Patterson is a special agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). She was one of more than 50 special agents assigned to protect America’s athletes and teams as they trained, competed, and traveled to media appearances.

The writing studies grad, who excelled as a cross-country and track athlete at 91����Ƶ, worked as a field liaison officer at the ice rinks in Milan, where she safeguarded USA’s figure skaters, hockey teams, and speed skaters, including gold medalists Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu, and Jordan Stolz.

“Part of being there is taking time to observe the crowd and ensure everything’s secure and all set-up,” said Patterson. “But it’s also a lot of sport-watching and cheering on Team USA and hoping the athletes you’ve been with do well.”

“Figure skating was phenomenal. I was in awe of what they’re able to do. But the crowd with the biggest atmosphere, I think, was probably men’s and women’s hockey. It was a very exhilarating environment. It was hard not to get caught up and feel the roar of the crowd cheering on the teams.” 

Hannah Patterson ’14, a special agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, worked a “pretty intense schedule” at the 2026 Winter Olympics, often starting her workday at 7 a.m. to protect athletes while they trained and working well past midnight for competitions that ended late.

‘It’s just one big adventure’

Born in Singapore to parents involved in community development work, Patterson moved with her family to Indonesia when she was 12. She attended Mountainview International Christian School. It was there she learned one of her classmates, nursing grad David Jantzi ’13, whose parents were alumni, had his sights set on attending 91����Ƶ.

“I ended up applying on a whim,” said Patterson, “and I’m so grateful I did.”

She said one of the major draws to 91����Ƶ was that its financial aid office was “so proactive” in telling her which grants and awards were available. “91����Ƶ was such an obviously tight-knit community that cared, even before I showed up, and that just followed through over the next four years,” she said. “Looking back now, I wouldn’t have done as well at a big state school where I would’ve felt like just a number. My professors were always there for me, and I loved that about 91����Ƶ.”

Another draw was its intercultural programs. Patterson immersed herself in the cultures of South Africa and Lesotho for a semester and said she treasures 91����Ƶ’s global focus.

“I love the sense of adventure that 91����Ƶ carries with it,” she said. “That’s something I feel almost every day on the job. It’s just one big adventure, and every day is a cross-cultural experience.”

Hannah Patterson ’14 (pictured third from left), a cross-country and track athlete at 91����Ƶ, said her coaches ensured she was growing and finding her place in the world. “I loved being on a team that was incredibly supportive, and I think my teammates, coaches, and track and cross-country teams really shaped me as a person, pushed me, and helped me grow. In a school that is so community-focused, it was nice to have an even tighter group to grow and dream with.”

Patterson graduated with a writing studies degree in 2014 (right photo). She said her intercultural experiences in South Africa (left photo) and Lesotho, along with the mentorship she received from professors, helped shape her love of adventure. “It’s a huge thing to be able to travel as much as I do and I am very grateful for it,” she said.

Landing the job

After graduating in 2014, Patterson was working at Black Sheep Coffee in Harrisonburg when she mentioned to a coworker she was seeking a career change. Unbeknownst to her, that coworker’s husband was a DSS agent working at a training center in West Virginia, and she suggested that Patterson would be a good fit for the job, based on her experience growing up overseas and her love of adventure.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted it to be relational,” Patterson said. “Along with the daily problem-solving and micro-challenges I enjoy, I’m very grateful this job exists, that I’m able to do it, and that I had a lot of good mentors at 91����Ƶ along the way to encourage me.”

Patterson worked at the training center (now known as the ) for a half-decade, before applying and landing a job as a . She began training in July 2021 and, after a rigorous training process, officially became an agent in April 2022.

Since then, she’s built up an impressive foreign service career. She worked in Kyiv, Ukraine, for three months during the war. She also served at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for one year.

Last year, Patterson interviewed for her current role as an agent at the Major Events Coordination Office, which secures international events such as the G7 and G20 summits, Pan American Games, and FIFA World Cup, in addition to the Olympics and Paralympics. When she learned she had been selected to join the office, she said she was “out-of-this-world thrilled.”

“It can be quite competitive, and I was very excited that I get to do this for the next two years (DSS agents typically switch offices every one to three years),” said Patterson. “Next year, we’ll have the Pan American Games and the Women’s World Cup, which will be in Brazil.”

