聽(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) helped to highlight the day as he pointed in a couple of events.聽 The sophomore had a short lead on a handful of finishers to win the 800m as he crossed in 1:55.02.聽 It was easily Thibodeaux’s season best time, although more than a second and a half off his PR from last year.聽 The second place runner came in at 1:55.86 while teammate聽聽(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短视频 history books as well.聽聽聽(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.

贵谤别蝉丑尘补苍听聽(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).聽 He moves to No. 5 all-time at 91短视频.

The men also had some great finishes in the hurdles.聽 The Royals went 1-and-3 in the 400m hurdles, as freshman聽聽(Winchester, Va./Millbrook) claimed the gold.聽 Faint’s winning time was 54.23, a PR for him and fifth in 91短视频 history.聽 闯耻苍颈辞谤听聽(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短视频 books.

聽(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.聽 His PR moved him to No. 3 all-time at 91短视频 in the event.聽聽聽(Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) had a gritty effort to claim fourth in the race in 16.25.

聽(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) earned a silver in the shot put.聽 The big man landed at 14.39m (47-2.5ft), crushing his outdoor PR and moving to No. 2 in 91短视频 history.聽 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.聽聽聽(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), who entered as the favorite in the event, settled for a bronze finish.聽 He took third based on jumps, tying his season best at 1.91m (6-3.25ft).聽 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).聽 He moves in ninth all-time at 91短视频 as well.

贵谤别蝉丑尘补苍听聽(Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) took fifth in a tight finals of the 200m dash.聽 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短视频 runners in sixth place with a tie of 10:19.04.

In the relays, the 4x100m squad of聽聽(Freeman, S.D./Freeman Academy), Dews,聽聽(Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods) and聽聽(Appomattox, Va./Appomattox) earned fourth place with a time of 44.05.聽 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.聽 Bridgewater won the men’s title with 154 points while Lynchburg was second with 132.聽 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短视频 track and field women earned their highest finish at the ODAC Outdoor Championships in nine year.聽 The meet was hosted by Bridgewater College Friday and Saturday.

To no one’s surprise,聽聽(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) and聽聽(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.聽 In the two-lap race she had a pair of Bridgewater runners hanging near her, but not enough to challenge for top honors.聽 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.聽 While a comfortable pace off her PR, it was still good enough to give Chappell-Dick the win by more than three seconds.聽 Lehman actually crossed fourth in the race in 4:53.38.

Lehman was then dominant in the two distance events.聽 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.聽 Teammate聽聽(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.聽 The freshman ran with the pack for most of the race, before making her move with two laps to go.聽 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.聽 Lehman’s winning time was another facility-record 39:01.45, a comfortable win over Dalton’s 39:20.83.聽 Paden stayed with the lead group most of that race as well and came in fifth with a time of 40:03.77.

聽(Bedford, Va./Liberty) completed a great first season in the jumping events.聽 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).聽 The distance also bumped her up to No. 3 in 91短视频 history.聽 In the triple jump, Kittrell grabbed another fourth place finish, totaling 10.72m (35-2ft).

厂别苍颈辞谤听聽(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) was one of four women to break the facility record in the hammer throw.聽 She claimed fourth with a landing at 44.10m (144-5ft), within sight of Bridgewater’ Katelyn Senger in third with 44.18m (144-11ft).聽 It was a huge PR for Bane, upping her own school record, which had been 39.28m (128-10ft).聽 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.聽 In just her second-ever effort in the event, the junior tied for fourth by clearing 1.51m (4-11.5ft).

聽(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短视频 history books.

贵谤别蝉丑尘补苍听聽(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) grabbed a point in the 3000m steeplechase.聽 She earned sixth place with a time of 13:07.23.

The 4x400m relay team of聽聽(King George, Va./King George), Chappell-Dick,聽聽(Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) and聽聽(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) claimed fourth, just missing All-ODAC status, with a time of 4:04.41.聽 The 4x100m group of聽聽(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.聽 Roanoke won the women’s side with 156 points, followed by Bridgewater at 105 and Washington and Lee at 91.聽 Lynchburg and Virginia Wesleyan were tied for fifth behind 91短视频 with 63.

The ODAC Championships meet completes the main season for the Eastern Mennonite track teams.聽 Now the focus turns to twilight meets and preparing for hopeful runs at the NCAA National Championships in late May.聽 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.聽聽Kat Lehman聽was 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-Dick聽made it a sweep of the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete awards, as she also claimed that honor in cross country and indoor track.聽 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 Lewkowicz聽was 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.

Gehman, a senior kinesiology major, looks forward to running every day. When he鈥檚 running, he feels free, happy, at ease in a way that he often isn鈥檛. Diagnosed with Asperger鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 gotten better at fending them off, they鈥檙e never far away.

When he runs, it鈥檚 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 鈥� 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鈥檛 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鈥檇 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 鈥� not jaw-dropping, but certainly not pedestrian.

