Along with the second-place finish, Chappell-Dick broke her own 91����Ƶ and ODAC records with a time of 4:54.32.

Senior thrower (Staunton, Va./Riverheads) finished 14th in the shot put, landing his best throw at 15.38m (50-5.50ft).

A record-setting performance

Chappell-Dick, meanwhile, beat her season best time of 4:59.10 by nearly five seconds, while also breaking the ODAC record of 4:56.37 which she set last year. She also finished second in the mile at the 2015 NCAA meet.

This is the fourth All-American award for Chappell-Dick, continuing a streak she started at last year’s meet. The senior finished third in the 1500m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last spring before coming in 17th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships earlier this fall.

After finishing second in her heat in Friday’s preliminaries with a time of 5:00.23, she sat in her seeded position of fourth for much of today’s finals in Grinnell, Iowa. Over the final lap, Chappell-Dick burst past two other women to take over second. She finished just ahead of MIT’s Maryann Gong, a friendly rival on the national stage, who took third in 4:54.67. Emily Gapinski pulled away over the final lap to win in 4:52.28.

Rising to new challenges

With his appearance on the national stage, Heizer closed out his senior season in impressive fashion. In just his third season ever of throwing, Heizer was also the ODAC Champion in the shot put and weight throw. In the shot put he threw an outstanding 15.81m (51-10.75ft) and improved his national standing to No. 25. Then in the weight throw he landed at 15.06m (49-5.25ft). Both PRs improved on his No. 2 spots in the 91����Ƶ record books.

He qualified for the national meet at the Tufts Final Qualifying Meet in Medford, Mass., where he set yet another PR in shot put by throwing a 16.26m (53-4.25ft). This bumped Heizer up to No. 15 in the nation and gained him a spot in the NCAA Championships.

For an athete who entered 91����Ƶ as a basketball player, Heizer’s performances in his second sport are remarkable. For the first two years of his career, Heizer was taught by former throwing coach Carissa Eichmeyer. This year however, he is being coached by first-year throwing coach Branden Vock.

Last week, Heizer and roommate Richard Robinson were named . “We’re roommates and we’re best friends, we’re like brothers,” Heizer said, after returning from the Tufts meet.

At the Tufts meet, Robinson narrowly missed qualifying for the national meet, completing preliminaries of the 60m hurdles in 8.30 seconds. He could not finish the final race due to stumbling on a hurdle. Robinson was ranked No. 19 nationally. The top 15 in the nation earned a spot at Nationals.

At the ODAC Championships, he broke the championship and overall conference records by running a career best time of 8.28 seconds in the finals. He is the repeating 60m hurdles champion after also winning the 110m hurdles from last spring’s outdoor season.

All three senior athletes will compete in outdoor track.

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����Ƶ 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.�� 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.�� 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.�� 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.�� She is a biology major with minors in coaching, exercise science and honors.�� 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.�� 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.�� Then in the weight throw, he landed at 15.06m (49-5.25ft).�� Both improved on his No. 2 spots in the 91����Ƶ 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.�� 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).�� His PR distance was the third-best effort in 91����Ƶ history.

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

(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) earned third place in the 800m for All-ODAC Third Team status.�� 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.�� He then took fifth in the 3000m with a time of 9:03.55.�� 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.�� 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.�� The sophomore’s PR also bumped him up to No. 8 in the 91����Ƶ’s record books.�� Sampson also grabbed two points for taking seventh in the event at 51.47.�� He comes in at No. 9 in 91����Ƶ history.

The distance medley relay team added two points towards the team total with a seventh-place finish.�� (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.�� 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.�� 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.�� 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.�� (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.�� 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).�� Kittrell then settled for eighth in the long jump, sticking her best at 4.78m (15-8.25ft).�� 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.�� The freshman’s PR improves her No. 2 time in the 91����Ƶ record books.

In the 400m, Williams also finished sixth.�� She was second in her heat, clocking at 1:02.54.�� 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).

