Championship season is officially in full swing. With NCAA Division III teams competing in over 30 different conference championship meets, it’s tough to keep track of them all, but Swimming World will offer a preview of the action at the country’s fastest and deepest meets. Here’s a glimpse at what to expect at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships.
Teams: Bridgewater, Emory & Henry, Ferrum, Greensboro, Guilford, Hollins, Randolph, Randolph-Macon, Roanoke, Sweet Briar, Virginia Wesleyan, Washington and Lee
Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center
Dates: February 15-17
An overview: The ODAC Championships is the Washington and Lee show. In 2018 the women claimed their 11th straight title while the men won their fourth straight (in the fourth year of the conference hosting a men’s meet). W&L totaled 500+ more points than second place Randolph-Macon College in 2018 on the men’s and women’s sides.
Here’s just five of the many races to keep an eye on this weekend…
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
As in most events, Washington and Lee has several of the fastest times in the conferene, taking the top four spots in the 200 breaststroke. It’s junior Emily Hageboeck though who doesn’t just top the ODAC, but is inching towards the top nationally. She finished seventh at NCAAs last year, but has already been faster than she was last March.
While challenging Denison’s KT Kustritz will be a tall task in March, Hageboeck does sit in fourth nationally heading into conference meets, with a 2:17.04 seed time. That time will be more that enough to make nationals, meaning Hageboeck may not be very rested this weekend, but should still win the event. Last year she popped off a meet and ODAC record of 2:16.81.
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Generals senior Elle Chancey won the 50, 100, and 200 freestyles last year. The 100 free will be Chancey’s collegiate conference individual event finale. Last year Chancey was just shy of qualifying for Nationals individually in all of her freestyles (.19 off in the 50 free, .21 away in the 100 free, .67 in the 200 free), though did make Nationals on relays. If she’s going to make the meet on her own this year, the 100 free will be her last chance.
As of now, Chancey has just the third fastest time in the ODAC, a 53.19 she swam in December. Her teammates Ali Macqueen (52.74) and Claudia Barnett (53.15) have the two faster times. At the Franklin and Marshall College Invite in the fall Chancey was left off the Generals’ A 400 freestyle relay, but the quartet did not go a time that will be fast enough to make Nationals. She’ll need to be back to form to defend her title in the event and give the relay a fighting chance later in the night.
Women’s 100 Back
The 100 backstroke was the only event the Washington and Lee women did not win last year. That title went to freshman Reilly Bird of Roanoke College in 57.57. Bird has a chance to defend that mark. While her season best time is only eighth in the conference, it was swum at a dual meet at Randolph-Macon college in early November. Swimming rested and suited, she could very well be back down at her best.
As things stand now, Bird’s best would be enough. The fastest times in the ODAC belong to a pair of W&L freshman: Turner Bobbit and Anna Jamieson in 58.11 and 58.32. Randolph-Macon also has an athlete in the mix, senior Kata Kyllainen has the fourth best time, a 59.81. Two other Yellow Jackets boast seventh and ninth place times as well.
Men’s 200 Butterfly
In 2018 the 200 fly was the one men’s ODAC individual event record to go down. It fell at the hands of Randolph-Macon freshman Victor Kontopanos as he touched in 1:51.74. He heads into the 2019 championship with the second fastest time, a 1:54.28 swum in December.
The fastest time belongs to W&L sophomore Danny Lynch, a 1:53.24 from a November dual meet. Lynch finished second last year in a 1:53.61. He’s looking likely to give Kontopanos a real race this go around.
Men’s 500 Freestyle
Randolph-Macon junior Jordan Witherow will look to defend his 500 freestyle title this year, a tough task considering the slim margin he won by last year, and his performance so far this season.
In 2018 Witherow got to the wall in 4:44.10, holding off a late charging Ben Brown and while moving past a fading Sam Childress, both from W&L, as they finished in 4:44.22 and 4:45.26, respectively. Their teammate Conner Van Vooren was also right there, touching fourth in 4:45.86.
In the 2017-2018 season Witherow’s best is a 5:05.95, good for only 15th in the ODAC.
Despite racing the 50, 100, and 200 freestyles last year, Generals sophomore Patrick Sullivan went a 4:37.30 in the 500 free at the Franklin and Marshall invite in November. That time makes him a clear favorite, as the number two mark belongs to Randolph-Macon’s freshman Wyatt Boyer in 4:45.56.
You didn’t mention the all males team of Hampden-Sydney where you listed the teams. Sick.