Gehman, a senior kinesiology major, looks forward to running every day. When he’s running, he feels free, happy, at ease in a way that he often isn’t. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 4, Gehman has dealt with severe anxiety his entire life. Sometimes he can hardly make it out the door of his room. Sometimes he sits himself in the chair in Coach’s office to ride out another panic attack. Sometimes Gehman thinks that if he could just run all day, every day, that would keep things under control. But his homework won’t do itself, and he has classes to attend and all sorts of other basic life things that make that impractical.

He describes living with Asperger’s as follows: most people have buckets to hold all the little stresses and details and things that daily life throws at them. On stressful days when enough of those little things collect, the bucket overflows and the carrier is overwhelmed. Gehman has a thimble instead of a bucket. It gets full quick. When he was younger, full-blown panic attacks struck every day, leaving him breathless, terrified, stuck in place. Though he’s gotten better at fending them off, they’re never far away.

When he runs, it’s a different story. He has a bucket and it all feels easier.

‘Good but not great’ at first

Gehman was 13 the first time he went for a run – one mile from his house to the high school nearby, and one mile back. His parents made him take a walkie-talkie just in case. He didn’t need it. When he was 14, his family hosted a guest who was training for a marathon. Gehman cinched on his Velcro-strap shoes, tagged along with the guy for seven miles and was hooked.

For the next four years, he was a good but not great high school runner. After graduating from (earlier, he’d also attended a public high school), he put in another year of good but not great running at and then, transferred to Montreat College in western North Carolina. His coach there was more of a zealot for hard training and high mileage, and Gehman responded well. He qualified for the NAIA national cross country meet. In indoor track, he ran a 16:12 5k – not jaw-dropping, but certainly not pedestrian.

While Gehman’s running was going better than ever, managing his anxiety wasn’t. Transferring to 91����Ƶ, he found a more supportive environment on the track and cross-country teams for which Lewkowicz had set the expectation that “there’s a shared responsibility to care for one another.”

Lewkowicz was one of his earliest and biggest supporters. Lately, his teammates have become more and more important. Not that the thimble isn’t a problem anymore. It’s been a hard and anxious winter for Gehman. When things aren’t going well, sometimes there isn’t anything his teammates can say to fix things. What they can do, said Hannah Chappell-Dick, a standout runner on the women’s team who has qualified for nationals in both cross-country and track, is simply be present, be there, with and for him. And so that’s what they’ve done.

Overcoming anxiety and dropping time

Gehman’s performances have continued to improve. In his junior cross-country season, he made the All-Region team and barely missed qualifying for the NCAA D-III national meet. On the track the next spring, he dropped his 5k time down to 15:26. Back in cross-country last fall, he lowered his 8k personal-best to an elite 24:15 that left his good-but-not-great past in the dust. At the South/Southeast Regional meet, he took first place among the 200 best D-III runners between Virginia and Texas. It was the best race of his life. His teammates cried.

“It’s powerful to see people overcome things, and Ryan has done a lot of that this year,” said Chappell-Dick.

(On the NCAA race course the following week, Gehman felt like circuit breakers tripped inside him during the wild, stampeding chaos of the first half-mile. He finished in 237^th place, more than two minutes off his best time.)

It has been a tough and injury-plagued winter, and Gehman sat out the conference championship on March 1. But in January, he ran a very promising indoor 5k in 15:49. He’s logging miles and building up a base. He will approach outdoor track with his usual determination.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever coached anyone who works as hard as he does,” said Lewkowicz.

Sharing his hard work

Hard work is part of any good distance runner’s life. In Gehman’s case, though, the hard physical work of training follows the heavy emotional lifting it sometimes takes just to lace up his shoes and show up at practice. He works hard in order to work hard.

After graduation, Gehman plans to race longer distances – half-marathons, marathons. His biggest love is for the quiet and calm of trail running. He thinks he’ll try to go pro. When Coach Lewkowicz lets him, he criss-crosses the rocky slopes of Massanutten Mountain with Dan Nafziger ‘13, an admissions counselor who qualified for the national cross-country meet in 2011.

Since emerging as a top-flight runner, Gehman has begun tackling another difficult challenge: talking about the obstacles he’s overcome. It hasn’t come easy, but then again, lots of things haven’t come easy for him. And perhaps, he figured, his story could inspire others who face similar challenges.

Last year, with the encouragement of Lewkowicz and the athletics department, he gave an interview to the local TV station about his life with Asperger’s syndrome. In February, he was invited to speak to a Rotary club in Salem, Virginia. Talking in front of news cameras and rooms full of people was a lot to ask of his thimble, but not enough to stop him.