While Gehman鈥檚 running was going better than ever, managing his anxiety wasn鈥檛. Transferring to 91短视频, he found a more supportive environment on the track and cross-country teams for which Lewkowicz had set the expectation that 鈥渢here鈥檚 a shared responsibility to care for one another.鈥�

Lewkowicz was one of his earliest and biggest supporters. Lately, his teammates have become more and more important. Not that the thimble isn鈥檛 a problem anymore. It鈥檚 been a hard and anxious winter for Gehman. When things aren鈥檛 going well, sometimes there isn鈥檛 anything his teammates can say to fix things. What they can do, said Hannah Chappell-Dick, a standout runner on the women鈥檚 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鈥檚 what they鈥檝e done.

Overcoming anxiety and dropping time

Gehman鈥檚 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.

鈥淚t鈥檚 powerful to see people overcome things, and Ryan has done a lot of that this year,鈥� 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鈥檚 logging miles and building up a base. He will approach outdoor track with his usual determination.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that I鈥檝e ever coached anyone who works as hard as he does,鈥� said Lewkowicz.

Sharing his hard work

Hard work is part of any good distance runner鈥檚 life. In Gehman鈥檚 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 鈥� half-marathons, marathons. His biggest love is for the quiet and calm of trail running. He thinks he鈥檒l try to go pro. When Coach Lewkowicz lets him, he criss-crosses the rocky slopes of Massanutten Mountain with Dan Nafziger 鈥�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鈥檚 overcome. It hasn鈥檛 come easy, but then again, lots of things haven鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檇 seen it. Their 11-year-old daughter had been diagnosed with Asperger鈥檚, and they were curious if they might meet with him to hear more about what it鈥檚 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鈥檚 a difference.

鈥淩unning is something I do for me,鈥� he says. 鈥淭alking about my disability is something I can do for other people.鈥�

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

In the mile, Chappell-Dick broke the five-minute barrier for the first time and did so quite handily.聽 She charted a time of 4:56.37, shattering her own school record of 5:05.65, and breaking the ODAC record of 4:58.17 set by Roanoke All-American Carmen Graves in 2013.聽 The junior also sits at No. 4 in the nation this year with the time.聽 She placed sixth at the meet, behind runners from Virginia Tech and North Carolina.

颁濒补蝉蝉尘补迟别听聽(St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) ran the mile for the first time this year and jumped to No. 7 in the ODAC this season at 5:27.27.

Lehman’s mark also came in her only event of the day, the 3000m, where she crossed in 9:55.49, whacking more than 27 seconds of her PR and school record of 10:22.72.聽 She shattered the Old Dominion Athletic Conference record with the time, as the old mark was 10:10.61, set by Roanoke’s Casey Smith in 2001.聽 Nationally, Lehman leaps to No. 9 as she looks to join Chappell-Dick with a trip to the NCAA National Championships.聽 She took fourth in the race, coming in behind two women from Wake Forest and one from Virginia Tech.

Eastern Mennonite sent only a handful of athletes to the meet in Winston-Salem, N.C.聽 Elsewhere,聽聽(King George, Va./King George) earned the No. 5 time in 91短视频 history with a time of 1:02.52.

In the long jump,聽聽(Bedford, Va./Liberty) came close to her PR with a best leap of 4.96m (16-3.25ft).聽 The freshman’s best effort this year is 5.05m.

The duo of聽聽(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) and聽聽(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) continued to shine in the men’s 800m.聽 Thibodeaux just beat his teammate, taking eighth overall with a time of 1:57.18.聽 It was his PR, which is No. 4 in the ODAC and improves him to No. 4 in 91短视频 history.聽 Although Thibodeaux sits one spot behind Denlinger in program history, Denlinger came in just behind him in Saturday’s race, crossing in 1:57.22.

聽(Winchester, Va./Millbrook) set a new PR in the triple jump, charting the No. 9 distance in the 91短视频 books at 12.47m (40-11.00ft).

91短视频 had four men running in the 200m.聽聽聽(Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) led the way with a time of 23.77, just missing his PR by .01.聽聽聽(Ashburn, Va./Briarwood) tied his PR by finishing in 23.86.聽聽聽(Nelson, Va./Nelson County) crossed in 24.38 while聽聽(Appomattox, Va./Appomattox) timed at 25.12.

Wheeler also clocked at 54.09 in the 400m.

The Eastern Mennonite track teams wrap up the indoor season next week at the ODAC Indoor Championships in Landover, Md.

Women’s runner聽聽(Dover, Ohio/Dover) had the highest individual finish for 91短视频. She traversed the 6k course in 24:02.2, crossing 202nd out of 275. Besides going to Nationals In her first collegiate season, Lehman was named All-Region, All-ODAC First Team and ODAC Rookie of the Year. She also took ODAC Runner of the Week honors three times.

On the men’s side, seniors聽聽(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) and聽聽(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) completed a roundabout journey on the national stage. The duo were teammates at Hesston College in the fall of 2011 before Gehman went to Montreat the next year. Both men transferred to Eastern Mennonite as juniors in 2013 and wrapped up their cross country eligibility together on Saturday.

Landis had a strong finish and clocked in at 26:03.6 in the talented national field, taking 216th out of 280 runners. Gehman, the South/Southeast Region Athlete of the Year, struggled getting out of the gate and played catch-up the entire race. He crossed in 26:15.8 and took 237th.

Gehman was All-Region, All-ODAC First Team and a three-time ODAC Runner of the Week this fall, while Landis earned All-Region, All-ODAC Second Team and ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete honors.

