Freshman distance runnerÌýÌý(Dover, Ohio/Dover) cemented her status as an elite athlete, breaking EMU’s record in the 5000m and taking second place overall at the mostly D-I meet. Lehman roasted the track to a finish of 17:43.77, finishing in between a pair of runners from the University of North Carolina. She destroyed her own EMU record of 18:10.40, set in December.

°ä±ô²¹²õ²õ³¾²¹³Ù±ðÌýÌý(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) broke her personal record in the event, crossing in 20:15.98 to also grab the No. 8 spot in EMU’s history books.

In the 4x400m relay, the women’s foursome ofÌýÌý(King George, Va./King George),ÌýÌý(Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood),ÌýÌý(Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) andÌýÌý(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) timed the No. 3 effort in program history at 4:20.40.

Chappell-Dick was the top D-III finisher in the mile run, taking a time of 5:16.47.ÌýÌý(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) clocked a season best in the 800m at 2:36.34, narrowly missing the ODAC qualifying time by 0.05 seconds. And Williams broke her PR in the 400m, timing at 1:04.62.

Ìý(Bedford, Va./Liberty) landed a nice effort in the triple jump, measuring at 10.44m (34-3.00ft).Ìý Also in the field,ÌýÌý(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) had a best toss of 13.02m (42-8.75ft) in the weight throw.

For the Eastern Mennonite men,ÌýÌý(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) had a monster toss in the shot put.Ìý His best heave of 14.00m (45-11.25ft) was not only the top D-III distance at the meet, but also put him third in EMU history and with the second-best throw in the ODAC this season.Ìý He was also solid in the weight throw, landing at 11.93m (39-1.75ft)

Ìý(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) punched an ODAC ticket in the 5000m, but more importantly earned the No. 2 time in the EMU record books.Ìý His time of 15:49.48 was only behind cross country teammateÌýJacob Landis‘ 15:41.94, a record set last year.

In the 800m run, sophomoreÌýÌý(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) earned the third-best finish in EMU history with a time of 1:57.01.ÌýÌý(Staunton, Va./Fore Defiance) wasn’t far behind as he landed at No. 4 in the EMU books at 1:57.77.

The duo also ran in the mile.Ìý Denlinger again crossed first in 4:31.19 to take seventh in program history, while Thibodeaux had his season best run at 4:35.20.

Ìý(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) earned a trip to the ODAC Championships in the 200m, timing at 23.90.Ìý In the 400m, EMU had two men qualify for ODACs, highlighted byÌýÌý(Winchester, Va./Millbrook) PRing in 52.07.ÌýÌý(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) had a finish of 53.11.

Ìý(Broadway, Va./Broadway) continued his road back in the 60m hurdles with a season best time of 8.79.

Then in the 4x400m relay, the Royals had a foursome cross in 3:30.16, which was just a tenth of a second behind a team from ODAC rival Washington and Lee.ÌýÌýÌý(Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass), Bush, Denlinger and Faint combined for the No. 7 time in EMU history.

And a foursome also landed in No. 7 in the distance medley relay, asÌý(Churchville, Va./Fort Defiance),ÌýÌý(Nelson, Va./Nelson County),ÌýÌý(Richmond, Va./Huguenot) andÌýÌý(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) clocked at 11:08.35.

Ìý(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) kept in his ODAC-leading shape by clearing 1.92m (6-3.5ft) in the high jump.

Eastern Mennonite’s teams are back in action next weekend, participating at the DuCharme Invitational in Carlisle, Pa., on Saturday.

“I’m really excited to see growth in our track & field program this year,” Lewkowicz said.Ìý “We have a lot of talented newcomers on the men’s side and a number of All-ODAC performers returning for the women. ÌýExpectations are high and we are excited about that.”

(Bluffton, Oh./Bluffton) is back for her sophomore season after breaking five Eastern Mennonite middle distance records in her first year.Ìý For the men, (Dalton, Oh./Central Christian) will look to improve on his incredible growth from last year.Ìý As a junior transfer, King was talked into trying the high jump by Lewkowicz.Ìý In his first-ever campaign in the event, King won both the indoor and outdoor ODAC titles, and also broke the EMU outdoor record.Ìý Not bad.