After the TV interview aired, Gehman received a Facebook message from a couple who’d seen it. Their 11-year-old daughter had been diagnosed with Asperger’s, and they were curious if they might meet with him to hear more about what it’s like. They came and talked with him for an hour in the Commons. Gehman was thrilled at the opportunity to help the parents understand their daughter better. It feels great, he says. He uses the exact same words to describe his running, but there’s a difference.

“Running is something I do for me,” he says. “Talking about my disability is something I can do for other people.”

Ryan Gehman has known for nearly a decade now that running makes him feel good. He’s just now finding out that telling others about why that’s the case makes him feel even better.

The basics about cross-cultural

Each academic year 91����Ƶ offers three or four semester-long cross-cultural programs to destinations all over the world. At some point during their time in college, slightly over half of all 91����Ƶ students study overseas for a semester. Additionally, up to a half dozen three- to six-week programs are offered every summer.

Between the two options, a large majority of students at 91����Ƶ study abroad to fulfill its requirement for cross-cultural education, and the remainder have a supervised cross-cultural experience nearer to home. It’s a distinctive, long-standing and wildly popular part of the curriculum.

“We overwhelmingly hear from alumni that this is one of the best things that they did as an undergraduate because of the life experience and the self-understanding that they gain, the perspective [and] the language skills,” says , assistant to .

After surveying several dozen students recently returned from an overseas cross-cultural, we’ve compiled a list of the most common reasons students look back on the experience as one of the best of their college years.

1. Gain new self-confidence

Getting from A to B in a strange place is part of every cross-cultural, and students find it’s a fantastic way to build confidence in their abilities to navigate new life situations.

“After riding many trains, planes, and automobiles – and one camel – I now have the confidence and know-how to travel by myself to just about any destination,” says Emma King ’15.

Nursing major Afton Vanderwarker ’15 says being “able to function completely independently for the first time in my life on our week of free travel … showed me how much I’m capable of and that I really can go anywhere and do anything in the world.”

2. Learn a language

Many cross-culturals include formal language study as well as an immersion experience with another language. There’s no better way to learn.

“I left knowing zero Spanish and returned able to speak enough to have conversations with host families and most people I met on the street,” says Alex Witmer ’15.

3. Make new friendships from home that will last forever

“I left the U.S. with a group of strangers and came back with a family,” says Rebekah Graham ’13.

Expect to form tight, long-lasting bonds with the other students in your group. Emma King ’15 explains why: “They were the ones who helped you carry your bag up a mountain. They ate the same sketchy looking soup with the unidentifiable green stuff in it that you did. They can now speak a foreign language just as badly as you can and laugh along with you when you accidentally ask a shop owner for a kiss rather than asking for their attention. They know all your embarrassing digestion stories. They are the people that know you at your best and at your worst.”

4. Form friendships abroad, gaining insights into the world

“I am still in contact with people from Syria to Palestine that I met through home stays and our living experiences, as well as [having] connections with people from places such as Guam and Ukraine that I made during free travel,” says ’13.

Syria and Ukraine have been spending a lot of time in the international headlines lately; Nafziger’s contacts there have given him greater understanding of the events putting those countries in the media spotlight.

5. Expand your food horizons

Chances are good you’ll eat things you’ve never heard of before (e.g., chocobananos), and maybe things you’d never considered food before (e.g., chicken feet). And, chances are good, you’ll be very glad you had the opportunity.

“The street food which we were warned not to eat was the best food I’ve ever had in my life,” says Vanderwarker. “I’d fly back for street food.”

6. Do things you couldn’t possibly do at home

Hike Spain’s Camino de Santiago! Swim with sea lion pups! Tour the Colombian countryside by motorcycle! Students come back from their cross-cultural with memories to last a lifetime.

“I got to visit Hobbiton [movie set in New Zealand], which was the greatest day of my life,” says Bonnie Fisher ’14.

Kaitlin Heatwole ’11 spent her free-travel hiking a section of the Israel National Trail, hampered by a lack of English-language maps. The best one she and her friends could find wasn’t great – imagine using a road atlas to hike the Appalachian Trail – and they did indeed go a bit astray. But gummy bear candy kept spirits high and they made it to the end intact, on time, and the better for it.

7. Change your life forever, and for the better

Talk to students who have been on a cross-cultural, and you’ll hear some variation of this over and over:

“This semester abroad marked one of the greatest times of my life – challenging, but beautiful,” says Annie Dutcher ’08. “My time in Guatemala and Mexico was completely life-altering in all the best ways. I credit 91����Ƶ and this trip with opening my eyes to life outside of the U.S.”