“Even though the results weren’t that great today, this race does not define the season these three runners had,” said Coach Jason Lewkowicz. “I am extremely proud of each of them and how they represented 91短视频 today and all season.”

聽(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) had her best finish of the year, earning the runner-up medal.聽 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.

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

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

贵谤别蝉丑尘补苍听聽(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) was sixth for the Royals, taking 26th in 26:27.1, while聽聽(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International) was 46th in 27:46.7.

The Royals charted 55 points as a team to finish second.聽 BC won the title with 42 points, as the two friendly rivals dominated the race with 11 of the top 19 finishers.聽 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.聽 “The conditions were tough but they responded to my challenge to embrace the opportunity to compete and show their toughness, which they did.聽 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.聽 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聽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.聽 She was named ODAC Runner of the Week three times during the year as well.

闯耻苍颈辞谤听Hannah Chappell-Dick聽was voted the women’s cross country ODAC Scholar-Athlete, charting a 3.84 GPA as a biology and kinesiology double major.聽 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短视频’s runners have an off weekend next week as they prepare for the South/Southeast Regional Championships.聽 That meet is Nov. 15 in Rome, Ga.

The year before he came, those programs at 91短视频 were hanging on by a thread. The men鈥檚 cross country team had just three members 鈥� not even enough to score as a team at a meet. The women鈥檚 roster was just two names long. Track and field wasn鈥檛 in much better shape, with less than 10 athletes on the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams combined.

Through the coaching grapevine, though, Lewkowicz鈥檚 phone number had ended up in the hands of 91短视频 athletics director Dave King. Soon, Lewkowicz was flying out to visit. Geography was on 91短视频鈥檚 side 鈥� Lewkowicz鈥檚 wife, Wendy, is from Roanoke, Virginia, just a two-hour drive away. In the summer of 2011, he reported for duty as the new head cross country and track coach.

His Lord leads, Lewkowicz follows

鈥淣one of the places we鈥檝e lived are places I would have chosen to live,鈥� says Lewkowicz, who talks freely and often about his Christian faith. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been led from place to place.鈥�

The first season, he told his athletes that they would be laying the foundations for new and improved track and cross country programs. It was a fundamental task that very few would likely appreciate once the whole house had been built. The cross country teams didn鈥檛 do well at the conference meet, but they actually had enough runners to score as a team 鈥� itself a step in the right direction. The track team finished last at the conference meets, both for the indoor and outdoor seasons. 鈥淗umbling鈥� is the word Lewkowicz uses to describe that first year. Success, though, isn鈥檛 something he measures only by points and scores.

鈥淲e want God to be glorified in everything that we do,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat can be done in victory or defeat all the same.鈥�

Pursuing excellence, glorifying God

Lewkowicz鈥檚 coaching philosophy involves a general pursuit of excellence everywhere, be it in an early-morning biology class, in cross country practice later that afternoon, and on the race course on Saturday.

鈥淚n life, there are only really two things you can control: your effort and your attitude,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hatever moment you鈥檙e in, be present in that moment that God鈥檚 called you to be in.鈥�

Some moments, like perhaps that biology class, can significantly shape life and career in years to come. Be excellent. Others, like an early season track meet, particularly if you鈥檙e a middle-of-the-pack NCAA Division III runner, aren鈥檛 probably going to carry quite the same significance. Still be excellent.

Deep roster now

The numbers alone show that Lewkowicz鈥檚 athletes are responding to his approach and his enthusiasm. This fall, the cross country roster runs close to 40 deep, and about 30 runners travel to meets. Ohio and Pennsylvania have been great recruiting grounds for distance runners. Lewkowicz has had his best luck here in Virginia for other track athletes.

鈥淗e has brought a vision for what the program can become, the knowledge of how to get there, and the energy and work ethic to do it,鈥� says King, who recruited him to 91短视频.

Lewkowicz鈥檚 athletes also value the individual attention and support they receive, even for interests that can conflict with sports.

Not just one’s athletic ability

鈥淸91短视频] made me feel like a person rather than an athlete,鈥� says Richard Robinson, a junior who runs hurdles for Lewkowicz. 鈥淚 chose to come here because of that.鈥�

A star in high school, Robinson was humbled by a last-place finish in his first collegiate race. Lewkowicz told him he鈥檇 just collected some 鈥渉umble swag.鈥� Everybody needs some, the coach said.

鈥淗e just feels great to be around,鈥� adds Robinson.

Jolee Paden, a junior on the cross country and track teams, first met Lewkowicz at a running camp while she was in high school. The two kept in touch, and when Lewkowicz came to 91短视频 for the job, Paden found herself considering a school she鈥檇 never heard of before. The school鈥檚 cross-cultural programs sealed the deal for her. Study abroad is so ingrained at 91短视频 that athletes are supported by their coaches even when they鈥檒l miss an entire season of competition, as Paden did when she went to the Middle East during the spring of her sophomore year.

Student inspired to write book

While on the trip, Paden was inspired to complete a writing project that had been several years in the making: a collection of devotionals for runners (Spiritual Runner: A Runner After God鈥檚 Own Heart). The Lewkowicz-inspired philosophy of the cross country and track teams is scattered throughout the book, in sections like the one encouraging runners to step onto the course acting like it鈥檚 the most important thing in the world, but knowing that it鈥檚 not.