This month, Hannah Patterson ’14 will help protect Team USA’s athletes as they train and compete at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, held in Milan and Cortina, Italy, from March 6-15.

Patterson, who has been in Italy since Jan. 27, will also keep watch over America’s athletes during the 2026 Winter Paralympics, held in Milan and Cortina from March 6-15. She’ll serve as one of the special agents staffing a DSS Joint Operations Center at the U.S. Consulate in Milan.

She took advantage of the four-day break in between training for the Olympics and Paralympics to explore the mountains of northern Italy. Inspired by the athletes she watched during the Olympics, she learned to ski for the first time.

“I never thought of this as a career option when I was going to school,” said Patterson. “I remember telling my poetry professor, Michael Ann Courtney, ‘I’m going to be a starving artist for the rest of my life,’ and she told me, ‘No, Hannah, don’t worry. The world is so much bigger than that.’ And it turns out she was right.”

��(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) had her best finish of the year, earning the runner-up medal.�� She crossed the 6k course in 23:45.1, following only Bridgewater’s Kaylee Kubisiak, who won her second Old Dominion Athletic Conference title in 23:35.6.

�������󳾲�������(Dover, Ohio/Dover) came in third in her first go-around at the ODAC Championships, clocking a time of 24:10.8. ��She took a full 67 seconds off her race on the same course as the ODAC Preview.�� Both Chappell-Dick, who didn’t run at the ODAC Preview, and Lehman earned All-ODAC First Team honors with their finishes.

��(St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Odgen) landed on the All-ODAC Second Team as she crossed 13th with a time of 25:28.9.������(Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) and����(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) followed each other through the chute as they rounded out 91����Ƶ’s top five.�� Eckman was 18th in 25:49.4 while Kreider was 19th in 26:03.0, beating a Roanoke runner by half a step.

�������󳾲�������(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) was sixth for the Royals, taking 26th in 26:27.1, while����(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International) was 46th in 27:46.7.

The Royals charted 55 points as a team to finish second.�� BC won the title with 42 points, as the two friendly rivals dominated the race with 11 of the top 19 finishers.�� Washington and Lee was third with 83 points.

Coach Jason Lewkowicz said the ODAC race set up his runners for the upcoming regional meet.

“I’m really proud of the team today,” said Lewkowicz.�� “The conditions were tough but they responded to my challenge to embrace the opportunity to compete and show their toughness, which they did.�� The women stuck their nose into the race hoping to win and although they fell a little short, you can’t complain about their effort and strong runner-up finish.�� This effort gives us a lot of momentum as we prepare for regionals.”

ODAC Awards
Aside from the All-ODAC honorees, the women claimed two special awards from the league.

Kat Lehman��was named the ODAC Rookie of the Year, as she was the top D-III runner at three of her four races during the regular season.�� She was named ODAC Runner of the Week three times during the year as well.

���ܲԾ��ǰ���Hannah Chappell-Dick��was voted the women’s cross country ODAC Scholar-Athlete, charting a 3.84 GPA as a biology and kinesiology double major.�� She has been named to the ODAC All-Academic Team and USTFCCCA All-Academic Team twice each, is a three-time All-ODAC First Team honoree, and went to nationals in both cross country and outdoor track (800m) as a sophomore.

91����Ƶ’s runners have an off weekend next week as they prepare for the South/Southeast Regional Championships.�� That meet is Nov. 15 in Rome, Ga.

91����Ƶ Women Perfect With Top Five Finishers

So this is what they are capable of.

Running with a full team on Saturday, the Eastern Mennonite women were perfect. Literally. The Royals charted the lowest possible team score with 15 points, and won the Shenandoah Valley Invitational over co-host Bridgewater College, who had 40.

91����Ƶ’s women were not at full strength in their only other meet so far this season, taking third at the ODAC Preview on Aug. 29.

Although assistant coach Breanna Newton actually won the individual title on Saturday, the Royals had the top five collegiate runners. �������󳾲�������(Dover, Ohio/Dover) led the way, cruising in with a time of 19:27 on the 5k course. Running in her first race of 2014,����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton), an NCAA nationals participant last year, was next with a time of 20:03.

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) cruised in at 20:14 followed by��(Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) in 20:17.����(St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Odgen), who also missed the ODAC Preview, rounded out the scoring five in 20:31.