Lewkowicz said that with a balance of faith, team camaraderie and talent, he senses his men and women are poised to reach new heights in 2014.

“We are looking to continue to build off of that success from last year and part of that is the expectation that school records will continue to be broken,” he explained.Ìý “This adds to the level of excitement on the team because setting records is an indication of performing at a level that will help us as a team at the ODAC level.Ìý At the end of the day, the goal is to get better each time out and let the accolades come as they will.”

Also back for the men is sophomore (Broadway, Va./Broadway), who took the silver in the 60m hurdles at the ODAC indoor meet and bronze in the 100m hurdles at the outdoor meet.Ìý For the women, sophomore (Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) was third in 800m outdoor race, finishing just behind Chappell-Dick.Ìý The women had a distance medley relay team take third at the indoor meet in 2013, and Brumfield, (Gap, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), and (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) all return from that foursome.Ìý Another sophomore, (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula), was third in the javelin last spring to round out EMU’s athletes who earned an All-ODAC honor last year.

Lewkowicz expects those athletes to be the core of his squads this year, along with (Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) in the distance runs, (Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) in the throws and jumper (Canby, Ore./Western Mennonite).Ìý Garber earned the No. 3 spot in the EMU record books in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump as a freshman in 2011, but took the last two years off.Ìý For men, (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) will help push King in the high jump.Ìý Last year as a freshman, he broke the school’s indoor high jump record before King took it over.Ìý Cross country standouts (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) and (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) will lead the distance group.

EMU’s coach pointed out that the men’s talent level is getting much deeper this year.

“In the hurdles, All-ODAC performer Richard Robinson is joined by talented freshman (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage),” explained Lewkowicz.Ìý “ (Mechanicsville, Pa./Atlee) and (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) highlight a talented group of freshmen sprinters, with (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) and (Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) coming into a middle distance group that could score a lot of points at the ODAC meets.Ìý Returners (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts), (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) and (Nelson, Va./Nelson Country) give us a level of depth that we have not had in years.”

Along with the freshmen men that Lewkowicz pointed out, he noted a handful of returners who might turn heads with the improvements they have made.

“I think Erica Garber will make steady progress as the season goes on,” he said.Ìý “Juni Schirch and (Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) missed most of last year due to sickness and injury and I expect them both to do well.Ìý On the men’s side, Philip Watson and Jonathan Bush are poised to breakout this season.

With a number of Royals runners either competing or training with the cross country team this fall, Lewkowicz explains the transition of the group into the track season.

“Moving out of a successful cross country season, the focus turned to bringing the entire track team together as a unit,” he said.Ìý “We have a lot of newcomers, some folks returning from/leaving for cross culturals, and some returning from injuries.Ìý Getting everyone on the same page and focused on the same goals is always a priority.Ìý We are also putting a lot of emphasis on doing the little things well to help keep us healthy in body, mind and spirit.

After years of running their championship meets with an “open” format, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference has added qualifying standards this year.Ìý Although the Eastern Mennonite teams continue to grow in number (25 men and 14 women), the benchmarks are more likely to provide nice targets for EMU’s athletes rather than limit how many Royals participate.

“At this point, the standards should not have too much of an effect on our team,” said Lewkowicz, “since each school is guaranteed three spots in each event, regardless of time/mark attained, in addition to four ‘wild card’ placements at the ODAC meet.Ìý While we do have depth in several areas that could leave some folks out, I believe most of our athletes will be able to hit the qualifying mark for their respective event(s).”

The 2013 track season nearly became synonymous breaking records, and the Royals hope to do the same thing in 2014.Ìý They also want to rise out of the middle of the pack at the ODAC meet.

“We want both teams to improve their finish at the ODAC meet, both for the indoor and outdoor season,” Lewkowicz said.Ìý “We already saw a school record broken at the December meet and we anticipate a lot more of that taking place over the course of the season.Ìý It is also my hope that we use our platform as a collegiate team to represent our university well and to glorify Christ through our attitude, effort, humility and sportsmanship.Ìý He is the giver of all good gifts and we want to honor Him in all that we do.”