鈥淭hat is something he says that has really stuck with me over the years,鈥� she says.

Lewkowicz ran track and cross country in his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina, before walking onto the track team at Appalachian State University as a high jumper. He finished a history degree, then stayed for a master鈥檚 in higher education administration. Within a few years, he鈥檇 become the director of residence life at the University of Virginia at Wise; to get himself out of the office, he started coaching the cross country team. Somewhere along the way, he 鈥済ot the coaching bug鈥� and, before long, was looking around for full-time positions.

Then came the move to Hannibal, and then, when things fell into place at 91短视频, the Lewkowiczes made yet another long-distance move. Jason and his wife, Wendy, had two sons when they moved to Missouri. They had three when they moved to Virginia, and now, they have four between the ages of 1 and 10.

French-Jewish Holocaust heritage

Lewkowicz鈥檚 father was born in France to Jewish Holocaust survivors who later emigrated to America. His Cherokee biological mother left when he was 5, and Lewkowicz was later adopted by his father’s subsequent wife, whom he considers his mom. (His paternal grandparents eventually returned to France, and Lewkowicz spent many summers at their home on the Mediterranean coast.)

The family wasn鈥檛 religious. Lewkowicz discovered Christianity through an older sister and her husband. Before he was old enough to drive himself to church, he often spent Saturday nights at their place so he could accompany them to church the next morning. Eventually, he says with evident joy, his parents became believers. Now in Harrisonburg, he and his family have joined Aletheia Church, where Lewkowicz is involved in music on Sundays.

鈥淚 see this as a ministry,鈥� he says, of his coaching. 鈥淢y job is to show the love of God to my athletes.鈥�

Wrestling with questions

The Mennonite approach to Christianity was new to him. He has discovered pluses (singing, peacebuilding, working with the marginalized), yet he voices a desire 鈥渢o feel certain that Christ is always at the center of the university鈥檚 mission.鈥� He and his runners wrestle with these sorts of things sometimes on runs.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 expect perfection,鈥� he adds, referring to the 91短视频 community. 鈥淚鈥檓 not perfect.鈥� Overall, he feels the three years and counting that he鈥檚 been at 91短视频 have been rewarding.

鈥淗e鈥檚 very interested in engaging in dialogue,鈥� says King. 鈥淚 really appreciate that about him.鈥�

Back to the whole excellence thing. In 2013, the women鈥檚 cross country team finished second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship meet. The men were fourth.

Things are looking a little more excellent in the performance department. Sights are set on conference titles. And on the third Saturday in September, at the Shenandoah Valley Invitational, the women鈥檚 cross country team achieved the ultimate in cross country excellence: , earning a rare and perfect score of 15.

Editor’s note: Originally posted 10/03/14, this article was slightly revised on 10/07/14, with the concurrence of Jason Lewkowicz.

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 senior聽聽(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was 91短视频’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.

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

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

Each of 91短视频’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短视频 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.聽The women totaled 319 points.

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

]]> /now/news/2014/all-time-top-u-s-runner-jim-ryun-embraces-emu-as-annual-camp-site/ Tue, 29 Jul 2014 16:10:02 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=21331 One of the all-time top athletes in the United States, mile-record-setter Jim Ryun, has settled into making 91短视频 the site of one of his three annual running camps.

Ryun tried 91短视频 for the first time in the summer of 2013, moving his training camp from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He returned in 2014 and says he鈥檒l be back with his campers in 2015 and, he hopes, for many years to come.

鈥淭oday is the day, 48 years ago, that I set the world record for the mile in Berkeley, California,鈥� Ryun told an 91短视频 reporter on July 17. He sounded thoughtful rather than boastful, as he sat on the grass under a tree by the 91短视频 track patiently answering questions that he has probably answered a million times.

It also happened to be the 48th anniversary of the day that somebody named Anne Snider approached Ryun after he had been signing autographs for a long time and asked for one for herself. He politely declined her request but held out the promise to comply in the future, maybe even after he returned to his University of Kansas. He did learn that she happened to be visiting California and was enrolled at arch-rival Kansas State.

Decades of being “we”

Somehow it all worked out. Three years later 鈥� a year before Jim graduated from university 鈥� Anne and Jim were married and on their way to a lifelong partnership. He uses 鈥渨e鈥� more often than not in conversation 鈥� referring to the two of them becoming born-again Christians in 1972, raising four children (and adoring their 12 grandchildren), entering the political arena when Jim represented Kansas鈥� 2nd district in Congress, and holding camps for runners (largely high school-aged) since 1973.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to meet Anne 鈥� she鈥檒l be along soon,鈥� Jim said as the reporter was putting away her notepad. And Anne came along just then, walking jauntily north toward the outdoor track from their rooms in Cedarwood residence hall, accompanied by one of their sons and his wife, who help direct the camps with mom and dad Ryun.

Anne turned out to be all of 5鈥�3鈥� alongside her 6鈥�3鈥� husband, but the outsized warmth of her personality lent support to her husband鈥檚 contention that she was indispensable to his successful runs for Congress, where he was a fervent 鈥渟mall government鈥� Republican in the House of Representatives, 1996-2007.

