusive for me, and I’m grateful to go to a school that seems to get that.”

In the first year of 91短视频 sponsoring the sport of triathlon, Shelly quickly excelled. She finished 13th at the National Championship, completing a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run in 1:19.38.

The CTCA awards the Scholar All-American designation to the top 20 finishers at the National Championship who have a GPA of 3.5 or better.

“Abigail serves the community, puts others first, and somehow is able to be a dedicated student and athlete,” said Coach .

Shelly finished eighth in the East Regional Qualifier at Smith Mountain Lake State Park, and will head to the USA Triathlon-sanctioned national race of the Lake Pleasant Olympic & Sprint Triathlon on Nov. 3 in Peoria, Arizona.

She came out of the water 12th and held her own in the bike before running a 21:23 5k, which was the seventh best among the D-III participants. Shelly finished in 1:12:10.

 (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) continued her season-long improvement in the swim leg before making a move up in the run. She ran a 22:39 5k to move up to 17th in the standings.

 (Lowville, N.Y./Beaver River Central) had her best bike of the season for the 91短视频 women, while  (North Newton, Kan./Newton) and  (Woodstock, Vt./Archbold) each had their best run.

East Regional Qualifier
Top Finisher:  鈥� 8th of 44 (1:12:10)
Full Team:  鈥� 17th (1:16:38);  鈥� 30th (1:23:11);  鈥� 32nd (1:24:08);  鈥� 44th (1:34:16)

Coach Bob Hepler said:
91短视频 Triathlon participated in the NCAA Regional Championship today and they saved their best race for last! But wait!  stormed into the top ten with a blazing run leg to claim a spot at Nationals!  What an amazing accomplishment for a first year triathlete who happens to be 91短视频’s premier cross country runner.

 and  also had their best races of the year. Emma has an amazing story. Six months ago, she was totally new to competitive swimming and biking. She has turned into a respectable swimmer and a very strong rider. She also had one of the top runs of the day to finish in the top twenty. Leah’s incredible improvement on the bike led to by far her best race of the year.  and  capped their first season of triathlon with their best run legs of the year.

It’s been a wonderful first year. Coaches Joanna Friesen and Chad Gusler put in many hours simply because they wanted to see the program start strong.  They are great coaches and selfless people.  Now it’s on to Nationals for Abigail!

Five women committed to the first season of 91短视频 Triathlon and overcame many obstacles. The challenges of training for three sports while maintaining tough academic schedules was truly overwhelming for all five athletes. They will always be loved and appreciated by future teams for all of the sacrifices they made.

They accepted their awards at the April 25 banquet, an event which celebrates听91短视频’s senior student-athletes and also includes awards for Academic Achievement, Freshman of the Year and Athlete of the Year.

Yoder, a volleyball player from Manheim, Pennsylvania, is a biology major with minors in honors and psychology. Her academic and athletic honors include the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team (2018); Blue Jay Classic All-Tournament Team (2018); 91短视频 Academic Achievement Award for the highest GPA on the women’s volleyball team;听CoSIDA Academic All-District Team (2017);听ODAC All-Academic Team (2016-17);听ODAC All-Academic Team (2015-16); and two Royals Athlete of the Week awards in 2016 and

Ocampo, a volleyball player from Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a biology major with minors in chemistry and psychology. Ocampo is also a 2019 Cords of Distinction honoree, the most prestigious recognition 91短视频 awards. He played on the , and was named to the CVC All-Academic Team three consecutive years from 2016-18.

Athlete of the Year

, a nursing and Spanish major from Harrisonburg, Virginia, was Female Athlete of the Year. She was All-ODAC Second Team in cross country and听All-ODAC Third Team Outdoor 4x400m Relay in 2018. She was also Royals .

, a social work major from Bristow, Virginia, was Male Athlete of the Year. A triple jumper, Amoateng’s outdoor track season continues. He was听All-ODAC Third Team Outdoor Triple Jump and ODAC Field Athlete of the Week (April 1-7, 2019) for the current season. In indoor track, he finished 11th in NCAA indoor nationals, and was听All-South/Southeast Region Indoor Triple Jump,听 ODAC Champion and All-ODAC First Team Indoor Triple Jump, and听ODAC Field Athlete of the Week (Nov. 26 – Dec. 2, 2018). He was as well.

Freshman of the Year

, a field hockey player from Smithfield, Virginia, was named Female Freshman of the Year. The elementary education major was All-ODAC Third Team for the 2018 season.

, a track and field athlete from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was named Male Freshman of the Year. The graphic design major specializes in the sprints.