Here are a few more take-aways:

“Even now, almost 15 months after returning to the U.S., I continue to strive for that sense of profound engagement with the world around me that I felt while on cross-cultural, and struggle to find ways to step outside of comfortable American life.” – Meg Smeltzer Miller ’13

“I learned how to choose to be content in each and every situation, no matter how difficult.” – Caitlyn Suttles ’13

“It did make me more reflective and thoughtful in my daily life. I don’t go a day without thinking of Honduras and the struggles those people face each and everyday.” – Patrick Campbell ’12, MA ’14

“If you want to leave college feeling like you’ve learned something and changed who you are in the best ways, cross cultural is the path you want to take. It’s a struggle but every moment – the hours in language class, the weight gain, the homesickness – is totally worth every penny and drop of sweat.” – Lani Prunés ’14

More info about cross-cultural

Learn more about cross-cultural study abroad at 91����Ƶ on the program website,��student blogs and our .

All of 91����Ƶ’s ODAC-sponsored sports were represented on the All-Academic Team.  Men’s volleyball competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference and is not eligible for the ODAC team.

The ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the seventh consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fourth year in a row.  With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only and Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only), 1,459 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2012-13 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.  He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.

Nels Akerson – Cross Country, Track & Field
Elizabeth Alderfer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Sonja Anderson – Field Hockey
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Ruthie Beck – Softball
Jennifer Blankenship – Women’s Basketball
Jessica Blanks – Field Hockey
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Cross Country, Track & Field
Hannah Clemmer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Alli Eanes – Cross Country, Track & Field
Katie Eckman – Cross Country
Ryan Eshleman – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Estrada – Baseball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Chantelle Garber – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Patrick Graber – Cross Country, Track & Field
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Holly Jensen – Women’s Soccer
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Janna Kaufman – Women’s Soccer
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Lanae Kreider – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jonathan Leaman – Men’s Golf
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mattie Lehman – Women’s Volleyball
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Rachel Lehman – Women’s Volleyball
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Owen Longacre – Men’s Basketball
Karla Martin – Women’s Volleyball
Katie Martin – Women’s Volleyball
Phillip Martin – Track & Field
Ian Mast – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Cross Country, Track & Field
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Thomas Millary – Cross Country
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Michelle Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Kaitlyn Morris – Softball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Joel Murray – Men’s Golf
Dan Nafziger – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jolee Paden – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jesse Parker – Cross Country, Track & Field
Hannah Patterson – Track & Field
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Sara Ritchie – Women’s Volleyball
Krista Rittenhouse – Cross Country, Track & Field
Adriana Santiago – Field Hockey
Meghan Schaefer – Cross Country
Juni Schirch – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Aaron Sloan – Track & Field
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Aaron Springer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Andre Swartzentruber – Men’s Golf
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Kegan Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Tyler Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey

Those honored from Eastern Mennonite were:

(Harrisonburg, Va./Westmont Hilltop), Sr., Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Elementary Education, 3.96 GPA.  Eanes peaked as a senior, setting all of her career best times and earning All-ODAC Second Team in cross country.

(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), Sr., Men’s Soccer – Back, Biology/Philosophy & Theology, 3.90 GPA.  Eshleman completed a stellar career in which he was a four-year starter as a center back.  He also scored his first goal this year.  He was given the 91����Ƶ President’s Award this spring and also earned ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year, NSCAA Scholar All-Region, CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, VaSID All-State First Team, All-ODAC First Team.  This is Eshleman’s third year on the Academic All-State Team.

(Broadway, Va./Broadway), Sr., Men’s Golf, Business Administration & Accounting, 3.95 GPA.  Leaman helped launch 91����Ƶ’s golf program this year, and finished second on the team with an 83.3 round average.

(Telford, Pa./Christopher Dock), Sr., Men’s Basketball – Forward, History/Social Science (Secondary Education Licensure), 3.91 GPA.  Longacre earned a repeat spot on the Academic All-State Team, and averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his second season as a starter for the Runnin Royals.

(Willow Street, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), Sr., Men’s Soccer – Midfielder, Health & Physical Education, 4.0 GPA.  Mast was a vital part of the midfield for the Royals, starting 17 games and playing in all 20.

(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg), Sr., Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Biology/Psychology, 3.97 GPA.  Nafziger had another banner year, claiming All-ODAC First Team in cross country and setting a program record on Peak View’s 8k course at 26:55.07.  He also set four new 91����Ƶ records during the indoor track season: 1000m (2:35.32), mile (4:26.77), 3000m (8:55.45), and distance medley relay (10:37.15).

To earn VaSID Academic All-State honors, a student-athlete must have achieved at least a 3.25 grade point average and be at least a sophomore.  Each school in the state is allowed six nominees.

VaSID is comprised of sports information or athletics communications professionals from intercollegiate institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Membership is open to any individual affiliated with one of the state’s institutions at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA and community college levels, provided that individual’s area of responsibility lies within the realm of sports information.

(Dalton, OH/Central Christian) won the high jump by two heights, clearing 1.99m (6-6.25ft).  His measurement also put him at the No. 2 spot on the 91����Ƶ all-time list, behind only Phil Landes, who cleared 2.03m (6-8ft) in 1987.

(Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) had a good day in the sprints.  He charted the No. 7 time in 91����Ƶ history in the 200m dash, crossing in 22.73 seconds.  In the 100m dash, McBride took the No. 8 spot with a time of 11.22.

Distance runner (Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) finished less than a quarter of a second behind Bridgewater’s Luke Sohl in the 800m run.  The senior’s time of 1:58.47 gave him sixth place at the duals, and the No. 8 spot in the 91����Ƶ books.

(Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) continued to impress in the 400m hurdles, as he set a new personal record at 58.15.  He was also part of a 4x100m relay team which took the seventh-best time in 91����Ƶ history.  The team of (Fork Union, VA/Louisa County), McBride, Bush and (Nelson, VA/Nelson County) clocked at 44.00, also taking third at the event.

(Philadelphia, PA/La Salle) was the top 91����Ƶ finisher in the 400m with a time of 52.14.

Allen’s best leap in the long jump landed at 6.46m (21-2.5ft), but he fouled on all three attempts in the triple jump.

(Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) and (Salina, KS) both competed in the throws.  Sloan was the top Royal in the shot put at 11.36m (37-3.25ft), while Walker was ahead in the hammer throw at 21.97m (72-1ft).  Sloan also landed at 44.82m (147-0ft) in the javelin, for fourth at the meet.

The women’s team had fewer athletes participating, but freshman (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) flashed some top ten times in two events.  She tried her hand at the shorter distances Saturday and won the 400m dash with the fifth-best time in 91����Ƶ history.  Chappell-Dick also ran the 200m dash, and finished with the No. 8 time in 91����Ƶ’s books at 27.64 seconds.

(Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) timed at 5:19.44 in the 1500m run, followed by teammate (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) at 5:26.96.

In the throws, (Strasburg, VA/Strasburg) set a new PR in the hammer throw, with her first heave landing at 34.43m (112-11ft).  She also had a distance of 27.17m (89-2ft) in the discus.

(Gig Harbor, WA/Peninsula) landed at 24.52m (80-5ft) in the discus and 26.80m (87-11ft) in the javelin.  ‘s (Archbold, OH/Archbold) best throw in the javelin measured at 19.90m (65-3ft).

Eastern Mennonite’s track teams return to Lynchburg next Saturday for the Liberty Invitational.  It will be their final tune-up for the ODAC Championships on April 19 & 20.

(Wichita, KS/Wichita East), (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle), (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and (Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) teamed up to best the distance medley time by more than 12 seconds, as they crossed in 10:37.15.  The old record of 10:49.91 was set in 2003.  The foursome finished second at the meet, and also clocked the second fastest time in the ODAC this winter.

Nafziger set his personal record (PR) in the 800m run, and just missed breaking two minutes.  The junior broke the line in 2:00.99 and is fourth all-time in 91����Ƶ history in the event.

The women’s distance runners for 91����Ƶ also did well at the meet.  In the mile run, Jolee Paden (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) crossed in 5:32.21.  Sophomore Lanae Kreider (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) set her PR in the event at 5:40.84.  The time was also good for No. 6 on the 91����Ƶ Top Ten list.

In the 800m run, the Lady Royals had three runners who were all within the top ten list.  Hannah Chappell-Dick (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) finished third and was the top D-III finisher in 2:19.74.  She was about a second behind her 91����Ƶ record time.  Chafin Brumfield (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) and Juni Schirch (Goshen, IN/Goshen) each set their PRs and moved up in the history books.  Brumfield crossed in 2:27.51 and is No. 3 all-time, while Schirch timed at 2:31.66 and is now No. 6.

91����Ƶ sent mostly field athletes to the VMI Relays on Saturday, and thrower (Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) highlighted the day with a pair of PRs.  In the weight throw, Sloan finished only behind a D-I VMI athlete with a throw of 12.78m (41-11.25ft).  He is now No. 4 in the 91����Ƶ history in the event.

In the shot put, Sloan set his PR with a toss of 12.59m (41-3.75ft) and is seventh all-time.

(Dalton, OH/Central Christian) was the top D-III finisher in the high jump, clearing 1.90m (6-2.75ft) on his second attempt.  His is third on the 91����Ƶ charts.

In the women’s weight throw, Jenni Beck (Archbold, OH/Archbold) landed her PR and is sixth all-time at 91����Ƶ with 10.27m (33-8.5ft).  Tedi Sanders-Palmer (Philadelphia, PA/Christopher Dock) was a few inches shorter at 10.04m (32-11.25ft) and is at No. 7.

Next up are the ODAC Indoor Championships in Lynchburg, VA, next Friday.

