Senior (Staunton, Va./Riverheads) thoroughly dominated the throwing events, easily winning the shot put and weight throw. He was named the Athlete of the Meet, the first 91¶ÌÊÓƵ male since Michael Allen in 2011, and the first male to win the title at the ODAC’s Indoor Championship.

Classmate (Broadway, Va./Broadway) bettered his prelimary qualifying time with a first-place finish of 8.28 in the finals. His time broke both the ODAC conference and championships records.Ìý It was also Robinson’s third ODAC Champion title of his career, repeating as the 60m hurdles champion after also winning the 110m hurdles from outdoor season last spring.

Lagging team health hindered the women, who finished sixth, despite a pair of individual championships for senior (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) who defended her titles in the 800m and mile. Bridgewater edged Washington and Lee 135 to 133 for the team title.

Two Royals also won scholar-athlete awards. Junior was voted the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Scholar-Athlete.Ìý A biology/pre-med major with a minor in business administration, Denlinger holds a 3.98 GPA is also a four-time All-ODAC honoree.Ìý This is the second straight indoor scholar award for Denlinger.

Chappell-Dick also earned her fifth consecutive ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Scholar-Athlete award.Ìý She is a biology major with minors in coaching, exercise science and honors.Ìý Chappell-Dick holds a 3.84 GPA and has won every scholar-athlete honor possible from the ODAC since the beginning of her junior season.

Men’s results

Heizer PRed in the shot put and the weight throw, while also claiming the three best throws in each at the meet.Ìý In the shot put, Heizer’s best landed at a monster 15.81m (51-10.75ft), not only winning gold but also vaulting him to No. 25 in the nation.Ìý Then in the weight throw, he landed at 15.06m (49-5.25ft).Ìý Both improved on his No. 2 spots in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record books.

(Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) claimed fourth behind teammate Robinson in the 60m hurldes race in 8.68, while (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) took sixth in 8.73.Ìý It was a PR for Faint.

Jumper (Bristow, Va./Patriot) had a great first effort, as the freshman took All-ODAC Third Team honors in the triple jump at 13.61m (44-8ft).Ìý His PR distance was the third-best effort in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history.

Amoateng then cleared 1.79m (5-10.5ft) in the high jump to claim seventh.Ìý The freshman also grabbed seventh in the long jump, landing his best at 6.36m (20-10.5ft).Ìý Both efforts were PRs, with the long jump distance putting him No. 8 all-time at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ.

(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) earned third place in the 800m for All-ODAC Third Team status.Ìý The junior crossed in 1:57.24, behind only a pair of Bridgewater runners.

Running partner (Mount Sidney, Va./Fort Defiance) had a similar finish in the mile, settling for third in 4:25.98.Ìý He then took fifth in the 3000m with a time of 9:03.55.Ìý Thibodeaux was five seconds behind four runners clumped within just over a second of each other.

The 4×400 relay team staked a third-place.Ìý The foursome of Faint, (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass), (Salem, Va./Salem) and Denlinger finished in 3:27.32. Faint had a great all-around individual effort, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the 400m, clocking in at 50.83.Ìý The sophomore’s PR also bumped him up to No. 8 in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s record books.Ìý Sampson also grabbed two points for taking seventh in the event at 51.47.Ìý He comes in at No. 9 in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history.

The distance medley relay team added two points towards the team total with a seventh-place finish.Ìý (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg), (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle), (Dayton, Va./Ben Logan) and (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) came in at 11:52.21.

Women’s results

Chappell-Dick broke the ODAC Championships record in the mile, registering a time 5:03.54.Ìý She was more than four seconds better than the previous best at the ODAC Indoor Meet, beating Carmen Graves’ time of 5:07.84.

Then in the 800m, she edged Marissa Combs of Virginia Wesleyan in 2:20.62, just ahead of Coombs’ 2:20.80.Ìý She has now won the last four indoor and outdoor 800m ODAC titles, as well as the last two miles, which are only an indoor event.

Sophomore (Dover, Ohio/Dover), who won the 3000m and 5000m last year, took fifth in the 5000m with a time of 19:36.21.Ìý After finishing runner-up last year, (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) also didn’t run the 3000m.