For the men,����(Mount Sidney, Va./Fort Defiance) took nearly six seconds off of his indoor PR in the 3000m, coming across in a time of 8:43.68 to re-break his own school record of 8:49.20 from the CNU Holiday Open in December.

A foursome of����(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock),����(Winchester, Va./Millbrook),����(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) and Thibodeaux destroyed the program record in the distance medley relay.�� The foursome crossed in 10:29.09, topping the 2013 record of 10:37.15 by more than eight seconds and bumping the Royals to the No. 11 spot in the nation this season.

The 4x400m team of Faint, Denlinger,����(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) and����(Salem, Va./Salem) had the seventh-best time in 91����Ƶ history at 3:28.34.

Denlinger set his indoor PR in the 800m, stopping the watch at 1:56.50.�� He moves to the second-best time in the event in 91����Ƶ history.�� Luke Yoder set the record of 1:55.84 in 2007.�� Denlinger also sits at No. 23 in the nation so far this season with the time.

A pair of young runners made a splash in the 400m.�� Faint, a sophomore, clocked at 51.41 to win his heat and earn 21st overall.�� Faint PRed with the effort and moved up two spots to No. 8 in the 91����Ƶ history books.�� Sampson, a freshman, knocked 0.01 of his PR to take sole possession of No. 9 in the books at 51.65.

��(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) had a successful re-entry to the track season, as he punched an ODAC spot in the 5000m.�� The 2014 S/SE Region Athlete of the Year in cross country, Gehman finished his race in 16:18.61.

��(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) improved upon his 91����Ƶ No. 2 distance in the weight throw.�� His best toss landed at 14.87m (48-9.5ft), an improvement of more than two feet.�� Nathan Turner holds the 91����Ƶ record at 15.77m (51-9ft).�� In the shot put, Heizer landed at 14.18m (46-6.25ft).

For his efforts, he was named ODAC Field Athlete of the Week.

In the 60m hurdles,����(Broadway, Va./Broadway) crossed in 8.78 while����(Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) came in at 8.96.

��(Charlotte Court House, Va./Randolph Henry) punched an ODAC ticket in the 200m, winning his heat in 23.69.�� He also participated in the long jump, sticking his best landing at 6.07m (19-11ft).

��(Bristow, Va./Patriot) made just one of his three attempts in the triple jump, but it was good enough to tie him for No. 7 in 91����Ƶ history at 12.83m (42-1.25ft).

Meanwhile on the women’s side,����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) put herself fourth in the nation in the mile run with her time of 5:02.05.�� The All-American was the top D-III runner at the meet and took fifth overall. Chappell-Dick broke the finish line seventh overall in the 800m with a time of 2:16.02.�� She is ninth in the nation with the time. She was named ODAC Athlete of the Week for her win.

Three other women ran in the 800m, with each earning an ODAC-qualifying time.������(King George, Va./King George) had a PR of 2:30.74, jumping herself to No. 6 on the all-time 91����Ƶ charts.�� �������󳾲�������(Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) shaved more than a second off of her first collegiate race with a time of 2:31.21 to take No. 8 in 91����Ƶ history, and����(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) came in at 2:33.60.

In the 3000m,����(Dover, Ohio/Dover) crossed in 10:34.38.�� ����Ծ��ǰ�����(St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) was 12th overall in the 5000m, clocking in at 20:19.51.

The distance medley relay team of Chappell-Dick, Williams, Yoder and Schirch had a solid time of 13:42.21.

In the field events, sophomore����(Bedford, Va./Liberty) was the lone 91����Ƶ representative.�� She just missed her indoor PR in the triple jump, landing at 10.55m (34-7.5ft).�� In the long jump she measured at 4.44m (14-7.0 feet).

The Royals head to Selinsgrove, Pa., next Saturday for the Crusader Challenge hosted by Susquehanna University.

