2007 ODAC Track and Field
Men's Preview

TEAM PREVIEW
Nine-time defending ODAC Outdoor Champion Lynchburg College comes into the championship as the clear favorite.  The Hornets are coming off a dominating performance at the Indoor Championships and look to extend on the conference winning streak with a very deep and talented team.  The Bridgewater College Eagles and the Eastern Mennonite Royals are the two teams looking to challenge Lynchburg for the ODAC crown.  Roanoke College, Washington & Lee University and Virginia Wesleyan College should fight for the middle of the pack in this Championship.

SPRINTS
Who will be named the fastest man in the ODAC for 2007?  Bridgewater College returns the defending conference champion Melvin Queen in the 100 meters who comes into the event with the top seed at 10.84.  Teammate Tony Konate follows closely behind Queen at 10.87.  Robby Jackson of Lynchburg College completes the top three times coming into the Championship as he looks to break up the 1-2 Bridgewater punch at 11.15.

The 200 meters looks to be one of the deepest and most competitive races of the day.  Three freshmen headline the event as the Eagles’ Tony Konate comes in as the number one seed (21.97) but he will be challenged by another freshman from Roanoke in Wes Underwood (22.13) and LC’s Chris Word has a time of (22.22).

The 400m dash shows off the depth of the Hornets.  The top three times all belong to LC as freshman Chris Word leads his teammates with a time of 48.80.  Earl Graves enters with a time of 49.04 and Brandon Edwards rounds out the top three at 50.00.

HURDLES
Freshman Andy Nagel of the Roanoke College Maroons leads the field into the Championships in both hurdle races.  Nagel comes in with a time of 15.85 in the 110m high hurdles and is followed by defending conference champion Ryan Holmes of Lynchburg at 15.88 and Holmes’ teammate McKinley Johnson (15.88).

Nagel leads the 400m hurdles with a time of 55.64.  Eastern Mennonite’s Luke Yoder holds down the number two spot (58.28), while Bridgewater’s Jeff Tolley (58.54) looks to challenge.

MIDDLE DISTANCE / DISTANCE
The 800 meter run could be one of the most competitive races of the day.  With six men under 1:57.00 coming into the championships it is any man’s race.  Defending conference champion Luke Yoder from EMU heads into the race with the top time at 1:54.30.  He is trailed by Bridgewater’s Peyton Stanley at 1:54.89 and fellow Royal Marcel Long (1:55.73).

In the 1500m run Travis Wray of Lynchburg holds down the top spot with a very fast 3:56.80.  He is trailed by teammate Brian Kirby (4:02.09) and Eric Johnson (4:04.12) of Roanoke College.

The 5000m race should be led by provisional national qualifier Ricky Flynn.  He enters the meet with a season best time of 14:40.08, currently the eighth fastest time in Division III.  BC’s Nathan Rittenhouse (15:08.81) and Brandon Spalding (15:32.84) will try to challenge Flynn for the ODAC title.

JUMPS
Defending conference champion and NCAA All-American, Brandon Copeland of Bridgewater returns to defend his title in the long jump.  Copeland comes into the event with a season best 7.01 and will be challenged by two Roanoke jumpers, Kevin Harrison (6.61) and Wes Underwood (6.57).

The triple jump competition will be led by Ryan Holmes of Lynchburg, a two-time defending conference champion and an NCAA Indoor All-American in the event, Holmes leads the field into Saturday with a leap of 13.90.  Chasing Homes will be two other Hornets in Chris Martin (13.85) and Ryan Branigan (13.22).

The pole vault is an event in which LC again shows its depth.  The Hornets have the top three jumpers coming into the day with Andy Rollins leading the way.  Rollins is a three-time conference champion and is currently ranked fourth in the NCAA in the event.  He has a season best vault of 5.00 and is followed closely by another national qualifier in Scott Decker (4.72) and Anthony Pavia (4.55).

The high jump could be the most wide open event in the championships.  The top four jumpers are all capable of winning.  Leading the event coming into the day is W&L’s Ben Goetsch at 1.85 meters.  He is followed closely by teammate Ryan Castle and two Lynchburg College Hornets in Ryan Holmes and Brian Wright.  All three have a season best jump of 1.80 meters.

THROWS
The shot put competition will be led by NCAA national qualifier and Indoor All-American Nate Turner of EMU.  Turner comes into the event with a best toss of 16.47 meters, which is currently sixth best in the NCAA.  The second position is held by W&L’s Billy Billington (13.84), while the third best throw is from Roanoke’s Bobby Huffert (13.47).

The discus competition is again led by the Royals’ Nate Turner.  Turner has a season best throw of (41.06) and will be challenged closely by Billy Billington of W&L (40.19) and Bridgewater’s Thomas Bell (39.60).

The hammer throw could develop into one of the best events of the day.   Brian Huff of Roanoke leads the field with a NCAA qualifying throw of 52.21 meters.  Huff is followed by Turner of EMU (51.96) and LC’s Justin Hazelrigg looks to challenge with a season best (46.46).

The javelin competition is led by defending champion Chris Florio of Lynchburg.  He enters the day with a heave of 49.89 meters.  Washington & Lee’s Andrew Fischer has the second best mark coming into the championship (47.90) and teammate Michael Keenan ranks third at (46.99).  

RELAY
The Lynchburg College Hornets lead the ODAC in the 4x100 meter relay and should be pushed heavily by Bridgewater.  LC comes into the event with a season best 42.75, while Bridgewater enters with 43.09.  Roanoke College holds down the third spot at 44.43.

Lynchburg’s 4x400 meter relay team leads the field with a NCAA qualifying time of 3:15.59.  That time currently ranks the Hornets fourth in the NCAA.  Eastern Mennonite and Bridgewater come into the event with the second a third ranked times at 3:27.02 and 3:27.66.