The distance medley relay team just missed defending last year’s title, coming in second.Ìý (Goshen, Ind./Goshen), (King George, Va./King George), (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) and Paden put together a time of 13:14.36, finishing nearly four seconds behind Bridgewater’s winning foursome.

(Bedford, Va./Liberty) finished fourth in the triple jump.Ìý Her first two jumps each landed at 10.57m (34-8.25ft), but Lynchburg’s Shanice Clarke edged her with one late jump at 10.66m (34-11.75ft).Ìý Kittrell then settled for eighth in the long jump, sticking her best at 4.78m (15-8.25ft).Ìý She was less than an inch from seventh place and 3.5 inches from sixth.

The 4x400m relay team of Williams, Yoder, Chappell-Dick and Schirch took fifth, combined for a time of 4:13.85.

(Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) claimed sixth in the 60m dash, crossing in 8.15 in the finals.Ìý The freshman’s PR improves her No. 2 time in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record books.

In the 400m, Williams also finished sixth.Ìý She was second in her heat, clocking at 1:02.54.Ìý Pole vaulter (Denton, Md./North Caroline) was another of the women who finished sixth, as she cleared 2.22m (7-3.25ft).

(Portsmouth, Va./Churchland) finished seventh in the shot put, with her best toss landing at 10.10m (33-2ft).

Ìý(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) helped to highlight the day as he pointed in a couple of events.Ìý The sophomore had a short lead on a handful of finishers to win the 800m as he crossed in 1:55.02.Ìý It was easily Thibodeaux’s season best time, although more than a second and a half off his PR from last year.Ìý The second place runner came in at 1:55.86 while teammateÌýÌý(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) was third in 1:55.99, earning All-ODAC Third Team honors.

Thibodeaux then came in fourth in the 1500m with a PR time of 4:02.38, putting him fourth in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history books as well.ÌýÌýÌý(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) destroyed his PR and won his heat by six seconds to take sixth place in the event in 4:08.29.

¹ó°ù±ð²õ³ó³¾²¹²ÔÌýÌý(Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) made a dazzling debut in the javelin, coming from the fourth seed to win gold with a PR throw of 50.10m (164-4ft).Ìý He moves to No. 5 all-time at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ.

The men also had some great finishes in the hurdles.Ìý The Royals went 1-and-3 in the 400m hurdles, as freshmanÌýÌý(Winchester, Va./Millbrook) claimed the gold.Ìý Faint’s winning time was 54.23, a PR for him and fifth in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history.Ìý JuniorÌýÌý(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) also staked his PR, taking third place in the race in 57.04 and putting him at No. 10 in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ books.

Ìý(Broadway, Va./Broadway) pulled away at the finish of the 110m hurdles, grabbing gold and All-ODAC First Team with a time of 15.30.Ìý His PR moved him to No. 3 all-time at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ in the event.ÌýÌýÌý(Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) had a gritty effort to claim fourth in the race in 16.25.

Ìý(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) earned a silver in the shot put.Ìý The big man landed at 14.39m (47-2.5ft), crushing his outdoor PR and moving to No. 2 in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history.Ìý He earned All-ODAC Second Team honors with the throw and was just six inches short of first place at 14.54m (47-8.5ft).

The Royals had two point-takers in the high jump.ÌýÌýÌý(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), who entered as the favorite in the event, settled for a bronze finish.Ìý He took third based on jumps, tying his season best at 1.91m (6-3.25ft).Ìý Faint was sixth at 1.73m (5-8.0ft), setting his PR.

Faint also took a point in the triple jump, earning sixth by a single millimeter with his PR at 13.07m (42-10.75ft).Ìý He moves in ninth all-time at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ as well.

¹ó°ù±ð²õ³ó³¾²¹²ÔÌýÌý(Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) took fifth in a tight finals of the 200m dash.Ìý After standing in eighth after the prelims, Dews clocked a 22.55 PR in the finals, with all of the top six finished within 0.47 seconds of each other.

Nisly grabbed the final point in the 3000m steeplechase, leading a group of four 91¶ÌÊÓƵ runners in sixth place with a tie of 10:19.04.

In the relays, the 4x100m squad ofÌýÌý(Freeman, S.D./Freeman Academy), Dews,ÌýÌý(Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods) andÌýÌý(Appomattox, Va./Appomattox) earned fourth place with a time of 44.05.Ìý The 4x400m foursome of Dews, Faint, Bush and Denlinger came in fifth in 3:22.50.