The dominating performance helped 91����Ƶ easily beat Bridgewater, the defending ODAC champions, who are ranked No. 2 in the South/Southeast Region. The Eagles had a pack of five runners do their scoring, and they all finished 28-33 seconds behind Paden. The Royals had not been listed among the top 10 teams in the region so far this year, but should expect to appear on the list this week.

��(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) and����(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International) finished 91����Ƶ’s top seven. Eldridge was 18th in 21:24 while Patterson was 21st in 21:27.

Men Top Bridgewater And Win Shenandoah Valley Invite

With the way they looked on Saturday, you wouldn’t have known that the 91����Ƶ men hadn’t run a competitive race in three weeks. The Royals landed the top three finishers at the Shenandoah Valley Invitational in Elkton, Va., and beat co-host Bridgewater College, the No. 1 team in the South/Southeast Region.

����Ծ��ǰ�����(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) headed the charge, as he earned the gold medal as the top finisher. Gehman crossed the four-mile course on Elk Run Trails in 21:03, a full 16 seconds ahead of his nearest competition.�� His nearest racer turned out to be a teammate in��(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance), who took silver in 21:19.������(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was right behind him, taking third in 21:24.

Bridgewater had the next six finishers, but 91����Ƶ rounded out their scoring with��(Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) landing 10th in 22:03 and����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) in 12th at 22:06.

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) was 14th in 22:17, with����(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) taking 21st in 22:25.����(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) was just a few steps behind his teammate in 22nd at 22:28.

Eastern Mennonite totaled just 28 points with their top five runners, edging past the Eagles who had 30. After winning the South/Southeast Regional Meet last fall, BC has been ranked No. 1 in both rankings so far this year. The Royals charted at No. 8 this past week.

“I am pleased that the conference recognizes student-athletes for their focus on fair play and sportsmanship,” explained ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston.�� “The conference prides itself on positive sportsmanship and encouraging student-athletes to lead by example. ��Each one of the honorees has been selected by the coaches in recognition of their conduct in the arena.�� My hat is off to these student-athletes – thanking them for the example they set for all of us.”

The ODAC has a rich tradition in promoting fair play and good sportsmanship in each sport across the league.�� The character of the conference’s student-athletes on and off the field is a representation of not only the individuals and teams, but also the institutions they play for.

Eastern Mennonite’s selections to the ODAC Sportsmanship Teams are listed below:

Baseball –��
Basketball (Men) –��
Basketball (Women) –��
Cross Country (Men) –��
Cross Country (Women) –��
Field Hockey –��
Golf (Men) –��
Golf (Women) –��
Indoor Track & Field (Men) –��
Indoor Track & Field (Women) –��
Outdoor Track & Field�� (Men) –��
Outdoor Track & Field�� (Women) –��
Soccer (Men) –��
Soccer (Women) –��
Softball –��
Volleyball –��

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 eighth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fifth 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), 1,558 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2013-14 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.

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet at��. ��Don’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on����and follow����on Twitter.

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

91����Ƶ’s ODAC All-Academic Team
Elizabeth Alderfer – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Volleyball
Jordan Aylor – Softball
Becky Barrett – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Tyler Brenneman – Men’s Soccer
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Lauren Campbell – Softball
McKenna Carter – Women’s Volleyball
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Robert Cook – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Hannah Daley – Field Hockey
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Paige DeBell – Field Hockey
Tyler Denlinger – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Katie Eckman – Women’s Cross Country
Mariah Foltz – Softball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Erica Garber – Women’s Track & Field
Carlos Garcia – Men’s Track & Field
Abi Gardner – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Joe Hall – Baseball
Rebecca Hardy – Women’s Volleyball
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Morgan Hill – Women’s Soccer
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Brendan Jeschke – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Viktor Kaltenstein – Men’s Soccer
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Louise Krall – Field Hockey
Lanae Kreider – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Landis – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jordan Leaman – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Jake Lind – Men’s Soccer
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Mariah Martin – Field Hockey
Tim Martin – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dilmer Martinez – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Brad Matthias – Baseball
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Macson McGuigan – Men’s Soccer
Chris Miller – Men’s Track & Field
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Nisly – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Ian Norris – Baseball
Nora Osei – Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball
Jolee Paden – Women’s Cross Country
Jesse Parker – Men’s Cross Country
Hannah Patterson – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dylan Polley – Men’s Soccer
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
D Probst – Women’s Volleyball
Casey Racer – Softball
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Krista Rittenhouse – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kyle Salladay – Baseball
Juni Schirch – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Caleb Schlabach – Men’s Golf
Chanel Shands – Women’s Basketball
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Molly Smith – Softball
Nicole Smith – Softball
Ashten Spencer – Women’s Soccer
Mandy Stowers – Field Hockey
Ryan Thomas – Men’s Soccer
Shannan Thompson – Women’s Basketball
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Londen Wheeler – Men’s Track & Field
Camille Williams – Field Hockey
Alex Wynn – Men’s Track & Field
Bianca Ygarza – Women’s Basketball
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Chris Yoder – Men’s Basketball
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey
Marla zumFelde – Women’s Basketball

