HARRISONBURG, Va. --- Torrential rain put a damper on the open day of the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, but by the end of Saturday, nine new championship records were set in a resounding first conference meet hosted by Eastern Mennonite University at its new facility in Harrisonburg.
Also “new” for the first time in four years is two squads lifting ODAC team trophies. Nationally fifth-ranked University of Lynchburg continued its dominance in the men's competition, won its fifth straight and record 33rd overall men's championship. The Hornets racked up 273.0 points, the second-most in ODAC history behind the 274.0 markers posted by Lynchburg in 2000. Washington and Lee made history in claiming its second ODAC women's outdoor title, joining the very first women's championship sponsored by the conference in 1995. The Generals win snapped a streak of six consecutive women's trophies for Lynchburg.
Lynchburg won a meet-high 16 total events including 11 on the men's side. Washington and Lee athletes claimed nine gold medals including six to lead the women's ranks. Bridgewater College stars won six events, while Roanoke College claimed three. Randolph College stood atop the podium twice, while Averett University, EMU, Hollins University, and Virginia Wesleyan University claimed one event each. The women's wins for AU and HU mark the first in their programs' histories.
ODAC coaches will convene to determine special awards from this weekend's championship later this week. That will include a formal announcement of the All-ODAC Teams, which are represented by athletes' placements at the championships – first place is All-ODAC First Team, second place is All-ODAC Second Team, and third place is All-ODAC Third Team.
Listed below is a full list of ODAC event champions plus notation of the team standings as well as all nine championship records that were reset over the past two days.