The men racked up 86 points to comfortably finish in third place for their highest outdoor finish since 2006.Ìý Bridgewater won the men’s title with 154 points while Lynchburg was second with 132.Ìý Washington and Lee was behind the Royals with 66 tallies.

Women Stand Fourth At ODACs And Win Individual Honors

Highlighted by four gold medals, the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ track and field women earned their highest finish at the ODAC Outdoor Championships in nine year.Ìý The meet was hosted by Bridgewater College Friday and Saturday.

To no one’s surprise,ÌýÌý(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) andÌýÌý(Dover, Ohio/Dover) led the charge for the women, with each winning two gold medals with their All-ODAC First Team status.

Chappell-Dick won the 800m and 1500m, breaking the ODAC Championships record in the 800m.Ìý In the two-lap race she had a pair of Bridgewater runners hanging near her, but not enough to challenge for top honors.Ìý Chappell-Dick won in a time of 2:13.64, breaking the meet record of 2:13.91 set by Roanoke’s Carmen Graves two years ago.

In the 1500m, the All-American was her usual self, leading the pack in 4:46.81.Ìý While a comfortable pace off her PR, it was still good enough to give Chappell-Dick the win by more than three seconds.Ìý Lehman actually crossed fourth in the race in 4:53.38.

Lehman was then dominant in the two distance events.Ìý In the 5000m she broke away from the pack early and strided her way to a facility record time of 18:03.55, breaking the old mark by more than 37 seconds.Ìý TeammateÌýÌý(St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) claimed the silver with a second place finish at the ODAC meet, timing at 19:02.62.

Lehman ran a great race to win the 10,000m Friday night.Ìý The freshman ran with the pack for most of the race, before making her move with two laps to go.Ìý Lehman made a quick pass of Roanoke’s Kerri Dalton to take over the lead, and then bolted away with more than a 19-second margin over the final 800m.Ìý Lehman’s winning time was another facility-record 39:01.45, a comfortable win over Dalton’s 39:20.83.Ìý Paden stayed with the lead group most of that race as well and came in fifth with a time of 40:03.77.

Ìý(Bedford, Va./Liberty) completed a great first season in the jumping events.Ìý She took fourth in the long jump, landing a PR jump at 5.27m (17-3.5ft), less than an inch behind the All-ODAC status of third place at 5.29m (17-4.25ft).Ìý The distance also bumped her up to No. 3 in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history.Ìý In the triple jump, Kittrell grabbed another fourth place finish, totaling 10.72m (35-2ft).

³§±ð²Ô¾±´Ç°ùÌýÌý(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) was one of four women to break the facility record in the hammer throw.Ìý She claimed fourth with a landing at 44.10m (144-5ft), within sight of Bridgewater’ Katelyn Senger in third with 44.18m (144-11ft).Ìý It was a huge PR for Bane, upping her own school record, which had been 39.28m (128-10ft).Ìý Bane added a point to the team total in the discus, taking sixth with a season best of 31.00m (101-8ft).

Chappell-Dick also earned some points in this high jump.Ìý In just her second-ever effort in the event, the junior tied for fourth by clearing 1.51m (4-11.5ft).

Ìý(Peninsula, Wash./Gig Harbor) was sixth in the javelin, as the junior landed at 30.97m (101-7ft) and inched up her PR and No. 2 spot in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history books.

¹ó°ù±ð²õ³ó³¾²¹²ÔÌýÌý(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) grabbed a point in the 3000m steeplechase.Ìý She earned sixth place with a time of 13:07.23.

The 4x400m relay team ofÌýÌý(King George, Va./King George), Chappell-Dick,ÌýÌý(Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) andÌýÌý(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) claimed fourth, just missing All-ODAC status, with a time of 4:04.41.Ìý The 4x100m group ofÌýÌý(East Norriton, Pa./Christopher Dock), Chappell-Dick, Kittrell, and McKinsey was sixth with a time of 52.16.

The Royals had 77 points as a team, earning fourth place overall for their highest team finish since 2006.Ìý Roanoke won the women’s side with 156 points, followed by Bridgewater at 105 and Washington and Lee at 91.Ìý Lynchburg and Virginia Wesleyan were tied for fifth behind 91¶ÌÊÓƵ with 63.

