Lynchburg Tops Men's Cross Country Poll

Hornets Receive All Ten First Place Votes

FOREST, Va. --- Lynchburg College earned the maximum 100 points in the ODAC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll as the Hornets received each of 10 first place votes from the league’s coaches.  Virginia Wesleyan College sits second with 81 points, and Washington and Lee University chimes in just three tallies lower in third position with 78 poll points.  Bridgewater College sits fourth with 73 points (full poll results below).

The 2009 men’s cross country season proved to be a banner campaign on not only the conference level, but also the regional and national stages.  Recent Lynchburg graduate, Ricky Flynn, capped an outstanding career with a trio of high-profile victories.  He won his third straight ODAC individual title (results) and subsequent Runner of the Year award after topping the field at Mowles Spring Park in Salem.  He went on to add the South/Southeast Regional individual championship to his résumé, highlighting an event hosted by Guilford College.

Flynn’s success continued on the grandest of scales as he secured the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship in Cleveland, Ohio, out-pacing the second place competitor by 22.4 seconds (click HERE for more details on the 2009 D3 Championships).

The graduation of Flynn isn’t the only change to Lynchburg’s team profile.  Long-time mentor and current LC athletic director, Dr. Jack Toms, stepped away from coaching following the 2010 outdoor track season.  He has turned the program over to Doug Thomassey, a 2005 LC graduate and former two-time All-American in the decathlon.  Coach Thomassey welcomes back three all-conference runners, helping LC to a second ranking in the USTFCCCA South/Southeast Region preseason poll.  Sophomore Nolan Compton (28:03.65) finished fifth at the 2009 ODAC Championships to secure a spot on the All-ODAC First Team and honors as the ODAC Rookie of the Year.  He is joined by senior standouts and All-ODAC Second Team performers Ryan Van Alstine (9^th – 28:13.59) and Brandon Demers (11^th – 28:24.73).  Junior Will Orndorff (17^th – 29:04.03) and sophomore Brian Robinson (19th – 29:05.16) are also back in the fold.

For the second straight season, Virginia Wesleyan finished second at the ODAC Championships behind four all-conference runners.  Three of those standouts return, including first teamer and third place finisher, junior Sean Whitson (27:42.68).  He’s joined by a pair of second team qualifiers in classmate Nick Lauter (8^th – 28:12.30) and senior David Kidd (13^th – 28:33.43).  The Marlins, who are rated fourth in the region, will be looking for junior Danny Moulton (33^rd – 30:14.09) to break into the top 20.

Washington and Lee placed third at ODAC’s for the second straight season, helping it to a ninth place regional preseason ranking by the USTFCCCA.  The Generals welcome back junior Robert Warneford-Thomson (12^th – 28:30.27) following his secon team showing in 2009.  Warneford-Thomson was also named the 2009 ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete for men’s cross country.  Also returning is senior Rob George (16^th – 28:54.73).

Bridgewater sophomore Jordan White (27:48.32) ran his way onto the conference first team after finishing fourth last season.  He’s joined by junior Brian Barnett (25^th – 29:31.51) and sophomore Ryan Speray (30^th – 30:06.90).

Other top qualifying athletes that look to climb into the top-14 in 2010 including Guilford junior Derick Kosgei (15^th – 28:45.71) and Roanoke senior Josh Metz (20^th – 29:08.56).

Listed below is the 2010 ODAC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll.  For more information, visit any of the participating schools’ websites, or go to the ODAC’s home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook by clicking HERE.  You can also follow the ODAC on Twitter by clicking HERE. 

2010 ODAC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes