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

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

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

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

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

The ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the eighth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fifth year in a row.Ìý With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only and Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only), 1,558 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2013-14 ODAC All-Academic Team.

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

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet atÌý. ÌýDon’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC onÌýÌýand followÌýÌýon Twitter.

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

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

Those honored from 91¶ÌÊÓƵ were:

Ìý(Hickory, N.C./Fred T. Foard), Sr., Women’s Soccer – Defender, Environmental Sustainability, 3.95 GPA.Ìý Detweiler helped solidify the back row on the soccer team, starting all 19 games for a team which posted five shutouts.Ìý She scored one goal and added two assists.Ìý Detweiler also was named CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District and earned 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s President Award, which is the highest honor an 91¶ÌÊÓƵ student-athlete can receive.

Ìý(Elkton, Va./Spotswood), Sr., Softball – Shortstop, Nursing, 3.63 GPA.Ìý Hensley was a four-year starter at shortstop for the Royals, very effectively balancing an All-ODAC and All-Region career on the field with 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s tough nursing major in the classroom.Ìý She batted .306 this year 21 RBIs and a team-best 25 runs.Ìý Hensley graduates with 91¶ÌÊÓƵ records for career hits (186), career singles (129) and career assists (367).

Ìý(Parkesburg, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), Sr., Women’s Volleyball – Middle Hitter, Nursing, 3.81 GPA.Ìý Kennel also successfully balanced the demands of a sport and the nursing major.Ìý On the court, she led the Royals in a resurgent year with 217 kills.Ìý Kennel was second on the team with 2.19 kills and 0.52 blocks per set.

Ìý(Sterling, Ill./Sterling), Jr., Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Congregational Ministry, 3.91 GPA.Ìý Transferring in from Hesston College this year, Landis had a slow start in the fall recovering from an injury, but was hitting his stride by the end of cross country season.Ìý He grabbed All-Region status by running a PR of 26:17.69 at the regional meet, and then broke a program record in the track season.Ìý At the ODAC indoor meet, Landis set 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s record in the 5000m, crossing in 15:41.94.Ìý He is also second in the outdoor 5000m (15:25.08) and third in the indoor 3000m (9:06.57).

Ìý(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area), Sr., Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Liberal Arts, 3.93 GPA.Ìý Rittenhouse was part of the distance medley relay team which broke an 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record and won gold at the ODAC Championships with a time of 13:17.17.Ìý She also landed at No. 8 in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ history books in outdoor 5000m (19:29.20) and No. 9 in the indoor mile (5:47.15).

Ìý(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), Jr., Men’s Soccer – Keeper, Accounting/Economics, 3.95 GPA.Ìý Completing his second season as 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s starting keeper, Yoder made 78 saves in 17 games.Ìý He twice tied his career high with 10 stops in a game and was named to the All-Cialella Classic Team for his play at a tourney the second weekend of the season.

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

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

Women’s track and field

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Men’s track and field

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m really excited to see growth in our track & field program this year,” Lewkowicz said.Ìý “We have a lot of talented newcomers on the men’s side and a number of All-ODAC performers returning for the women. ÌýExpectations 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.Ìý For the men, (Dalton, Oh./Central Christian) will look to improve on his incredible growth from last year.Ìý As a junior transfer, King was talked into trying the high jump by Lewkowicz.Ìý In his first-ever campaign in the event, King won both the indoor and outdoor ODAC titles, and also broke the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ outdoor record.Ìý 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.Ìý “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.Ìý 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.Ìý For the women, sophomore (Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) was third in 800m outdoor race, finishing just behind Chappell-Dick.Ìý 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.Ìý Another sophomore, (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula), was third in the javelin last spring to round out 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’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).Ìý Garber earned the No. 3 spot in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ record books in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump as a freshman in 2011, but took the last two years off.Ìý For men, (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) will help push King in the high jump.Ìý Last year as a freshman, he broke the school’s indoor high jump record before King took it over.Ìý Cross country standouts (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) and (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) will lead the distance group.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ’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.Ìý “ (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.Ìý 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.Ìý “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.Ìý 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.Ìý “We have a lot of newcomers, some folks returning from/leaving for cross culturals, and some returning from injuries.Ìý Getting everyone on the same page and focused on the same goals is always a priority.Ìý 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.Ìý 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¶ÌÊÓƵ’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.Ìý 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.Ìý 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.Ìý “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.Ìý 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.Ìý He is the giver of all good gifts and we want to honor Him in all that we do.”