The ODAC Championships meet completes the main season for the Eastern Mennonite track teams.Ìý Now the focus turns to twilight meets and preparing for hopeful runs at the NCAA National Championships in late May.Ìý The next meet scheduled for the Royals is the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on April 29.

Individual Awards
The Royals picked up a trio of individual honors at the ODAC Championships as well.ÌýÌýKat LehmanÌýwas named the Rookie of the Year, winning two events and looking for another trip to the national meet after going in cross country and indoor track as well.

Hannah Chappell-DickÌýmade it a sweep of the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete awards, as she also claimed that honor in cross country and indoor track.Ìý Chappell-Dick recently added an All-American title to her name after finishing second in the mile at the national indoor meet to go with a 3.86 GPA as a biology major.

Coach Jason LewkowiczÌýwas named the ODAC Coach of the Year, as he was recognized for his work with the women in picking up his first ODAC award in his final season with the Royals.

Freshman distance runnerÌýÌý(Dover, Ohio/Dover) cemented her status as an elite athlete, breaking 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s record in the 5000m and taking second place overall at the mostly D-I meet. Lehman roasted the track to a finish of 17:43.77, finishing in between a pair of runners from the University of North Carolina. She destroyed her own 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record of 18:10.40, set in December.

°ä±ô²¹²õ²õ³¾²¹³Ù±ðÌýÌý(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) broke her personal record in the event, crossing in 20:15.98 to also grab the No. 8 spot in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s history books.

In the 4x400m relay, the women’s foursome ofÌýÌý(King George, Va./King George),ÌýÌý(Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood),ÌýÌý(Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) andÌýÌý(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) timed the No. 3 effort in program history at 4:20.40.

Chappell-Dick was the top D-III finisher in the mile run, taking a time of 5:16.47.ÌýÌý(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) clocked a season best in the 800m at 2:36.34, narrowly missing the ODAC qualifying time by 0.05 seconds. And Williams broke her PR in the 400m, timing at 1:04.62.

Ìý(Bedford, Va./Liberty) landed a nice effort in the triple jump, measuring at 10.44m (34-3.00ft).Ìý Also in the field,ÌýÌý(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) had a best toss of 13.02m (42-8.75ft) in the weight throw.

For the Eastern Mennonite men,ÌýÌý(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) had a monster toss in the shot put.Ìý His best heave of 14.00m (45-11.25ft) was not only the top D-III distance at the meet, but also put him third in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history and with the second-best throw in the ODAC this season.Ìý He was also solid in the weight throw, landing at 11.93m (39-1.75ft)

Ìý(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) punched an ODAC ticket in the 5000m, but more importantly earned the No. 2 time in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record books.Ìý His time of 15:49.48 was only behind cross country teammateÌýJacob Landis‘ 15:41.94, a record set last year.

In the 800m run, sophomoreÌýÌý(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) earned the third-best finish in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history with a time of 1:57.01.ÌýÌý(Staunton, Va./Fore Defiance) wasn’t far behind as he landed at No. 4 in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ books at 1:57.77.

The duo also ran in the mile.Ìý Denlinger again crossed first in 4:31.19 to take seventh in program history, while Thibodeaux had his season best run at 4:35.20.

Ìý(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) earned a trip to the ODAC Championships in the 200m, timing at 23.90.Ìý In the 400m, 91¶ÌÊÓƵ had two men qualify for ODACs, highlighted byÌýÌý(Winchester, Va./Millbrook) PRing in 52.07.ÌýÌý(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) had a finish of 53.11.

Ìý(Broadway, Va./Broadway) continued his road back in the 60m hurdles with a season best time of 8.79.

Then in the 4x400m relay, the Royals had a foursome cross in 3:30.16, which was just a tenth of a second behind a team from ODAC rival Washington and Lee.ÌýÌýÌý(Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass), Bush, Denlinger and Faint combined for the No. 7 time in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history.

And a foursome also landed in No. 7 in the distance medley relay, asÌý(Churchville, Va./Fort Defiance),ÌýÌý(Nelson, Va./Nelson County),ÌýÌý(Richmond, Va./Huguenot) andÌýÌý(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) clocked at 11:08.35.