Junior (Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) highlighted the men’s side, as he took down 91����Ƶ records in both the 1000m and mile runs.  In the one mile, Nafziger crossed the finish in 4:26.77, breaking Kevin Beachy’s record of 4:28.96 which was set in 2007.  He was also the top D-III finisher at the meet, which was filled with athletes from all three NCAA divisions.

Freshman (Grottoes, VA/Spotswood) had a personal record in the mile, grabbing the eighth-best time in 91����Ƶ history at 4:35.86.

Nafziger also broke the school record in the 1000m, as he was sixth overall at the Liberty Open and the second D-III finisher.  His time of 2:35.32 beat out Richy Bikko from 2009 by more than three seconds at 2:38.71.

Orellana was again close behind, taking the fourth spot in the 91����Ƶ books at 2:48.02.

(Dalton, OH/Central Christian), in his first year of competing in the high jump, nearly broke the school record.  The junior cleared the bar at 1.89m (6-2.25ft) to take second among D-III athletes at the meet.  King’s height was also second only to (Fork Union, VA/Louisa County), who set the record of 1.92m (6-3.5ft) in 2009.  (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) tied his personal best from last week, which has him tenth in 91����Ƶ history at 1.79m (5-10.5ft.)

Allen, returning to the team for his final season after missing a year on his cross cultural study, notched his PR in the 60m dash.  He timed in at 7.38, which also landed him fifth in 91����Ƶ history.  (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) crossed the finish in 7.54.

In the 400m dash, (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) had a solid finish, as his time of 53.08 had him third among the D-III runners.  (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle) was a fraction back at 53.34.

The Royals had a busy field in the 200m dash, as Bush led a trio of runners with a time of 24.14.  Watson came in at 24.19, with Allen crossing in 24.21.  In the 800m run, (Mount Joy, PA/Donegal) finished one spot ahead of teammate (Dayton, VA/Benjamin Logan).  Their times were 2:10.93 and 2:13.29, respectively.

In other field events, Allen, although rusty in his return to the triple jump, was still the second D-III finisher, as his best leap totaled 13.11m (43-0.25ft).

(Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) just missed his PRs in both the shot put and the weight throw.  In the shot, he charted an 11.85m (38-10.5ft), while he landed at 11.93m (39-1.75ft) in the weight throw.

For the women, what they lacked in quantity on Saturday they made up for in quality.

Hannah Chappell-Dick (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton), a week after breaking the 91����Ƶ record in 800m, added two more program marks to her trophy shelf.  In the one mile run, the freshman cruised across the finish in 5:12.89.  She was the top collegiate runner at the meet, notched the top time in the ODAC this season, and broke her own school record by more than 12 seconds.  Chappell-Dick had already set the 91����Ƶ record in her first meet on Dec. 1, clocked then at 5:25.09.

Classmate Jolee Paden (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) had actually broken Chappell-Dick’s first record in the event in an earlier heat, clocking a time of 5:24.93.  Paden settles for second on the 91����Ƶ chart, along with the third-best time in the ODAC this year.  Hannah Clemmer (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) crossed in 6:03.30 at the meet, with Saralyn Mast (Gap, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) a few steps behind in 6:13.08.

In the 3000m run, Chappell-Dick added a third 91����Ƶ record.  She was the top D-III finisher with a time of 10:48.48, beating Andrea Good’s record of 10:51.49 from 2002 by just over three seconds.  It was also the third-best time in the ODAC this year.

The only other Royals women running at the Liberty Open on Saturday were Chafin Brumfield (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) and Juni Schirch (Goshen, IN/Goshen), and both set PRs in the 800m.  Brumfield finished with a time of 2:33.67, taking ninth in 91����Ƶ history.  Schirch charted 2:34.68, good for tenth in the program’s books.

The Eastern Mennonite teams head south again next weekend, participating at the JDL Fast Track Invite in Winston-Salem, NC.

“There is a new expectation of excellence,” he said, “and while we are still growing and have lots of room to improve, the mindset is one that is focused on being competitive and keeping the momentum going.  Since so many of the cross country runners are also running track, it will be great to get the entire crew together and continue to pursue our goals.”

The track campaign starts with the indoor season opener this Saturday at the Liberty Kickoff in Lynchburg.  It gets going in earnest after the upcoming Christmas break.

Lewkowicz is excited to see his team continue to grow in number and talent.  The combined rosters totaled a mere 13 student-athletes the year before he took over the program.  This year there are 40 men and women on the teams.

“Our team size has more or less doubled from last year which is a plus,” said Lewkowicz.  “We have added a number of quality athletes that will help us be more competitive in the this year.  There is a lot of energy with this group and the buzz that was created during the cross country season has carried over to our track team.  We still lack depth is several critical areas but we will have a presence in most events which is exciting.”