The EMU teams are in action this weekend at the Liberty Open in Lynchburg.Ìý The ODAC Indoor Championships are March 2 in Hampton, Va., with nationals two weeks later in Lincoln, Neb.Ìý The outdoor season then starts on March 22, with the ODAC Outdoor Championships on April 18 and 19.Ìý After a handful of “last chance” meets, the national outdoor meet is May 22-24 in Delaware, Ohio.

Both of Eastern Mennonite’s women ran in the 800m, and freshman (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) destroyed her own school record and crossed with the top D-III time at the meet.Ìý She flashed across the line in 2:14.34, shaving more than three seconds off her previous record of 2:17.47.

(Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) had a solid showing in the same event, clocking a time of 2:23.63.

Men’s jumper (Fork Union, Va./Louisa County) was limited by a foot injury and landed at 12.80m in the triple jump.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships are this coming Friday and Saturday, hosted by Washington and Lee in Lexington, Va.

(Broadway, VA/Broadway) took second in the 100m hurdles while also charting the No. 5 run in EMU history.Ìý His time of 15.82 in the finals got him a silver behind the winning time of 15.53 from Ben Martindell of Bridgewater.

(Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) won the 400m hurdles in his first try at the event.Ìý He crossed the finish in 58.34, ahead of Martindell at 59.02.

In the 100m dash, (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) showed the biggest improvement between his preliminary and his finals time, taking second at 11.47.Ìý He just missed the gold to RC’s Trevor Hunt at 11.43.Ìý He also won the 200m dash, ahead of teammate (Fork Union, VA/Louisa County).Ìý McBride broke the tape in 23.28, followed by Allen at 23.56.

(Philadelphia, PA/La Salle) won the 400m by nearly a half second, clocking in at 51.47.

(Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) took the gold in the 1500m run, finishing six seconds ahead of teammate (Wichita, KS/Wichita East).Ìý Nafziger’s winning time was 4:17.04, while Parker came in at 4:23.00.Ìý (Mount Joy, PA/Donegal) took sixth place in 4:35.61.

Nafziger and Parker also highlight the 800m.Ìý Nafziger took fourth with a time of 2:04.70 while Parker also pointed, getting sixth in 2:10.98.

In the relays, the EMU team in the 4x100m took second and charted the No. 7 time in EMU history.Ìý The squad of Robinson, Allen, Watson and McBride crossed in 44.04, just behind Bridgewater’s foursome in 43.73.

The 4x400m team didn’t set an EMU time, but did manage to win the event at the meet.Ìý Bush, Robinson, (Nelson, VA/Nelson County) and Watson combined for a time of 3:31.92, winning by more than three seconds.

In the field events, (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) and (Dalton, OH/Central Christian) were in a group of four men who each had a best jump of 1.82m.Ìý Vrolijk ended up second based on jumps, while King settled for fourth.

Allen won the long jump and took second in the triple jump.Ìý In the long jump, the senior landed at 6.63m, while in the triple he measured at 12.22m.

(Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) led the way in the throws.Ìý He won the javelin with a fling of 47.40m, the No. 7 distance in the EMU record books.Ìý Sloan took third in the hammer throw with the No. 6 measurement in EMU history at 32.15m.Ìý Then in the shot put he just missed gold, getting second in 11.29m, behind the winning throw of 11.54m.

The Royals grabbed 152 points for the team win, ahead of host Roanoke at 142.

On the women’s side, Chafin Brumfield (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) and Jolee Paden (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) had big days in the middle distances.Ìý Brumfield won the 800m run in 2:30.35, with Paden taken second in 2:32.77.Ìý Hannah Patterson (Puyallup, WA/Mountainview International) was fourth in 2:44.27 while Saralyn Mast (Gap, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) took sixth in 2:48.99.

Paden then won the 1500m by 4.51 seconds.Ìý Her time of 5:05.15 earned the gold and the No. 8 spot in the program records.Ìý Brumfield also grabbed a No. 8 all-time spot in the 400m.Ìý She finished third at the meet in 1:03.19.

Becca Borg (Gig Harbor, WA/Peninsula) approached the EMU record in the javelin, taking third place at the Roanoke meet in the process.Ìý Borg speared at 30.18m, which was second in EMU history only to Connie Steiner’s throw of 33.08m in 2004.