Ìý(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) kept in his ODAC-leading shape by clearing 1.92m (6-3.5ft) in the high jump.

Eastern Mennonite’s teams are back in action next weekend, participating at the DuCharme Invitational in Carlisle, Pa., on Saturday.

Gehman led the field of 201 runners, breaking the tape of the 8k course in 25:32.36. He crossed a full two seconds ahead of ODAC rival Harrison Toney from Roanoke, who was second in 25:34.42. It was Gehman’s second individual win of the season, having also taken medalist honors at the Shenandoah Valley Invitational, but this win was obviously the biggest. Gehman not only earned his second consecutive All-Region honor with the finish, but earned the first spot out of the region at the NCAA National Championships, which are next Saturday in Mason, Ohio.

Fellow seniorÌýÌý(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) also earned himself one more race, as he finished 14th overall and claimed the final individual berth out of the region to Nationals. His time of 25:57.10 was nearly four seconds ahead of the next runner, and also put him as the seventh ODAC runner, giving him a big improvement after coming in tenth at the ODAC Championships. Landis also earned back-to-back All-Region accolades.

SophomoreÌýÌý(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) made the move up to also gain All-Region honors. He took 33rd with a time of 26:38.93. He was 43rd in the region last year.

Ìý(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), 51st – 27:09.83, andÌýÌý(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton), 71st – 27:37.36, rounded out 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s top five, as the men totaled 170 points.Ìý They took fifth out of 28 as a team, one point ahead of Rhodes and just five behind Christopher Newport in fourth.

The team finish is the best regional mark in the “modern” era for Eastern Mennonite.Ìý The Royals were second in the region in 1979, in a race featuring just four teams.Ìý They won a seven-team meet in 1978.

“I was so proud of how the men came out and competed,” said Coach Jason Lewkowicz. Ìý“Their goal all year was to earn a top-5 region finish and they went out and did that in a tough region.”

Ìý(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) added to the top seven by coming in 79th in 27:46.80.ÌýÌýÌý(Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) was 89th in 27:56.46.

Emory won the team title with 62 points, just ahead of ODAC rival Bridgewater with 65.

Gehman and Landis will be joined at Nationals byÌýÌý(Dover, Ohio/Dover), whoÌý.Ìý That meet is this coming Saturday in Ohio and will be run on the same course that the Royals used for the NCAA D-III Pre-Nationals on Sept. 27.

Gehman had his best collegiate effort and took nearly 1:17 off his PR in the 8k race, coming in at 24:15.71. His previous best had been 25:32.3 from last year’s regional meet.

Fellow seniorÌýÌý(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s number two runner and took 1:24 of his PR. Landis finished 36th at the race with a time of 24:52.01, bettering his PR of 26:17.7, also from the 2013 regional meet.

Ìý(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) came in 83rd with a time of 25:35.88.ÌýÌý(Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) was 165th in 26:35.25, whileÌýÌý(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) rounded out the top five in 187th in 26:50.00.

Ìý(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) was 200th with a time of 26:57.49 whileÌýÌý(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) clocked at 27:11.07 to come in 213th.

Each of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s top seven finishers set their PRs in the race.

“The men ran really, really well,” said Coach Jason Lewkowicz. “Ryan was up there running with All-Americans, with some big time runners.”

Lewkowicz said the Royals responded well to the crowded course, which will also host the National Championship Meet on Nov. 22.

“Everybody ran ridiculous PRs,” he explained. “The course was a little short, but everybody ran really well.”

The Royals totaled 365 points to finish 11th out of 31 teams. They finished in between two South/Southeast Region teams, Bridgewater (356) and Centre (367).

North Central (Ill.), the 2013 national runner-up, dominated the race with five of the top six finishers, putting in 16 points for the team title. Troy Kelleher, from North Central, won the individual medal by 18 seconds, finishing in 23:36.28.

Eastern Mennonite has another break in the schedule before their next meet, the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ XC Relay Challenge on Oct. 10. Lewkowicz and his staff designed a light-hearted meet, which will feature four-person relay teams, with each runner traversing a two-mile loop on Elk Run Trails in Elkton, Va.