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

The silver medal was the highest team finish since the Royals won the league championship in 2001.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ was comfortably in second, totaling 58 points. Bridgewater had the top three individual runners to storm in with just 22 points. Lynchburg came in third with 90 points, while preseason favorite Washington and Lee was fourth with 97.

Sophomore Hannah Chappell-Dick (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton), running in just her second race this season after recovering from an off-season surgery, repeated as an All-ODAC First Teamer, finishing fourth overall. She finished the 6k course in 24:02.60, nearly 15 seconds in front of the fifth- and sixth-place runners.

Lanae Kreider (Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) headed a trio of women who were All-ODAC Second Team as she crossed eighth. The junior’s time of 24:39.90 was just 3.5 seconds behind seventh and a First Team spot.

Katie Eckman (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco), who was hampered by a foot injury last season, repeated her Second Team award from 2011 with her 11th place finish in 25:07.80. Jolee Paden (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) was the final individual honoree as she took 14th in 25:11.70.

Juni Schirch (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) gave the women their final points as she earned 21st with a time of 26:02.80. She took nearly 1:16 off her time from the ODAC Preview on Aug. 30 on the same course.

Senior Krista Rittenhouse (Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) was just three spots behind Schirch, taking 24th in a photo finish time of 26:16.90. She finished in between a runner from Virginia Wesleyan and one from Lynchburg , as the trio crossed within 0.4 seconds of each other. Patty Danaher (Matoaca, Va./Matoaca) completed the top seven, as she was 46th in 27:53.40.

Next up is the South/Southeast Regional, hosted by Christopher Newport in Newport News, Va. That meet is on Saturday, Nov. 16.

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

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

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

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

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

(Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) again led the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ women.Ìý She started with the leaders and spaced only shortly behind, crossing sixth in 24:07.52.Ìý She was just a step out of fifth place, taken by Washington and Lee’s Casey Mackintosh in 24:06.15.Ìý Bridgewater senior Olivia Mills won the individual title by ten seconds, crossing in 23:07.

Chappell-Dick earned a spot on the All-ODAC First Team with her finish.Ìý Her time was also more than 45 seconds better than her time on the same course at the season-opening ODAC Preview Meet, when she won the meet in 24:53.

Senior (Harrisonburg, VA/Westmont Hilltop) also claimed a league honor, being named All-ODAC Second Team by taking 13th.Ìý She crossed the finish line in 24:50.95.

(Mt. Pleasant, PA/Mt. Pleasant Area) was just a couple of spots behind, taking 16th in 25:01.97.Ìý She was only six seconds away from 14th and the final spot on the Second Team.Ìý (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) finished 20th with a clocking of 25:16.63.Ìý (Goshen, VA/Goshen) rounded out the scoring for the Lady Royals, crossing 39th overall in 26:43.94.

(St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) battled illness throughout her run but was still 48th with a time of 27:21.06.Ìý (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) was one spot behind her in 27:32.71.

(Gap, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) shaved two and a half minutes off her ODAC Preview time and crossed in 28:59.74.Ìý (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) had a time of 29:27.32.

Eastern Mennonite took fourth as a team with 92 points, slightly behind Lynchburg in third with 85.Ìý The team score was hampered especially by Paden’s illness, as well as 2011 All-ODAC Second Teamer (Quarryville, PA/Solanco) missing the meet with an injury.

Washington and Lee had all five of their scorers in the top nine to run away with the team title at 29 points.Ìý Bridgewater had the top two finishers and took second with 51 points.

The women will now have a week off to get healthy and train for the South/Southeast Regional, which is Nov. 10 in Emory, GA.

The . Each of the seven Royals runners improved their time from the ODAC Preview Meet on the same course.