FOREST, Va. – Roanoke was ranked third with one first place vote in the 2016 Old Dominion Athletic Conference women's cross country preseason poll.
Washington and Lee took the top-spot in the 2016 poll receiving 11 first place votes and 121 points. With 104 points, Bridgewater earned second place followed by Roanoke in third with 100 points and one first-place vote. Eastern Mennonite (91 pts) was tabbed fourth, Lynchburg (84 pts) took fifth and Virginia Wesleyan (70 pts) finished sixth. Shenandoah (66 pts) finished seventh followed by Guilford (48 pts) in eight, Randolph (38 pts) in ninth and Emory & Henry (36 pts) in tenth. Hollins (19 pts) and Sweet Briar (15 pts) rounded out the poll in eleventh and twelfth respectively.
The Maroons finished fourth in the 2015 ODAC championship 6K race and eighth in the NCAA Regional race, placing three runners on the all-conference and region teams.
All three 2015 All-ODAC and All-Region selections, Kerri Dalton, Caity Ashley and Claire Brooks will return for the 2016 season in their senior campaign.
Dalton clocked a 23.05.9 in the conference championships for a fifth place finish followed by a 20th place finish at regionals. Ashley earned a time of 23:39.7 in the ODAC championships and a top-25 finish in the NCAA Division lll South/Southeast Region Championships. Brooks ran a 23:56.7 in the conference championship, for the team's third best time.
In his first year at the helm, head coach Kirk Nauman will kick off the 2016 season, Thursday, September 1 with a home race against Emory and Henry.
2016 ODAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
(#) Denotes First Place Votes
- Washington and Lee (11) 121 pts
- Bridgewater 104 pts
- Roanoke (1) 100 pts
- Eastern Mennonite 91 pts
- Lynchburg 84 pts
- Virginia Wesleyan 70 pts
- Shenandoah 66 pts
- Guilford 48 pts
- Randolph 38 pts
- Emory & Henry 36 pts
- Hollins 19 pts
- Sweet Briar 15 pts
For the full ODAC release visit here.