In 2006, the National Journal named Jim the most conservative member of Congress, an honor that ranks with Jim鈥檚 running awards, to judge by his manner of speaking. 鈥淚 believe in small government, lower taxes, a debt-free nation, a strong military, a strong family, and less Social Security and Medicare,鈥� he emphasizes. He is the chair of the Madison Project, which seeks to enlarge the number of uncompromising conservatives in Congress.

From July 13 to 18, 2014, however, Jim and Anne weren鈥檛 focused on politics 鈥� they were utterly devoted to the 58 runners under their care in the Jim Ryun Running Camp at 91短视频, including five from Eastern Mennonite High School, along with their coach, 91短视频 junior Tyler Eshleman.

Christian atmosphere

Eshleman was the Ryuns鈥� trouble-shooter and general go-to person on behalf of 91短视频 during the camp. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been great,鈥� said Jim. 鈥淚f I could take him everywhere with us, I鈥檇 love it.鈥�

The love was mutual. 鈥淢y athletes who attended are already spreading the word of the education, encouragement, and spiritual growth they experienced at the camp,鈥� said Eshleman. 鈥淭hey are setting better goals, and showing new enthusiasm for their sport. I can only hope more of my team will take advantage of this marvelous opportunity next summer.鈥�

Jason Lewkowicz, 91短视频鈥檚 cross country and track & field coach, was juggling competing demands on his time during camp week, yet most days he made a point of joining the Ryuns for their worship and learning sessions. 鈥淚 am grateful for how Jim and Anne integrate faith into their running camp. . .[as well as] their emphasis on using the gift of running to honor God, the giver of that gift!鈥�

In addition to the 91短视频 camp in the Shenandoah Valley, the Ryuns hold one each summer near the beach in San Diego, California, and a third in the mountains of Greeley, Colorado. In 2014, camp fees were $650 for an individual, with discounts for coaches and runners who come as a member of a team. Campers must be at least age 13 to come, but the camp website 鈥� ryunrunning.com 鈥� says there is no upper age limit.

The website also makes it clear that the camp has a Christian atmosphere. 鈥淲e believe well-rounded runners are those who are nurtured physically, mentally and spiritually,鈥� says Jim, which is why devotional sessions based on biblical passages are an integral part of the camp.

Another accomplished Olympian, pentathlon athlete Jack Daniels, is always part of the training team at the Ryun camp.

Best H.S. athlete ever

Jim Ryun was one of the most famous and admired athletes of his day 鈥� named in 1966 (at age 19) as Sports Illustrated鈥檚 鈥淪portsman of the Year鈥� and as ABC鈥檚 Wide World of Sports鈥� Athlete of the Year, among many other kudos.

He still holds five of the six fastest mile times in U.S. high school history, all under 4 minutes, and 鈥渕ost of them on much slower track surfaces than today鈥檚,鈥� notes ESPN.com. He won the silver medal for the 1500 m at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Today, over 40 years after he set them, Ryun still holds the American junior (19 and under) records at 880 yd (1:44.9), 800 m (1:44.3), 1,500 m (3:36.1), and two miles (8:25.1).

Memories of Ryun鈥檚 running career, which ended in the mid-1970s, remain strong. In 2007, ESPN.com named him the 鈥渂est high school athlete ever,鈥� above such well-known figures as Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Jim Ryun Running Camp grew by about 40% between its first and second years at 91短视频. Ryun says they turn away applicants at the 100 camper mark at each of their three sites, a goal likely to be reached at 91短视频 in the next two years at the rate things are going.

鈥淭here is no doubt that the Ryun Running Camp offers a great experience for the campers,鈥� said Lewkowicz, who plans to commit more time to the camp in 2015. 鈥淭o be able to spend a week with Jim Ryun, Jack Daniels, and the rest of the staff is worth the cost of registration alone. However, they work hard to ensure a great holistic experience for the camp attendees, integrating faith, team building, and fellowship, to the daily running and learning regimen. Any young runner would come out of the Jim Ryun Running Camp experience with a positive outlook on life and running.鈥�

Ryun tried 91短视频 for the first time last summer, moving his training camp from in Pennsylvania. He returned this summer and says he鈥檒l be back with his campers in 2015 and, he hopes, for many years to come.

鈥淭oday is the day, 48 years ago, that I set the world record for the mile in Berkeley, California,鈥� Ryun told an 91短视频 reporter on July 17. He sounded thoughtful rather than boastful, as he sat on the grass under a tree by the 91短视频 track patiently answering questions that he has probably answered a million times before.

It also happened to be the 48th anniversary of the day that somebody named Anne Snider approached Ryun after he had been signing autographs for a long time and asked for one for herself. He politely declined her request but held out the promise to comply at some future time, maybe even after he returned to his University of Kansas. He did learn that she happened to be visiting California and was enrolled at arch-rival Kansas State.

Lifelong partnership with Anne, close family

Somehow it all worked out. Three years later 鈥� a year before Jim graduated from university 鈥� Anne and Jim were married and on their way to a lifelong partnership. He uses 鈥渨e鈥� more often than not in conversation 鈥� referring to the two of them becoming born-again Christians in 1972, raising four children (and adoring their 12 grandchildren), entering the political arena when Jim represented Kansas鈥� 2nd district in Congress, and holding camps for runners (largely high school aged) since 1973.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to meet Anne 鈥� she鈥檒l be along soon,鈥� Jim said as the reporter was putting away her notepad. And Anne came along just then, walking jauntily north toward the outdoor track from their rooms in Cedarwood residence hall, accompanied by one of their sons, 41-year-old Drew, and his wife, who help direct the camps with mom and dad Ryun.

Anne turned out to be all of 5鈥�3鈥� alongside her 6鈥�3鈥� husband, but the outsized warmth of her personality lent support to her husband鈥檚 contention that she was indispensable to his successful runs for Congress, where he was a fervent “small government” Republican in the House of Representatives, 1996-2007.

Ryun’s conservatism

In 2006, the named Jim , an honor that ranks with Jim鈥檚 running awards, to hear him speak. 鈥淚 believe in small government, lower taxes, a debt-free nation, a strong military, a strong family, and less Social Security and Medicare.鈥�

Jim’s and Anne’s twin sons, Ned and Drew, share that worldview. Ned started a group called in Northern Virginia to train conservative activists and to lobby for conservative policies. Jim Ryun is chair of a kindred organization, the , which seeks to enlarge the number of uncompromising conservatives in Congress. Drew works in both his brother’s and father’s organizations. In short, conservative politics are where this family puts their energies when they aren鈥檛 doing running camps or Jim isn鈥檛 giving motivational speeches.

But last week, July 13-18, Jim and Anne were utterly devoted to the 58 runners under their care in the Jim Ryun Running Camp at 91短视频, including five from , along with their coach, 91短视频 junior Tyler Eshleman.

Eshleman was also the Ryun鈥檚 trouble-shooter and general go-to person on behalf of 91短视频 during the camp. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been great,鈥� said Jim. 鈥淚f I could take him everywhere with us, I鈥檇 love it.鈥�

Immediate results seen

The love was mutual. 鈥淢y athletes who attended are already spreading the word of the education, encouragement, and spiritual growth they experienced at the camp,鈥� said Eshleman. 鈥淭hey are setting better goals, and showing new enthusiasm for their sport. I can only hope more of my team will take advantage of this marvelous opportunity next summer.鈥�

, 91短视频鈥檚 cross country and track & field coach, was juggling competing demands on his time last week, yet he made a point of joining the Ryuns for their worship and learning sessions most of the week. 鈥淚 am grateful for how Jim and Anne integrate faith into their running camp. . .[as well as] their emphasis on using the gift of running to honor God, the giver of that gift!鈥�

In addition to the 91短视频 camp in the Shenandoah Valley, the Ryuns hold one each summer near the beach in San Diego, California, and a third in the mountains of Greeley, Colorado, totaling up to 250 campers. In 2014, camp fees were $650 for an individual, with discounted fees for coaches and runners who come as a member of a team. Campers must be at least age 13 to come, but the camp website 鈥� 鈥� states that there is no upper age limit.

The website also makes it clear that the camp has a Christian atmosphere. 鈥淲e believe well-rounded runners are those who are nurtured physically, mentally and spiritually,鈥� says Jim, which is why devotional sessions based on biblical passages are an integral part of the camp.

Stand-out athleticism

Another accomplished Olympian, pentathlon athlete , is always part of the training team at the Ryun camp. (Click for a Runner’s World article on his coaching.)

Jim Ryun was one of the most famous and admired athletes of his day 鈥� named in 1966 (at age 19) as Sports Illustrated鈥檚 and as , among many other kudos.

He still holds five of the six fastest mile times in U.S. high school history, all under 4 minutes, and 鈥渕ost of them on much slower track surfaces than today’s,鈥� . He won the silver medal for the 1500 m at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Today, over 40 years after he set them, Ryun still holds the American junior (19 and under) records at 880 yd (1:44.9), 800 m (1:44.3), 1,500 m (3:36.1), and two miles (8:25.1).

Memories of Ryun鈥檚 running career, which ended in the mid 1970s, remain strong. In 2007, above such well-known figures as Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Growth expected at 91短视频 site

The Jim Ryun Running Camp grew by about 40 percent between its first and second years at 91短视频. Ryun says they turn away applicants at the 100 camper mark at each of their three sites, a goal likely to be reached at 91短视频 in the next two years at the rate things are going.

鈥淭here is no doubt that the Ryun Running Camp offers a great experience for the campers,鈥� said Lewkowicz, who plans to commit more time to the camp in 2015. 鈥淭o be able to spend a week with Jim Ryun, Jack Daniels, and the rest of the staff is worth the cost of registration alone. However, they work hard to ensure a great holistic experience for the camp attendees, integrating faith, team building, and fellowship, to the daily running and learning regimen. Any young runner would come out of the Jim Ryun Running Camp experience with a positive outlook on life and running.鈥�

This is the second national event for Chappell-Dick, as she also went to nationals this past fall in cross country.

The national track meet is this Thursday through Saturday, hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University at Selby Stadium and the George Gauthier Track in Delaware, Oh.聽 It will also be a homecoming of sorts for the Ohio native, as she runs at the meet less than 80 miles from her hometown.

The 800m preliminaries will be on Friday, with the finals Saturday afternoon.