Women’s cross-country team

The cross country women also ran well on their biggest stage so far this season, duplicating the men’s performance by taking 11th out of 27 teams.ÌýThe women totaled 319 points.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ came in behind Hanover (306) but ahead of Waynesburg (328).Ìý Geneseo State ran away with the team title with 34 points.Ìý They also had the top two runners, with Cassie Goodman winning in 20:54.55. Read more about the

]]> /now/news/2014/prs-drop-like-flies-at-liberty-twilight/ Fri, 02 May 2014 19:40:42 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=20117 Although the full body of athletes has gone home for the year, the Eastern Mennonite track & field teams still sent a number of men and women to Thursday’s Liberty Twilight Qualifier in Lynchburg, Va. The meet was loaded with elite talent, including Olympic medalists and top-5 world leading performers, which helped the Royals set a number of personal records.

The men had the biggest contingent participating, and the runners made a habit out of clocking their career best times.

Ìý(Nelson, Va./Nelson County) had a great day as he set personal bests in both the 200m (23.09) and 400m (52.87). Ìý(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) also scored a PR in the 200m at 23.17, whileÌýÌý(Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) finished with a time of 22.71. Winters also led the trio in the 400m with a time of 50.38.

Ìý(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) had a breakthrough performance in the 800m as the freshman took sixth overall with a huge PR time of 1:54.58. The time puts him No. 3 on the all-time 91¶ÌÊÓƵ list and just 0.06 seconds from Marcel Long at No. 2.

Ìý(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) shaved six seconds off of his personal best time in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing fifth at the meet in 10:13.06. He improves his No. 5 time in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record books.

In the high jump,ÌýÌý(Dalton, Oh./Central Christian) took fifth with a best height of 1.99m. After clearing 1.99m, King passed on the next height (2.04m), which was a mark he had already attained this year, and went for 2.09m (6-10.25ft). His third attempt was his best, but he just grazed the bar with his heel and did not clear the height.ÌýÌý(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) had an earlier than expected exit from the competition, but still grabbed a top-10 finish with a mark of 1.89m (6-2.25ft).

In the throws,ÌýÌý(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) had a huge day, taking home two personal best marks. In the shot put, he placed fifth overall with a best toss of 13.02m (42-8.75ft), good for No. 8 on the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ list. In the discus, his best toss of 34.90m (114-6ft) was good for ninth place overall.

Ìý(Bluffton Oh./Bluffton) was the lone female participant for 91¶ÌÊÓƵ, but she made her presence felt in her one race. The sophomore dropped down to run the 400m and sped to the No. 2 time in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history at 59.08. Chappell-Dick’s time was more than a second faster than her previous best. Lorenda Abbott set the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record at 58.08 in 1999.

Coach Jason Lewkowicz said he was very pleased with the efforts the meet.

“We had personal best marks all over the place and some folks were able to end their season on high note,” Lewkowicz explained. “Jeremy Heizer had a great day in the throws and it’s hard to believe that he’s only been throwing for a few months. His improvement has been very impressive. Alec Thibodeaux got put in a great heat of 800m runners and cut over two seconds off of his lifetime best in the event. Finally, I was really proud of how Londen Wheeler competed, taking home two huge PRs in the 200m and 400m.”

The focus continues for a handful of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ athletes to prepare for trips to the national meet later in May. Despite not running in the event at Liberty, Chappell-Dick is No. 4 in the nation in the 800m at 2:11.89, and seems a lock to qualify for nationals. King is currently No. 19 with his height of 2.04m (6-8.25ft) from the ODAC Championships and seems likely to earn a spot in the field of 22 participants. Vrolijk is tied at No. 28 at 2.00m (6-6.75ft).

Lewkowicz sees King hitting his stride and hopes his senior can go out on a high note.

“Jordan King was able to take jumps at over 6-10,” he said, “and although he was unable to improve his season best mark, he came really close and goes into next week with confidence to get those few extra centimeters he needs to cement a place at the NCAA championships.”

Eastern Mennonite’s tracksters are at back-to-back meets next week, with many of the Royals participating in Thursday’s Roanoke Twilight Invitational.Ìý Just a handful will turn around the next day for the high-level Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville.