Aside from all of the new faces on the roster this year, a big addition is the return of jumper Michael Allen (Fork Union, VA/Louisa County).  In three previous seasons, he won multiple ODAC crowns as well as trips to the national meet.  Allen is back for his senior campaign after missing last spring while studying off campus through 91����Ƶ’s cross cultural program.

“It is great to have someone like Michael on our team for a number of reasons,” explained Lewkowicz.  “He brings natural leadership and has competed at a high level, so he knows what it takes.  He is admittedly rusty after taking a year off but he is working hard with Coach (Britton) Olinger and is beginning to regain his form.  The talent is there and the potential is immense, although everyone will have to be patient as he works his way back into top shape.”

As happened this fall with the cross country teams, an influx of new talent should challenge some school records and buoy the process of rebuilding the Eastern Mennonite track & field program.

“On the women’s side, we will be very strong in the middle distance events,” Lewkowicz said.  “We have four freshmen women who have run a faster 800m time in high school than our current school record, so that is exciting.”

The coach pointed to his top cross country runner, (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton), to lead that group, saying that she has potential to become an NCAA qualifier during her time at 91����Ƶ.  Lewkowicz also singled out the leadership and athleticism of senior (Berryville, VA/Clarke County), who is switching from middle distance to sprints and jumps this year.  He also expects to see a few ODAC scorers from a strong crew of throwers.

“On the men’s side, it’s exciting to think about their potential to really make a jump in the ODAC rankings,” said Lewkowicz.

The Royals scored in the single digits in last year’s ODAC Championships.

Lewkowicz said that local product Richard Robinson (Broadway, VA/Broadway) could be one of the top freshmen hurdlers in the nation, with both he and Allen challenging for ODAC golds in their respective events.  Dan Nafziger (Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) and Carlos Orellana (Grottoes, VA/Spotswood), the anchors of the cross country team, will also strengthen the distance group on the track team.

Other women Lewkowicz mentioned as likely to make some noise include: (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) in the 400m and 800m, thrower (Waynesboro, VA/Waynesboro), middle distance runner (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) and (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) in the steeplechase.  For the men, Lewkowicz also highlighted transfer Philip Watson (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle) and Jonathan Bush (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts), both in the 200m and 400m.

As they prepare for their first meet, team unity is proving to be a strength.

“It has been a short turnaround from the cross country season so we are working to bring the team together and get focused on our common goals of honoring God with our team while pursuing excellence in our endeavors,” Lewkowicz explained.  “I am blessed with a dedicated and talented coaching staff and we are all on the same page in what it takes to prepare our athletes to compete at a high level.  Our hope is that these fundamentals honed and the fitness gained over the fall will be maintained over the Christmas break so we can come out in January and continue to progress.”

While always brimming with optimism, Lewkowicz knows neither his men nor women have the depth to grab a team title at an ODAC meet this year.  But he thinks a top four or five finish would be an encouraging sign of progress, both to his athletes and to the general public.

“We have a number of athletes with the potential to be All-ODAC or ODAC champions, and there are a few who have ambitions of qualifying for the NCAA Championships,” the coach said.  “There are a number of school records that we expect to fall this year and we will be keeping track of them on our bulletin board outside of the athletics office.  We’re hoping for weekly updates to it!”

He also expects those records to be celebrated by the entire team, as well as for them to have higher goals that might not be seen on paper.

“While (breaking records) are individual goals, so to speak, they are accomplishments that would be appreciated and shared by the team as a whole,” said Lewkowicz.  “Our main non-quantitative goals are to be a team that holds itself to a high standard morally, and ethically, to maintain humility and integrity, and to seek to honor our great God in all that we do, win or lose.”

(Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) broke the school record in the 3000m steeplechase, crossing in 9:55.04, just ahead of an Emory runner in a photo finish.  Nafziger also edged Lynn Stoltzfus’ 91����Ƶ mark of 9:55.26 by a fraction of a second.

(Dillsburg, PA/Homeschool) crossed in 18:16.83 in the 5000m run.

In the shot put, (Boyce, VA/Clarke County) was one of the top D-III finishers with a distance of 13.22m (43-04.50ft).  (Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) landed at 10.83m (35-06.50ft), a season best for him.

In the discus, Morgan’s best throw was 30.95m (101-06ft).

(Baltimore, MD/Paul Lawrence Dunbar) had a good showing in the hammer throw, getting a throw of 32.57m (106-10ft).

Sloan landed at 39.72m (130-04ft) in the javelin.

On the women’s side, Sophia Holmes (Berryville, VA/Clarke County) crossed in 2:27.86 in the 800m run and Hannah Patterson (Puyallup, WA/Mountainview International) timed at 2:43.85.

Lanae Kreider (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) tried the 3000m steeplechase and had a solid finish in 12:56.91.  She also stepped into third on 91����Ƶ’s all-time list in the event.