91短视频 track coach Jason Lewkowicz said he is excited for Chappell-Dick to go to nationals as she wraps up an up-and-down year.

“Coming off of a solid cross country season, which culminated in her first NCAA cross country championship appearance, Hannah had high hopes for qualifying for NCAAs in both indoor and outdoor track,” said Lewkowicz.聽 “After coming down with mono over Christmas break, all of that became very uncertain. 聽However, since getting cleared to train in late February, Hannah has worked very hard to regain her form and has definitely earned her place at the NCAA meet.”

Lewkowicz said his runner will be a good ambassador on the nation scene.

“She is very talented and hard-working and I know she will represent 91短视频 well at the NCAA meet,” he said. 聽“I know we both feel very blessed that God has opened up this door for her and, regardless of the outcome, the primary goal will be to honor Him through her efforts on the track.”

Chappell-Dick is one of 17 men and women from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to qualify for nationals.聽 She is Lewkowicz’s first national qualifier in track in his three years at 91短视频, and the school’s first qualifier since Michael Allen in the triple jump in 2010.聽 She is the first woman to go since Michelle Leaman in the 100m hurdles in 2008.

which includes a schedule of events, stadium information and links to live results and video.

Men’s senior high jumper (Dalton, Oh./Central Christian) was also hoping to earn a trip to nationals, but he just missed the field of 20 jumpers.聽 King finished No. 25 in the nation with his best jump of 2.04m (6-8.25ft), with the final jumpers qualifying at 2.06m (6-9ft).聽 Freshman (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) made large improvements late in the season, but his best time of 1:53.43 was about 1.6 seconds from the final qualifier in the men’s 800m.

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

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

聽(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短视频 list and just 0.06 seconds from Marcel Long at No. 2.

聽(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短视频 record books.

In the high jump,聽聽(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.聽聽(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,聽聽(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短视频 list. In the discus, his best toss of 34.90m (114-6ft) was good for ninth place overall.

聽(Bluffton Oh./Bluffton) was the lone female participant for 91短视频, 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短视频 history at 59.08. Chappell-Dick’s time was more than a second faster than her previous best. Lorenda Abbott set the 91短视频 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短视频 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.聽 Just a handful will turn around the next day for the high-level Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville.

“I’m really excited to see growth in our track & field program this year,” Lewkowicz said.聽 “We have a lot of talented newcomers on the men’s side and a number of All-ODAC performers returning for the women. 聽Expectations are high and we are excited about that.”

(Bluffton, Oh./Bluffton) is back for her sophomore season after breaking five Eastern Mennonite middle distance records in her first year.聽 For the men, (Dalton, Oh./Central Christian) will look to improve on his incredible growth from last year.聽 As a junior transfer, King was talked into trying the high jump by Lewkowicz.聽 In his first-ever campaign in the event, King won both the indoor and outdoor ODAC titles, and also broke the 91短视频 outdoor record.聽 Not bad.

Lewkowicz said that with a balance of faith, team camaraderie and talent, he senses his men and women are poised to reach new heights in 2014.

“We are looking to continue to build off of that success from last year and part of that is the expectation that school records will continue to be broken,” he explained.聽 “This adds to the level of excitement on the team because setting records is an indication of performing at a level that will help us as a team at the ODAC level.聽 At the end of the day, the goal is to get better each time out and let the accolades come as they will.”

Also back for the men is sophomore (Broadway, Va./Broadway), who took the silver in the 60m hurdles at the ODAC indoor meet and bronze in the 100m hurdles at the outdoor meet.聽 For the women, sophomore (Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) was third in 800m outdoor race, finishing just behind Chappell-Dick.聽 The women had a distance medley relay team take third at the indoor meet in 2013, and Brumfield, (Gap, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), and (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) all return from that foursome.聽 Another sophomore, (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula), was third in the javelin last spring to round out 91短视频’s athletes who earned an All-ODAC honor last year.

Lewkowicz expects those athletes to be the core of his squads this year, along with (Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) in the distance runs, (Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) in the throws and jumper (Canby, Ore./Western Mennonite).聽 Garber earned the No. 3 spot in the 91短视频 record books in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump as a freshman in 2011, but took the last two years off.聽 For men, (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) will help push King in the high jump.聽 Last year as a freshman, he broke the school’s indoor high jump record before King took it over.聽 Cross country standouts (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) and (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) will lead the distance group.

91短视频’s coach pointed out that the men’s talent level is getting much deeper this year.

“In the hurdles, All-ODAC performer Richard Robinson is joined by talented freshman (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage),” explained Lewkowicz.聽 “ (Mechanicsville, Pa./Atlee) and (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) highlight a talented group of freshmen sprinters, with (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) and (Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) coming into a middle distance group that could score a lot of points at the ODAC meets.聽 Returners (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts), (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) and (Nelson, Va./Nelson Country) give us a level of depth that we have not had in years.”

Along with the freshmen men that Lewkowicz pointed out, he noted a handful of returners who might turn heads with the improvements they have made.

“I think Erica Garber will make steady progress as the season goes on,” he said.聽 “Juni Schirch and (Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) missed most of last year due to sickness and injury and I expect them both to do well.聽 On the men’s side, Philip Watson and Jonathan Bush are poised to breakout this season.