Women’s track and field

Sophomore����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) highlighted the 91����Ƶ track & field women at the ODAC Championships as she won two individual titles and broke a record.�� Roanoke College hosted the conference’s title meet in Salem, Va.

Chappell-Dick claimed a pair of gold medals with the resulting All-ODAC First Team status.�� In the 1500m, Chappell-Dick had a huge PR to break the ODAC Championships record.�� The sophomore crossed in 4:38.61, out-pacing rival Annalise Madison of Washington and Lee by a full second.�� Both runners broke the meet record of 4:43.08, set by All-American Carmen Graves in 2012.�� It was also an 91����Ƶ record for Chappell-Dick, who easily broke her own mark of 4:47.12 from last spring.

Chappell-Dick and Madison went head-to-head again in the 800m, with Chappell-Dick again coming out on top.�� She ran off her 91����Ƶ record time, but still cleared the field by three seconds with a time of 2:18.31.�� Teammate����(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) had a great race and PRed in 2:25.23.�� She finished eighth and just missed pointing by a mere nine-tenths of a second.

In the javelin,����(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) just missed All-ODAC honors with a fourth-place finish.�� Borg’s best spear landed at 29.32m to just edge out W&L’s Leigh Dannhauser on her final effort.

The 4x400m relay team grabbed sixth, as����(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International), Schirch,����(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) and Chappell-Dick combined to time at 4:27.36.

��(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) snuck a point in the discus, finishing sixth at 31.45m.

����Ծ��ǰ�����(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) finished her career well, setting her PR in the 5000m with a time of 19:29.20.�� Similar to Schirch, Rittenhouse finished eighth, with the top six in each event earning points to the team total.

The Royals totaled 26 points to finished seventh out of nine teams at the meet.�� Roanoke won the team title with 150.33 points.

Men’s track and field

It was almost expected, but the 91����Ƶ men’s track & field team made a clean sweep of the high jump medals at the 2014 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship meet.�� Roanoke hosted the two-day event in Salem, Va., on Friday and Saturday.

91����Ƶ entered the ODAC Championships with three of the top four heights in the high jump during the season.�� They made it a top-three sweep.������(Dalton, Ohio/Central Christian) earned his fourth consecutive indoor and outdoor title, as the senior had no problem in clearing 2.04m (6-8.25ft) to win the meet and set a new 91����Ƶ record.������(Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) had the most surprising finish, claiming the silver at 2.02m (6-7.5ft).�� Moore recently joined the team after the completion of the men’s volleyball season a few weeks ago.�� Sophomore����(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) was third at 1.91m (6-3.25ft).�� All three claim All-ODAC status, and each also have a shot at qualifying for the national meet.

��(Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) just claimed a spot in the finals of the 400m dash, standing sixth after the preliminaries with a time of :50.41.�� The freshman then set his PR in the finals, finishing fourth with a time of :50.20.

��(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) took points in the 3000m steeplechase, earning fifth with a time of 10:19.7.

The 4x400m relay team of����(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts), Winters,����(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) and��(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) was fifth as well, combining for a time of 3:25.08 and a photo finish ahead of Roanoke’s time of 3:25.13.

Thibodeaux and����(Perkasie, Pa./ Christopher Dock) continued their season-long efforts at pushing each other in the 800m.�� Thibodeaux crossed sixth to grab the final point toward the team total, timing at 1:57.88.�� He was just three-tenths of a second from jumping into fourth place.�� Denlinger then took seventh place in 1:58.33.