In the field events, Jenni Beck (Archbold, OH/Archbold) landed the shot put at 8.58m (28-01.75ft).  She also threw the javelin 17.30m (56-09ft).

Eastern Mennonite now gets ready for the ODAC Championships, which are this Friday and Saturday in Salem.

On Friday a trio of Royals ran in packed fields of the 5000m.  For the women, Alli Eanes (Harrisonburg, VA/Westmont Hilltop) and Lanae Kreider (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) took 19th and 20th, respectively, out of 39 D-I, D-II and D-III runners.  Eanes crossed in 19:46.72, with Kreider just a couple of steps behind in 19:53.70.

(Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) was one of 50 runners on the men’s side, taking 30th with a time of 16:10.33.

The rest of the 91����Ƶ track team took part in Saturday’s smaller Jopson Invitational on a day mixed with sprinkles and sun.  Freshman (Boyce, VA/Clarke County) made a splash in his first outdoor meet, grabbing second in the shot put.  He was also the top school-affiliated participant with a heave of 13.82m (45-04.25ft) and firmly planted himself third on the 91����Ƶ All-Time list.  (Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) was 13th with a top put of 10.40m (34-01.50ft).

(Baltimore, MD/Paul Lawrence Dunbar) nearly won the hammer throw, taking second at 34.03m (111-08ft).  Roanoke’s Paul LaPradd won with 34.96m (114-08ft).

Morgan was seventh in the discus, landing at 33.50m (109-11ft).  Sloan took sixth in the javelin, with a best throw of 39.14m (128-05ft).

In the 1500m run, (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) crossed in 4:30.87, less than a second behind 11th place.  (Dillsburg, PA/Homeschool) was fifth in the small field of the 5000m with a time of 18:44.02.

Junior Sophia Holmes (Berryville, VA/Clarke County) highlighted the day by taking third in the 800m run, crossing in 2:26.56 and also moving into third on the 91����Ƶ All-Time list.  Malika Davis was 15th in 2:42.24 with Hannah Patterson (Puyallup, WA/Mountainview International) 16th in 2:44.95.

Naomi Good (Columbia, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) ran in the 400m and took third in 1:05.98.

In the field events, Jenni Beck (Archbold, OH/Archbold) finished in the middle of the pack in the shot put, taking seventh with a distance of 8.76m (28-09.00ft).  Alyssa Bane (Strasburg, VA/Strasburg) came in ninth in the discus at 27.18m (89-02ft).

Beck and Bethany Hench (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle) also participated in the javelin.  Beck had a best throw of 19.05m (62-06ft) while Hench was just short of her with 18.77m (61-07ft).  Bane was fifth out of nine participants in the hammer throw at 31.40m (103-00ft), with Hench landing at 24.76m (81-03ft).

Next up for the Eastern Mennonite athletes is the Towson Invitational in Towson, MD, next Saturday.

Daryl Bert, vice president for finance, opened chapel by praising the tireless efforts of Bruce Emmerson, food services director for Pioneer Catering, which operates 52 kitchens nationwide.  Emmerson, who was named Pioneer’s “rookie of the year,” in 2007 and “director of the year,” in 2011, has continuously improved the quality of services that are offered to the students, faculty, staff and visitors of 91����Ƶ, said Bert.

“I have appreciated how seriously Bruce takes feedback from our community by personally, wittily and publicly responding to feedback cards in the cafeteria,” said Bert. “I am always amazed at how quickly Bruce implements themes from the survey forms into the food service experience in the cafeteria…

“I believe this attention to quality is validated by the large number of faculty and staff that join students in the cafeteria for lunch on a daily basis.”

Byron Peachey, associate campus pastor, said: “Anytime I’ve needed to work with Bruce or Ramona [Lantz] with special catering needs or events, they are adaptable and easy to work with, willing to take on special events such as the Late Night Breakfast… The food is always consistently delicious and varied.”

91����Ƶ routinely hosts outside groups, conferences and youth camps over the summer which adds to Emmerson’s schedule. LeDayne McLeese Polaski, program coordinator for the Baptist Peace Fellowship also praised the work of Emmerson and Matthew Hunsberger, Lehman Auditorium facility technician, in a written statement to Bert.

After stating that her Fellowship puts 91����Ƶ at the top of the list, Polaski added: “I would be remiss if I did not mention the excellent work of Matt Hunsberger and Bruce Emmerson… They are true professionals who go above and beyond the call of duty to provide excellent service.”

Below is a list of students who were honored at the chapel ceremony for academics, athletics and community service.