Women’s track and field

SophomoreÌýÌý(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) highlighted the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ track & field women at the ODAC Championships as she won two individual titles and broke a record.Ìý 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.Ìý In the 1500m, Chappell-Dick had a huge PR to break the ODAC Championships record.Ìý The sophomore crossed in 4:38.61, out-pacing rival Annalise Madison of Washington and Lee by a full second.Ìý Both runners broke the meet record of 4:43.08, set by All-American Carmen Graves in 2012.Ìý It was also an 91¶ÌÊÓƵ 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.Ìý She ran off her 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record time, but still cleared the field by three seconds with a time of 2:18.31.Ìý TeammateÌýÌý(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) had a great race and PRed in 2:25.23.Ìý She finished eighth and just missed pointing by a mere nine-tenths of a second.

In the javelin,ÌýÌý(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) just missed All-ODAC honors with a fourth-place finish.Ìý 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, asÌýÌý(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International), Schirch,ÌýÌý(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) and Chappell-Dick combined to time at 4:27.36.

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

³§±ð²Ô¾±´Ç°ùÌýÌý(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) finished her career well, setting her PR in the 5000m with a time of 19:29.20.Ìý 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.Ìý Roanoke won the team title with 150.33 points.

Men’s track and field

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

91¶ÌÊÓƵ entered the ODAC Championships with three of the top four heights in the high jump during the season.Ìý They made it a top-three sweep.ÌýÌýÌý(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¶ÌÊÓƵ record.ÌýÌýÌý(Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) had the most surprising finish, claiming the silver at 2.02m (6-7.5ft).Ìý Moore recently joined the team after the completion of the men’s volleyball season a few weeks ago.Ìý SophomoreÌýÌý(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) was third at 1.91m (6-3.25ft).Ìý All three claim All-ODAC status, and each also have a shot at qualifying for the national meet.

Ìý(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.Ìý The freshman then set his PR in the finals, finishing fourth with a time of :50.20.

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

The 4x400m relay team ofÌýÌý(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts), Winters,ÌýÌý(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) andÌý(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 andÌýÌý(Perkasie, Pa./ Christopher Dock) continued their season-long efforts at pushing each other in the 800m.Ìý Thibodeaux crossed sixth to grab the final point toward the team total, timing at 1:57.88.Ìý He was just three-tenths of a second from jumping into fourth place.Ìý Denlinger then took seventh place in 1:58.33.

Ìý(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.Ìý °ä±ô²¹²õ²õ³¾²¹³Ù±ðÌýÌý(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was one position behind him with a time of 15:37.21.

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

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

Ìý(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).Ìý 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.Ìý 91¶ÌÊÓƵ had 35 points, but was within three points of fourth-place Roanoke at 38.Ìý 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.Ìý The first meet scheduled as part of that stretch run is the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on Wednesday, April 30.

Chappell-DickÌý took second place in the 800m, and was easily the top D-III finisher, as she broke her own school record with a time of 2:12.95.Ìý Her record from last spring was 2:13.19.Ìý The next D-III runner was more than seven seconds behind Chappell-Dick.ÌýÌýÌý(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) also had a solid finish in the event, crossing 13th in 2:26.95.Ìý She was third among runners from 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s level.

Bane also broke her own school mark in the hammer throw, landing at 39.28m (128-10ft).Ìý Her previous best was 38.43m (126-1ft), also set in 2013.

Ìý(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) moved into 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s top 10 in the 5000m, setting her PR at 19:37.29.

On the men’s side, the Royals had eight top-10 finishes and three new ODAC qualifiers.

The highest finish went toÌýÌý(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), who ran the 3000m steeplechase and took fourth with a final time of 10:21.78.Ìý The finish pits him fifth in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history.

Meanwhile the 4x100m relay team crossed in fifth with a time of 43.69.ÌýÌýÌý(Freeman, S.D./Freeman Academy),ÌýÌý(Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside),ÌýÌý(Nelson, Va./Nelson County) andÌýÌý(Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) combined for the No. 5 time in the program’s books.

Ìý(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) andÌýÌý(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) looked good in the 5000m, finishing sixth and seventh, respectively.Ìý Gehman was the top D-III finisher in 15:45.92, while Landis was right behind in 15:48.88.ÌýÌýÌý(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) tallied 13th and was the fourth D-III runner with a time of 16:28.89.

