SALEM, Va. — For the first time since 2012, two different conference schools hoisted team trophies following a triumphant return to Green Hill Park in Salem, Virginia, for the 2024 ODAC Cross Cross Country Championships.
The University of Lynchburg enjoyed its fourth straight men's championship, while Washington and Lee University's women's squad lifted its first piece of league hardware since winning the fifth of five straight championships in 2019. Saturday's outcome snaps a decade-long streak that saw one school win both conference titles – Bridgewater College in 2013 and 2014, WLU from 2015-19, and Lynchburg from 2021-23.
The Hornets streak of winning both individual championships was snapped at three straight seasons, but not entirely. Chasen Hunt highlighted Lynchburg's effort in winning the men's individual gold, but it was WLU's Olivia Warr that proved streak-breaker in claiming the women's individual title.
Warr's winning time of 21:35.1 stopped the watches first by seven seconds over Lynchburg's Allison Dell (21:42.1). Bridgewater's Taylor Myers finished third at 21:47.1 to not only lead the Eagles' contingent, but secure ODAC Rookie of the Meet laurels.
WLU saw seven runners place 13th or better – awarding each All-ODAC status – to power the Generals to 35 points in the team standings. Lynchburg, with four all-conference stars, was five points back to place second. Bridgwater finished third with 100 markers.
One men's side, Lynchburg blistered the mountain-backed course with just 18 points behind the exploits of eight All-ODAC runners. Hornets Hunt (24:53.1), Tor Hotung-Davidsen (24:53.8), Cooper Hurst (24:54.9), and Sam Llaneza (24:57.1) were the first four runners to cross the finish line before a trio of Generals – Keat Rush (24:57.2), Row Sterne (25:06.9), and Robert Cooper (25:08.4) completed the list of top-seven finishers as All-ODAC First Team honorees.
Like BC's Myers in the women's 6K race, Lynchburg's Alex Jordan (25:13.5) was the top men's rookie-eligible runner to complete the 8K course, affording him ODAC Rookie of the Meet honors. The remaining special individual awards announced on Saturday were the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year selections. Lynchburg's Kayla Werner – last year's women's individual title winner – and WLU's Rush earned those plaudits from the conference's athletic communications personnel.
ODAC runners will continue their postseason experience in two weeks at the NCAA Division III South Region Championships. Millsaps College will host that event in Jackson, Mississippi, on Saturday, November 16.
Listed below is the full slate of All-ODAC Cross Country Awards from Saturday's meet. Following the regional championships, the ODAC's cross country head coaches will vote on Runner, Coach, and Rookie of the Year awards.