Fall Season

Men’s Cross Country:

Dan Nafziger: ODAC Athlete of the Week (Sept. 1-5), All-ODAC Second Team, All-South/Southeast Region First Team, NCAA National Championships participant

Field Hockey:

Nicole Bencsik: All-ODAC Second Team

Jenessa Derstine: All-ODAC Third Team

Valerie Landis: ODAC All-Tournament Team, All-ODAC First Team

Adriana Santiago: ODAC All-Tournament Team, All-ODAC First Team

Men’s Soccer:

Barkot Akalu: All-ODAC Third Team

Kevin Chico: ODAC All-Tournament Team, All-ODAC First Team

Ryan Eshleman: ODAC All-Tournament Team, CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District Team, All-ODAC First Team

Mitchell Leap: ODAC Player of the Week (Sept. 19-25), ODAC Player of the Week (Oct. 3-9), ODAC Player of the Week (Oct. 24-30), All-ODAC First Team

Brent Yoder:    All-ODAC Third Team

Women’s Cross Country:

Katie Eckman: All-ODAC Second Team

Women’s Volleyball:

Tabitha Bowman: CUA Guetle All-Invitational Team

Brittany Childress: 91����Ƶ Hampton Inn & Sleep Inn All-Invitational Team

Winter Season

Men’s Basketball:

Owen Longacre: Marymount Tip-Off Tournament All-Tournament Team

Women’s Basketball:

Raiven Patterson: 91����Ƶ Tip-Off Classic Most Outstanding Player

Kala Yoders: All-91����Ƶ Tip-Off Classic Team

Intensive English Program

Fanty Polanco

Maria Pena

Jihoo Park

Academic Support Center-Tutors

Stacy Kinkaid

Haleigh Hershberger

Lyubov Slashcheva

Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival nominations

Elizabeth Gannaway

Julia King

Justin Rittenhouse (alternate)

Jamie Hiner (stage manager)

Pastoral Assistant Recognition

Mitchell Stutzman – 1.5 years as pastoral assistant

Nursing Department Outstanding Service Award

Rebekah [last name omitted on request]

Student Government Association

Hannah Patterson, Senator

Joel Choi, Senator

Louise Babikow, Senator

Brittney Wenger, Senator

Katrina Goering, Senator

Daniel Sigmans, Treasurer

Nels Åkerson, c0-President

Nafziger, who missed last season with an injury after transferring from D-I George Mason, was running 150^th after the first mile, but his splits slowed as his Achilles acted up.  He finished with a time of 26:31.56 on the 8k course, taking 254^th out of 279 runners at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne, WI.  UW-Oshkosh was the host school.

Despite not finishing as high as hoped, Coach Jason Lewkowicz was still proud of his runner.

“Dan didn’t have the race that he wanted to today,” said Lewkowicz, “but I am so proud of how he persevered throughout this season through illness and injury to even get to this point of representing 91����Ƶ at the national championships.  The cold weather caused his injured Achilles to act up and keep him from being his best but there are no excuses.  We’ll learn from this experience, take some time to get healthy, and look towards having a strong track season.”

Ben Sathre from St. Thomas (MN) led at every split and won the individual title with a time of 23:44.27.  Lee Berube of SUNY Geneseo was second at 23:49.60.

Traditional power North Central (IL) won the team title easily with a total of 110 points.  Haverford was second with 172.

Nafziger finishes with a handful of honors from his first competitive season at 91����Ƶ as he was named an ODAC Runner of the Week, All-ODAC Second Team, and All-South/Southeast Region First Team.  This is the third straight year the Royals have had a runner at the NCAA D-III National Championships.

Nafziger shaved 15 seconds off his time from the ODAC Championships two weeks ago and to cross fourth Saturday at the meet hosted by Texas Lutheran in Sequin, TX.  With his time of 26:26.7, he was just 22 seconds behind winner John Kieffer on Centre College.

The finish also earned Nafziger All-South/Southeast Region First Team honors and he beat six runners who crossed in front of him at the ODAC meet.  He will now race on Saturday, Nov. 19, at the National Meet hosted by UW-Oshkosh.  Seniors Tim Smith of Roanoke and Sean Whitson of Virginia Wesleyan were second and third, respectively.

Coach Jason Lewkowicz said Nafziger is regaining his form after struggling with a midseason illness.

“I am thrilled for Dan,” said Lewkowicz.  “He has been through a lot this season and to put it all together on the big stage shows his toughness and determination.  He will represent 91����Ƶ very well next week in Wisconsin.”

was 91����Ƶ’s next runner at the regional meet, taking 89^th in 29:02.1.

The Royals’ young core provided the rest of the team scoring, headed by freshman who was 126^th in 30:40.2.  Classmate was 156^th in 32:14.4 followed two spots later by in 32:18.9.  crossed in another ten spots with a time of 34:37.8.

As a team, Eastern Mennonite took 19^th out of 23 teams.  The men had 480 points ahead of Southwestern (TX) at 526 and behind Birmingham-Southern, which had 465.  ODAC opponent Lynchburg took the team title by a single point over Centre, 112 to 113.