Salem,
Va.— After
winning the conference championship in 2002-03, the Washington and Lee Generals
have been voted atop the 2003-04 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)
swimming coaches’ poll. Last season,
W&L captured its 10th consecutive ODAC Championship. The Generals avenged their lone conference
loss of the season to Randolph-Macon with a composite score of 619 points. They
were trailed by the Yellow Jackets (441), Randolph-Macon Woman’s (288), Hollins
(248) and Sweet Briar (226).
The Generals return sophomore Kristine Holda (Strongsville,
Ohio/Strongsville) who placed second in the 100 Free with a time of 54.82. Mandi Kimble (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro
Day School) returns for her final collegiate season while Beth Sauer
(Reistertown, Md./McDonogh) returns for her sophomore campaign. Kimble and Sauer each took home third place
finishes as Kimble touched in 2:18.52 in the 200 Back and Sauer finished the
200 Breast in 2:39.00 in last year’s conference championship meet.
Randolph-Macon was voted to finish in second place this season. The Yellow Jackets return a strong group of
swimmers as Erin Ewalt (Reisterstown, Md./Baltimore Lutheran) and Tiffany Pearsall (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River)
return for
their sophomore seasons after being named the ODAC Co-Swimmers of the Year for
the 2002-2003 season.
Six ODAC records were broken last season by Yellow Jacket swimmers,
including five at the ODAC Championship meet.
Ewalt broke the 200 individual medley record with a time of 2:12.11. In
addition, the 200 free relay team of Elizabeth Belch (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Senior), Ewalt, Kimberly Leedom (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) and Pearsall touched the
wall in a record time of 1:40.73.
Pearsall also broke her own 200 freestyle record in a time of 1:55.75
and teamed with Ewalt, Christeen Hodge and Belch to win the 800 free relay in
8:04.45. The 400 free relay team of
Pearsall, Ewalt, Sara Hirsch (Westminster, Md./South Carroll) and Belch touched the wall in 3:40.12, which broke
the previous record of 3:43.09 held by Washington and Lee. Ewalt also broke the conference record in
the 400 IM with a time of 4:41.91 in the beginning of last season.
ODAC Preseason Swimming Coaches Poll
Team-Points (First Place Votes)
1. Washington and Lee – 7 (3)
2. Randolph-Macon – 8 (2)
3. Randolph-Macon Woman’s – 16
4. Sweet Briar – 21
5. Hollins – 23