With a number of Royals runners either competing or training with the cross country team this fall, Lewkowicz explains the transition of the group into the track season.

“Moving out of a successful cross country season, the focus turned to bringing the entire track team together as a unit,” he said.聽 “We have a lot of newcomers, some folks returning from/leaving for cross culturals, and some returning from injuries.聽 Getting everyone on the same page and focused on the same goals is always a priority.聽 We are also putting a lot of emphasis on doing the little things well to help keep us healthy in body, mind and spirit.

After years of running their championship meets with an “open” format, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference has added qualifying standards this year.聽 Although the Eastern Mennonite teams continue to grow in number (25 men and 14 women), the benchmarks are more likely to provide nice targets for 91短视频’s athletes rather than limit how many Royals participate.

“At this point, the standards should not have too much of an effect on our team,” said Lewkowicz, “since each school is guaranteed three spots in each event, regardless of time/mark attained, in addition to four ‘wild card’ placements at the ODAC meet.聽 While we do have depth in several areas that could leave some folks out, I believe most of our athletes will be able to hit the qualifying mark for their respective event(s).”

The 2013 track season nearly became synonymous breaking records, and the Royals hope to do the same thing in 2014.聽 They also want to rise out of the middle of the pack at the ODAC meet.

“We want both teams to improve their finish at the ODAC meet, both for the indoor and outdoor season,” Lewkowicz said.聽 “We already saw a school record broken at the December meet and we anticipate a lot more of that taking place over the course of the season.聽 It is also my hope that we use our platform as a collegiate team to represent our university well and to glorify Christ through our attitude, effort, humility and sportsmanship.聽 He is the giver of all good gifts and we want to honor Him in all that we do.”

The 91短视频 teams are in action this weekend at the Liberty Open in Lynchburg.聽 The ODAC Indoor Championships are March 2 in Hampton, Va., with nationals two weeks later in Lincoln, Neb.聽 The outdoor season then starts on March 22, with the ODAC Outdoor Championships on April 18 and 19.聽 After a handful of “last chance” meets, the national outdoor meet is May 22-24 in Delaware, Ohio.

There were 280 women at the national meet, and as could be expected in such a crowded field, Chappell-Dick ran near other racers throughout the entire course.聽 She finished within a single second of three other competitors, crossing second out of that foursome to claim 221st overall.

Third-year coach Jason Lewkowicz was on hand with his runner, along with teammate (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Odgen).

“I was excited to get to witness Hannah take part in a national championship experience,” said Lewkowicz.聽 “Many times, when it is your first time, all of your excitement surrounding the event can be overwhelming.聽 Hannah got a little caught off guard by that, but bottom line is that she accomplished a goal of making it to the national meet and did so with no summer training which makes what she did all the more impressive.聽 She has a tremendous amount of talent and this is the beginning of what should be many more championship experiences for Hannah.”

Chappell-Dick is the first Eastern Mennonite female runner to qualify for nationals since in 2002.聽 Good was inducted into the 91短视频 Hall of Honor earlier this fall.

With a couple of weeks off before the indoor track & field season starts, Lewkowicz said this provides a good transition.

“It was great to have 91短视频 represented at the NCAA meet by Hannah and it moves our program one step closer to where we want to be,” he explained.聽 “We give God all the glory for our accomplishments as a team, and we’ll continue to place our focus on honoring Him as we move into the track season.”

“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.聽 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.聽 It gets going in earnest after the upcoming Christmas break.

Lewkowicz is excited to see his team continue to grow in number and talent.聽 The combined rosters totaled a mere 13 student-athletes the year before he took over the program.聽 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.聽 “We have added a number of quality athletes that will help us be more competitive in the this year.聽 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.聽 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).聽 In three previous seasons, he won multiple ODAC crowns as well as trips to the national meet.聽 Allen is back for his senior campaign after missing last spring while studying off campus through 91短视频’s cross cultural program.

“It is great to have someone like Michael on our team for a number of reasons,” explained Lewkowicz.聽 “He brings natural leadership and has competed at a high level, so he knows what it takes.聽 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.聽 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.聽 “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短视频.聽 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.聽 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.聽 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.聽 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.聽 “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.聽 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.聽 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.聽 “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.聽 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. 聽“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.”

Under second-year Head Coach , Eastern Mennonite will return to the Peakview Course at Burtner Farm just east of Harrisonburg. The ODAC Championships are set for Oct. 27, with 91短视频 hosting as part of a rotating schedule. Traditionally, the institution in charge of the championship meet also puts on an ODAC Preview on the same course, so the Royals also host on Aug. 31.

The last time the school hosted a cross country meet was the fall of 2009.

In a scheduling twist, the men and women are competing in Bridgewater College鈥檚 Doc Jopson Invitational on Sept. 21. That meet is also on the Peakview Course, giving 91短视频 three of their six regular season meets on the local running spot.

The 2012 schedule also includes two dates in Pennsylvania at the Lebanon Valley College Invite and the Paul Short Run, plus another very talented field at the CNU Invite in Newport News on Oct. 13.

The South/Southeast Regionals are Nov. 10 in Emory, GA, followed by the national meet on Nov. 17 in Terre Haute, IN.