��(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) set his PR by more than seven seconds in the 5000m run, crossing in 15:26.11 to take sixth place.�� Classmate����(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was one position behind him with a time of 15:37.21.

��(Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) and����(Broadway, Va./Broadway) each qualified for the finals of 110m hurdles, with Cox grabbing sixth place in :16.07.

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) was one spot from pointing in the 10,000m run, crossing seventh in 34:22.97.

��(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) topped his PR on three different efforts in the shot put, and finished eighth with his best heave at 12.38m (40-7.4ft).�� He also destroyed his PR in the discus, landing at 34.12m (111-11.3ft).

Eastern Mennonite finished seventh in a very tight grouping in the men’s team standings.�� 91����Ƶ had 35 points, but was within three points of fourth-place Roanoke at 38.�� Virginia Wesleyan was fifth with 37 while Shenandoah was sixth at 36.

This was the final meet of the year for most of the Royals, although a few athletes will stick around in efforts to prepare for a potential trip to the NCAA National Championships, which are May 22-24 in Delaware, Ohio.�� The first meet scheduled as part of that stretch run is the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on Wednesday, April 30.

Sophomore����(Bluffton, Oh./Bluffton) had the only gold for the weekend, winning the 800m in 2:17.21.�� She was nearly two seconds ahead of her nearest competitor in a large field of 41 women.�� Chappell-Dick also finished fifth in the 400m, clocking at 1:00.72.�� That race had a tight finish, as she was within a quarter of a second of third place.

Elsewhere for the women in Lexington,����(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) and����(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International) qualified for ODAC in the 400m, crossing in 1:04.99 and 1:07.12, respectively.�� Schirch also earned a ticket in the 800m with a time of 2:27.70.

The Royals qualified three runners in the 5000m, led by����(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) in 11th place with a time of 19:32.58.������(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area)crossed in 19:52.71 and����(Matoaca, Va./Matoaca) clocked at 20:33.23, easily breaking the 21-minute barrier for the first time in her career.

��(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) and����(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) participated in the Roanoke meet, and both had runner-up finishes there.�� Bane took second in the discus with a PR throw of 33.20m (108-11ft).�� She just missed third in the hammer throw, settling for fourth at 34.95m (114-8ft).�� Borg PRed in the javelin, taking silver with a distance of 30.78m (101-0ft).

The men had the second- and third-place finishers in the high jump at the W&L Carnival.�� Sophomore����(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) took silver with the No. 5 jump in 91����Ƶ history, clearing 1.97m (6-5.5ft).������(Dalton, Oh./Central Christian) earned the bronze, having a best height of 1.92m (6-3.5ft).

��(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) took a conservative approach to his first 3,000m steeplechase experience but still came through with an ODAC qualifying time of 10:45.01 which places him seventh on the 91����Ƶ top-10 list.

��(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) made his outdoor 5,000m debut a solid one as the junior came through with a time of 15:25.08 which was good for seventh place. The time also places him No. 2 on the 91����Ƶ top-10 list. ����(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) now sits at No. 5 on the 91����Ƶ list with his time of 15:33.46. ����(Bluffton, Oh./Bluffton) also had a solid showing in his outdoor 5000m debut running a personal best time of 16:16.43.

��(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) finished third in the 800m, clocking at 1:57.06.�� He was just over one second out of first place.����(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) crossed seventh in 1:58.62.�� Both men also qualified for ODACs in the 400m, with Thibodeaux registering a time of :52.30 and Denlinger coming in at :52.79.

Sophomore����(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) led a large 91����Ƶ contingent in the event, taking tenth in :51.65.������(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) wasn’t far behind in :52.03, while����(Nelson, Va./Nelson County) was the last of the five Royals in :53.46.

Sprinter����(Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) was sixth in the 200m, timing at :22.62, and was tenth in the 100m in :11.31.������(Appomattox, Va./Appomattox) also qualified for ODACs in the 200m, coming in at :23.16.

��(Staunton Va./Riverheads) highlighted his day by taking third in the shot put in Roanoke, landing at 11.96m (39-3ft).

Coach Jason Lewkowicz said he was very pleased with the start to the outdoor season.

“We had a hard week of training across the board and to see the team perform this well on tired legs is a great sign,” he explained. ��“We were blessed with great weather and great competitive atmospheres.�� With such a young team, it is important that we take each opportunity to go out, compete, and show consistent improvement. ��This weekend was a great step in the right direction.�� We look forward to having a lot of fans come out to support us next Saturday at Bridgewater!”

The Eastern Mennonite track teams give their fans the best chance of the year to see them participate next Saturday, when they compete at the Dr. Harry GM Jopson Invitational hosted by Bridgewater College.

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

(Broadway, VA/Broadway) took second in the 100m hurdles while also charting the No. 5 run in 91����Ƶ history.�� His time of 15.82 in the finals got him a silver behind the winning time of 15.53 from Ben Martindell of Bridgewater.

(Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) won the 400m hurdles in his first try at the event.�� He crossed the finish in 58.34, ahead of Martindell at 59.02.

In the 100m dash, (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) showed the biggest improvement between his preliminary and his finals time, taking second at 11.47.�� He just missed the gold to RC’s Trevor Hunt at 11.43.�� He also won the 200m dash, ahead of teammate (Fork Union, VA/Louisa County).�� McBride broke the tape in 23.28, followed by Allen at 23.56.

(Philadelphia, PA/La Salle) won the 400m by nearly a half second, clocking in at 51.47.

(Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) took the gold in the 1500m run, finishing six seconds ahead of teammate (Wichita, KS/Wichita East).�� Nafziger’s winning time was 4:17.04, while Parker came in at 4:23.00.�� (Mount Joy, PA/Donegal) took sixth place in 4:35.61.

Nafziger and Parker also highlight the 800m.�� Nafziger took fourth with a time of 2:04.70 while Parker also pointed, getting sixth in 2:10.98.

In the relays, the 91����Ƶ team in the 4x100m took second and charted the No. 7 time in 91����Ƶ history.�� The squad of Robinson, Allen, Watson and McBride crossed in 44.04, just behind Bridgewater’s foursome in 43.73.

The 4x400m team didn’t set an 91����Ƶ time, but did manage to win the event at the meet.�� Bush, Robinson, (Nelson, VA/Nelson County) and Watson combined for a time of 3:31.92, winning by more than three seconds.

In the field events, (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) and (Dalton, OH/Central Christian) were in a group of four men who each had a best jump of 1.82m.�� Vrolijk ended up second based on jumps, while King settled for fourth.

Allen won the long jump and took second in the triple jump.�� In the long jump, the senior landed at 6.63m, while in the triple he measured at 12.22m.

(Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) led the way in the throws.�� He won the javelin with a fling of 47.40m, the No. 7 distance in the 91����Ƶ record books.�� Sloan took third in the hammer throw with the No. 6 measurement in 91����Ƶ history at 32.15m.�� Then in the shot put he just missed gold, getting second in 11.29m, behind the winning throw of 11.54m.

The Royals grabbed 152 points for the team win, ahead of host Roanoke at 142.

On the women’s side, Chafin Brumfield (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) and Jolee Paden (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) had big days in the middle distances.�� Brumfield won the 800m run in 2:30.35, with Paden taken second in 2:32.77.�� Hannah Patterson (Puyallup, WA/Mountainview International) was fourth in 2:44.27 while Saralyn Mast (Gap, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) took sixth in 2:48.99.

Paden then won the 1500m by 4.51 seconds.�� Her time of 5:05.15 earned the gold and the No. 8 spot in the program records.�� Brumfield also grabbed a No. 8 all-time spot in the 400m.�� She finished third at the meet in 1:03.19.

Becca Borg (Gig Harbor, WA/Peninsula) approached the 91����Ƶ record in the javelin, taking third place at the Roanoke meet in the process.�� Borg speared at 30.18m, which was second in 91����Ƶ history only to Connie Steiner’s throw of 33.08m in 2004.

Alyssa Bane (Strasburg, VA/Strasburg) also earned points in the throws.�� She just missed her PR in the hammer throw, taking fifth at 31.18m.�� In the discus, the sophomore landed at 28.14m, good for sixth place.

The Lady Royals finished with 48 points, taking third place at the meet, ahead of Hood College with 38.�� Host Roanoke easily won with 243 points.

The Eastern Mennonite track teams are busy next weekend, participating in two meets.�� A group of athletes will go to Lexington on Friday and Saturday for the VMI-W&L Carnival.�� Another group will also participate in the Jopson Invitational in nearby Bridgewater.

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