In the 400m, Winters was seventh and the top D-III male with his time of 50.41.Ìý He earns a trip to the ODAC Championships with his finish and is sixth in program history.ÌýÌýÌý(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) was three spots behind Winters in tenth with a time of 51.74.

Ìý(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) had an eighth-place finish in the 800m, timing at 1:57.54.ÌýÌýÌý(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) was just outside of the top 10 in 11th, with his finish of 1:59.31.Ìý He was also 11th in the 1500m in 4:07.30, qualifying for ODACs in the process.

Ìý(Richmond, Va./Highland Springs), who joined the team with the recent completion of the men’s volleyball season, finished tenth with his first efforts in the long jump.Ìý He also earned a trip to the ODAC meet with a landing at 6.37m (20-10.75ft).Ìý Moore was also the top D-III finisher.

The Eastern Mennonite track teams are back in action next Saturday at the Mason Spring Invitational, hosted by D-I George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

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

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

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

Ìý(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) andÌýÌý(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) participated in the Roanoke meet, and both had runner-up finishes there.Ìý Bane took second in the discus with a PR throw of 33.20m (108-11ft).Ìý She just missed third in the hammer throw, settling for fourth at 34.95m (114-8ft).Ìý 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.Ìý SophomoreÌýÌý(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) took silver with the No. 5 jump in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history, clearing 1.97m (6-5.5ft).ÌýÌýÌý(Dalton, Oh./Central Christian) earned the bronze, having a best height of 1.92m (6-3.5ft).

Ìý(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¶ÌÊÓƵ top-10 list.

Ìý(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¶ÌÊÓƵ top-10 list. ÌýÌý(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) now sits at No. 5 on the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ list with his time of 15:33.46. ÌýÌý(Bluffton, Oh./Bluffton) also had a solid showing in his outdoor 5000m debut running a personal best time of 16:16.43.

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

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

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

Ìý(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. Ìý“We were blessed with great weather and great competitive atmospheres.Ìý With such a young team, it is important that we take each opportunity to go out, compete, and show consistent improvement. ÌýThis weekend was a great step in the right direction.Ìý 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.

Ten of Eastern Mennonite’s 11 cross country men set their personal records at the meet.Ìý The Royals took 21st out of 28 teams in the gold race, but were in second place out of the D-III schools, topping ODAC rival Lynchburg by one place, but finishing behind Guilford College.

As he has at every race this fall, junior (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) led the way.Ìý He finished 59th with a time of 25:53.79 on the 8k course, whacking nearly 35 seconds of his PR.Ìý Running in a field of 229 runners, mostly from D-I programs, Gehman was fourth among the D-III athletes, coming in behind a trio of Guilford men.

(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) continued his rise after running his first race two weeks ago.Ìý The junior crossed 123rd with a time of 26:56.24, an improvement of more than a minute from his previous race.Ìý Freshmen (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) and (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) weren’t that far apart from each other, with Thibodeaux timing at 27:30.24 in 154th and Nisly charting at 27:43.64 in 163rd, both slicing time off their PRs as well.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s final three runners held together in a pack, finishing with three seconds of each other.Ìý (Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) led the trio in 28:48.21, followed by (Lexington, Va./Parry McCluer) at 28:49.53 and (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) at 28:51.54.

There was also an 8k open race, giving all of the men on the Royals’ roster a chance to race.Ìý (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) charted a time of 28:43.36, while (Mt. Jackson, Va./Stonewall Jackson) came in at 29:08.12.Ìý (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) crossed the finish in 29:57.76, followed by (Dayton, Va./Benjamin Logan) in 30:42.46.Ìý All the open times were PRs.

“I was really pleased with our guys today,” said Coach Jason Lewkowicz.Ìý “Our top four were really strong and we had numerous personal best times from guys in both races.”

In the gold race, 91¶ÌÊÓƵ finished with 580 team points, just one spot ahead of Lynchburg at 617.Ìý The Hornets were picked to finish second in the ODAC’s preseason poll.Ìý Guilford, which was tabbed third before the season started, had 447 points.

The Royals get a week off before seeing how much they have improved from the start of the year, running at the ODAC Championships on Nov. 2 in Farmville, Va. In the ODAC Preview meet on the same course on Aug. 30, the men finished sixth out of ODAC teams.