A crowd of about 200 enjoyed the game, cheering on both the Kingz and their opponents, a team made up of faculty, staff, alumni and students.

The event was billed as the 91����Ƶ Charity Classic by the (BSU), which hosted the game and an after-party later that night. More than 150 tickets were sold, with the funds going towards an alternative spring break trip planned jointly by BSU, the 91����Ƶ Gospel Choir, and .

“I really love how the game brought a lot of energy to 91����Ƶ,” said sophomore Anna Messer. “It was a great time for students to get together with professors and with each other. It was a good community event for people to just let loose and have fun.”

Crowd-pleasing hoops

The Streetball Kingz is a group managed by Dewey Jackson, based in Delaware. The team plays across the U.S. for community and nonprofit events. Their flashy style of play incorporates crowd-pleasing dunks, top-notch ball handling, and supreme shooting.

The fundraiser was quickly put together and gained momentum after the Streetball Kingz, just weeks before, contacted , director of , about coming to 91����Ƶ since they had already played at James Madison University and Bridgewater College. Lepley passed along the idea to BSU student advisor .

“We wanted to do something that would be fun and late night so that students would have an option of doing something that’s substance free,” said Thomas. “We thought it would bring a lot of energy to the campus and it was something new. I think we did well taking a risk and trying something different.”

“It always feels good to see hard work pay off,” said BSU event coordinator Richard Robinson, “especially for an event like this that has never happened on 91����Ƶ’s campus.”

The fundraiser will help defray costs of an alternative spring break civil rights experiential learning trip to Alabama and Georgia.

“Instead of going to the beach, we’ll be going to Selma, Tuskegee and Atlanta doing a civil rights tour,” said Thomas. “It’s the 51st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, so we’ll walk across the Pettus Bridge, stop by national civil rights museums along the way, and go to some of the churches that they marched from. We’ll visit Martin Luther King Jr. father’s church, go to MLK’s church in Montgomery, and also where Rosa Parks got on the bus from her job and decided not to sit in the back of the bus.”

Team brings families and communities together

Streetball Kingz player Randy Gill, aka White Chocolate, splashed three three-pointers within the first five minutes of the game and they did not stop coming. A crowd pleaser, Gill interacted with the fans the entire time.

Following a collegiate career at Bowie State University, Gill started playing streetball and minor league basketball. He was eventually asked to play overseas, and since his return, has been playing for the Streetball Kingz.

Gill explained that the mission of his team is to support youth, and to bring families and communities together.

“It doesn’t matter if there are 20,000 people or even 100 people. We’re here to spread the love, bring the community together, and have a good time,” he said. “Whenever there’s a cause or a mission and we can help bring the people together that’s what it’s all about. We want young people to believe in themselves and let them know that they can do anything they want to if they practice their craft, whatever it may be. My mission is believe to achieve.”

More BSU events

This month, BSU will be hosting a Nov. 18 chapel with the theme of #BlackLivesMatter. On Dec. 11, BSU will be joining the Campus Activities Council to host the .

“We’re expecting about 150 people for the ball,” said Thomas. “We’ve contacted a band called Ebony Blue, and that will be another large event before we leave for winter break. When we come back we’ll have a week-long celebration for MLK in January, then in February we’ll have Kwanzaa for Black History Month, and finally the trip will be in March. We’re trying to expose the campus to different things. ”

A version of this article was first printed in Nov. 5, 2015, issue of The Weather Vane.

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

�������󳾲�������(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).�� He moves to No. 5 all-time at 91����Ƶ.

The men also had some great finishes in the hurdles.�� The Royals went 1-and-3 in the 400m hurdles, as freshman����(Winchester, Va./Millbrook) claimed the gold.�� Faint’s winning time was 54.23, a PR for him and fifth in 91����Ƶ history.�� Junior����(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����Ƶ books.

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

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

�������󳾲�������(Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) took fifth in a tight finals of the 200m dash.�� 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����Ƶ runners in sixth place with a tie of 10:19.04.