Academic Achievement Awards

The following athletes earned academic achievement awards for top GPA on each athletic team:

叠补蝉别产补濒濒:听, junior

Men鈥檚 Basketball:听, senior, and , senior

Women鈥檚 Basketball: , junior

Women鈥檚 Cross Country: , junior

Men鈥檚 Cross Country: , junior

Field Hockey: , junior, and , junior

Men鈥檚 Golf: , senior

Women鈥檚 Golf: , junior

Men鈥檚 Soccer: , senior

Women鈥檚 Soccer: , senior

Softball: , senior

Men鈥檚 Track & Field: , junior

Women鈥檚 Track & Field: , junior

Men鈥檚 Volleyball: , senior

Women鈥檚 Volleyball: , junior

Women鈥檚 collegiate triathlon, which features a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride and a 5-kilometer run, is classified by the NCAA as an “emerging sport.”

Leading the way for the addition, 91短视频 received a three-year grant from the USA Triathlon Foundation. With the grant essentially covering the expenses of the program through the 2021-22 season, and qualified coaches already on campus, Hepler said 91短视频 was prepared to jump on a good wave and ride it.

鈥淭here is already an interest in the sport from the women of 91短视频,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd we have expert coaches on campus who are also enthusiastic. And there was this small window in time that if 91短视频 acted quickly that we could apply for and receive a grant from the USA Triathlon Foundation that would pay for the first three years of the sport. We needed to act quickly to take advantage of the moment and, with the support of our administration, we did. As a result, we officially received a generous USA Triathlon Foundation grant, and we start practice on August 18. Kowabunga!鈥�

Hepler himself spent many years as a competitive triathlete and participated seven times in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Joanna Friesen will also give time to the new women鈥檚 triathlon team, and Professor听Chad Gusler, an accomplished swim coach, will take on an assistant coach spot.

鈥淎 year ago, women’s triathlon at 91短视频 wasn’t part of the conversations around strategic initiatives for enrollment growth,鈥� King said. 鈥淗owever, the convergence of forces has created the 鈥榩erfect storm鈥� and we are very excited about adding this new program. Bob Hepler’s knowledge, experience and passion for the sport, along with Shenandoah Valley’s rich biking culture, the interest level of distance runners in triathlon, the increased use of water training for runners and of course the support from USA Triathlon and funding opportunities from the USA Triathlon Foundation all add up to this being the ideal time to add the sport.鈥�

With the addition of women鈥檚 triathlon, 91短视频 now sponsors 19 collegiate sports. Women鈥檚 lacrosse will also be starting play in the spring of the 2019-20 academic year.

鈥淯SA Triathlon is pleased to welcome 91短视频 鈥� a school that not only offers excellent academic and athletic opportunities, but also prioritizes service, social justice and global engagement 鈥� to the women鈥檚 NCAA triathlon family,鈥� said Rocky Harris, CEO of USA Triathlon. 鈥淲e are proud of the fact that, with the addition of 91短视频, prospective varsity triathletes now have eight universities in USA Triathlon鈥檚 Mideast Region to choose from.”

Because of the status of the sport, collegiate teams can participate in any event sanctioned by USA Triathlon, yet not necessarily hosted by an NCAA institution. Hepler is building a schedule for this fall to include events at various locations around Virginia, such as nearby in Charlottesville and Richmond.

With the cross training already being used in his program, Hepler says triathlon will supplement what he does with his runners in cross country and track and field. He envisions some of the women on his team participating in both sports.

King is also excited how triathlon could benefit existing students but also give 91短视频 a unique draw to prospective students.

鈥淭here is always excitement when new opportunities are made available to student-athletes in their pursuit of a holistic educational experience,鈥� King said. 鈥淚’m grateful for the leadership that Coach Hepler has, and will continue to provide in establishing this program. Of course, this isn’t possible without the support of USA Triathlon, whose staff have been excellent to work with.鈥�

Hepler is hosting an informational meeting this Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the Conference Room in the 91短视频 Athletic Suite. The time is geared towards 91短视频 students interested in joining the team, although anyone with questions regarding the sport are welcome to attend.

Triathlon was approved as an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women in 2014, and has a 10-year window to demonstrate sustainability as a NCAA sport option. Triathlon is a fall sport in the NCAA schedule, with the Women’s Collegiate National Championships generally set for early November.

91短视频 USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

Current Varsity Collegiate Triathlon Programs (as of March 12, 2019)

NCAA Division I
Arizona State University (Tempe, Ariz.)
East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, Tenn.)
Hampton University (Hampton, Va.)
University of San Francisco (San Francisco. Calif.)
University of South Dakota (Vermillion, S.D.)
Wagner College (Staten Island, N.Y.)

NCAA Division II
American International College (Springfield, Mass.)
Belmont Abbey College (Belmont, N.C.)
Black Hills State University (Spearfish, S.D.)
Colorado Mesa University (Grand Junction, Colo.)
Daemen College (Amherst, N.Y.)
Davis & Elkins College (Elkins, W.V.)
Drury University (Springfield, Mo.)
King University (Bristol, Tenn.)
Montana State University Billings (Billings, Mont.)
Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.)
St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.)
Southern Wesleyan University (Central, S.C.)