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

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

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

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

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

��(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����Ƶ history books.

�������󳾲�������(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) grabbed a point in the 3000m steeplechase.�� She earned sixth place with a time of 13:07.23.

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

The ODAC Championships meet completes the main season for the Eastern Mennonite track teams.�� Now the focus turns to twilight meets and preparing for hopeful runs at the NCAA National Championships in late May.�� 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.����Kat Lehman��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��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.�� 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��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.

Freshman distance runner����(Dover, Ohio/Dover) cemented her status as an elite athlete, breaking 91����Ƶ’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����Ƶ record of 18:10.40, set in December.

��������������ٱ�����(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����Ƶ’s history books.

In the 4x400m relay, the women’s foursome of����(King George, Va./King George),����(Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood),����(Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) and����(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.����(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.

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

For the Eastern Mennonite men,����(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) had a monster toss in the shot put.�� 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����Ƶ history and with the second-best throw in the ODAC this season.�� He was also solid in the weight throw, landing at 11.93m (39-1.75ft)

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

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

The duo also ran in the mile.�� 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.

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

��(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.������(Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass), Bush, Denlinger and Faint combined for the No. 7 time in 91����Ƶ history.

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

��(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.

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

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

��(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����Ƶ list and just 0.06 seconds from Marcel Long at No. 2.

��(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����Ƶ record books.

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

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

Women’s track and field

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Men’s track and field

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That is the reason agriculture has continued to grow; it adapts.”

During his lecture, Lohr, a former state delegate who owns Lohrs Farm in his hometown of Broadway, encouraged about 70 91����Ƶ students to help shape the future of what he says is an evolving agriculture industry.

“I think there are so many things out there that we have not scratched the surface of. … Just remember that the human brain is powerful,” he said. “It all starts with being able to think outside the way things are normally done.”

Pros And Cons

Corn mazes and other agritourism initiatives are ways the face of agriculture is evolving, Lohr said.

In the last decade, he said, the push to “buy fresh, buy local” also has changed the farming landscape. That trend can be seen in the growing number of farmers markets in Virginia, which has doubled in just the past five years, Lohr said.

In the future, he said, the nation will continue to see an increasing number of farmers markets and roadside produce stands.

“There is a real yearning for a lot of people to say, ‘I want to know where my food is coming from,'” Lohr said.

While most American farming operations remain small – about 1.7 million of the 2.1 million farms in the United States have annual sales of less than $250,000, according to a 2009 Environmental Protection Agency report – the largest 100,000 account for three-quarters the nation’s food supply.

Food production percentages aside, Lohr weighed in on the pros and cons of both kinds of operations.

“Agriculture is such a diverse industry and I think a lot of people have a one-sided image,” he said.

National food suppliers, he said, create jobs and give the general public access to a cheap and consistent food source, while smaller operations generate higher-quality products and can more easily control the spread of diseases among livestock.

“One size doesn’t fit everyone; they both play a very important role,” Lohr said.

Agriculture in Virginia, accounting for an economic impact of $55 billion per year, is the state’s largest industry, Lohr said. The commonwealth has more than 47,000 farms and the industry provides more than 357,000 jobs, he said.

91����Ƶ elementary education major Jeremy Heizer, 21, who grew up on a farm, says even he took something away from Lohr‘s talk.

“I live on a farm, so I was interested in seeing what he had to say,” Heizer said. “I learned some things I didn’t know about farming.”

Lecture Series

Lohr‘s hour-long talk kicked off the Suter Seminar Series at 91����Ƶ, a yearlong slate of events at which academics and industry professionals are invited to discuss topics in science, sustainability and health. Other lecture topics for this year include water sanitation, post-traumatic stress disorder and medicinal and edible plants.

91����Ƶ has offered the series for about 10 years, according to Roman Miller, a professor of biology and one of the series’ faculty coordinators.

“These are like little windows into the world of science,” Miller said.