NCAA Division III
Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Concordia University Wisconsin (Mequon, Wis.)
91短视频 (Harrisonburg, Va.)
Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.)
Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, Wis.)
North Central College (Naperville, Ill.)
Northern Vermont University-Johnson (Johnson, Vt.)
Transylvania University (Lexington, Ky.)
Trine University (Angola, Ind.)
Willamette University (Salem, Ore.)

For a team to be considered for this honor, it must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional meet and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.10 on a 4.0 scale. Overall, there were 393 teams honored by the USTFCCCA, of which 215 were women’s teams.

91短视频’s women had a team GPA of 3.58 and finished 16th at the South/Southeast Regional race, while the men had a GPA of 3.41 and finish 23rd at the regional meet. Both teams were well above the standards to earn All-Academic Team recognition.

This is the second straight season the Royals women have earned the team award.

Camodeca will start this summer, upon completion of his fifth season as the head coach of the Stevenson University track and field teams. He has also been an assistant with Stevenson’s cross country programs the past four years.

At Eastern Mennonite, Camodeca joins听Bob Hepler听who is starting this summer as the head coach for cross country and track and field. Camodeca said working with Hepler at an institution like 91短视频 drew him in.

“The sense of a connected community throughout the entire campus made me feel I would be a valued member,” he explained. “The opportunity to work with Coach Hepler really has me excited, and gives me an opportunity to continue to grow and develop as a coach. Director of Athletics听David King听really sees the value and impact track & field/cross country can have on a campus and student-athletes, which is important in developing the program’s culture at the university.”

Taking over at Stevenson in the spring of 2014, Camodeca quickly rebuilt the track & field program to a powerhouse with an overall roster of 70 athletes. This year, the men’s team won their first-ever Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) indoor and outdoor championships as well as the indoor title at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

Camodeca was named both the 2018 MAC Coach of the Year and the Mid-East Region Head Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Hepler said Camodeca quickly rose to the top of the candidate pool.

“We did a lot of research on the candidates as part of the search process for the position. Erick’s coaching accomplishments speak for themselves. He is a top coach,” said Hepler. “However, his interviews and reference checks revealed a selfless, dedicated coach and husband who truly puts others first. That’s what made him stand out. 91短视频 is extremely blessed to have Erick join the staff. I cannot wait to begin my partnership with him.”

Hepler, who himself has 22 conference championships under his belt as he wraps up a 14-year tenure at UT-Tyler, forms an incredible duo with Camodeca to lead the Royals’ program.

“I feel extremely fortunate to find two experienced and highly successful coaches interested in working together to re-build the cross country and track & field program here at 91短视频,” King said. “What Erick has done with the track program at Stevenson without having their own facility is a testament to the quality of his character and coaching ability along with his recruiting skills.”

King sensed a similarity between Hepler and Camodeca as both wanted to plug themselves and their student-athletes into all aspects of 91短视频.

“The excitement Erick brings, along with his interest in coaching the whole student-athlete and engaging with the rest of campus, will bring immediate results that will move the program forward,” explained King. “In my short time of working with both Erick and Bob, I sense a humility in both of them that will result in a dynamic working relationship, ultimately providing a great student-athlete experience.”

Preceding this weekend’s release of 2018 NCAA Outdoor National Championship field, Camodeca has led 13 national qualifiers at Stevenson. His athletes have won four All-America honors as well as a number of regional and conference athlete of the year awards. During his time, the Mustangs broke 96 of the 106 indoor and outdoor men’s and women’s track records.

“We accomplished amazing feats at Stevenson in a short period of time,” said Camodeca. “At 91短视频, I see there is a lot of support, and a lot of resources available now and to come, to help build and sustain a competitive program.”

Combined with Hepler, Camodeca will instill a culture of going the extra mile.

“I absolutely love what I do. I believe programs take on the values and energy of their leadership and that leads to a program’s success,” he said. “Practice is the easy part; it’s what we do outside of practice that really determines our success. Are we treating people with respect, are we getting it done in the classroom, and are we taking care of our bodies? How we handle those aspects is what really sets us apart.”

Before his time at D-III Stevenson, Camodeca spent a season as an assistant with D-I Loyola University Maryland. He also won four Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors and coached three All-Americans during a six-year tenure leading the cross country and track & field programs at D-III York College (Pa.).

King was appreciative of the work done by the interim staff in recent months.

“My thanks to interim cross country coach Hannah Chappell-Dick from this fall, and to interim track & field coach Ken L. Nafziger and assistants Michael Allen, Joanna Friesen, Jeremy Heizer, Tim Miller and Richard Robinson for providing leadership during this year’s indoor and outdoor seasons including the upcoming national championships,” said King.

The current track & field season will wrap up later this month, as both All-American hurdler听听(Winchester, Va./Millbrook) and triple jumper听听(Bristow, Va./Patriot) expect to qualify for the NCAA National Championships, which are听May 24-26听in La Crosse, Wisc.