Alyssa Bane (Strasburg, VA/Strasburg) also earned points in the throws.Ìý She just missed her PR in the hammer throw, taking fifth at 31.18m.Ìý In the discus, the sophomore landed at 28.14m, good for sixth place.

The Lady Royals finished with 48 points, taking third place at the meet, ahead of Hood College with 38.Ìý Host Roanoke easily won with 243 points.

The Eastern Mennonite track teams are busy next weekend, participating in two meets.Ìý A group of athletes will go to Lexington on Friday and Saturday for the VMI-W&L Carnival.Ìý Another group will also participate in the Jopson Invitational in nearby Bridgewater.

(Wichita, KS/Wichita East), (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle), (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and (Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) teamed up to best the distance medley time by more than 12 seconds, as they crossed in 10:37.15.Ìý The old record of 10:49.91 was set in 2003.Ìý The foursome finished second at the meet, and also clocked the second fastest time in the ODAC this winter.

Nafziger set his personal record (PR) in the 800m run, and just missed breaking two minutes.Ìý The junior broke the line in 2:00.99 and is fourth all-time in EMU history in the event.

The women’s distance runners for EMU also did well at the meet.Ìý In the mile run, Jolee Paden (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) crossed in 5:32.21.Ìý Sophomore Lanae Kreider (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) set her PR in the event at 5:40.84.Ìý The time was also good for No. 6 on the EMU Top Ten list.

In the 800m run, the Lady Royals had three runners who were all within the top ten list.Ìý Hannah Chappell-Dick (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) finished third and was the top D-III finisher in 2:19.74.Ìý She was about a second behind her EMU record time.Ìý Chafin Brumfield (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) and Juni Schirch (Goshen, IN/Goshen) each set their PRs and moved up in the history books.Ìý Brumfield crossed in 2:27.51 and is No. 3 all-time, while Schirch timed at 2:31.66 and is now No. 6.

EMU sent mostly field athletes to the VMI Relays on Saturday, and thrower (Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) highlighted the day with a pair of PRs.Ìý In the weight throw, Sloan finished only behind a D-I VMI athlete with a throw of 12.78m (41-11.25ft).Ìý He is now No. 4 in the EMU history in the event.

In the shot put, Sloan set his PR with a toss of 12.59m (41-3.75ft) and is seventh all-time.

(Dalton, OH/Central Christian) was the top D-III finisher in the high jump, clearing 1.90m (6-2.75ft) on his second attempt.Ìý His is third on the EMU charts.

In the women’s weight throw, Jenni Beck (Archbold, OH/Archbold) landed her PR and is sixth all-time at EMU with 10.27m (33-8.5ft).Ìý Tedi Sanders-Palmer (Philadelphia, PA/Christopher Dock) was a few inches shorter at 10.04m (32-11.25ft) and is at No. 7.

Next up are the ODAC Indoor Championships in Lynchburg, VA, next Friday.

Junior (Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) highlighted the men’s side, as he took down EMU records in both the 1000m and mile runs.Ìý In the one mile, Nafziger crossed the finish in 4:26.77, breaking Kevin Beachy’s record of 4:28.96 which was set in 2007.Ìý He was also the top D-III finisher at the meet, which was filled with athletes from all three NCAA divisions.

Freshman (Grottoes, VA/Spotswood) had a personal record in the mile, grabbing the eighth-best time in EMU history at 4:35.86.

Nafziger also broke the school record in the 1000m, as he was sixth overall at the Liberty Open and the second D-III finisher.Ìý His time of 2:35.32 beat out Richy Bikko from 2009 by more than three seconds at 2:38.71.

Orellana was again close behind, taking the fourth spot in the EMU books at 2:48.02.

(Dalton, OH/Central Christian), in his first year of competing in the high jump, nearly broke the school record.Ìý The junior cleared the bar at 1.89m (6-2.25ft) to take second among D-III athletes at the meet.Ìý King’s height was also second only to (Fork Union, VA/Louisa County), who set the record of 1.92m (6-3.5ft) in 2009.Ìý (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) tied his personal best from last week, which has him tenth in EMU history at 1.79m (5-10.5ft.)

Allen, returning to the team for his final season after missing a year on his cross cultural study, notched his PR in the 60m dash.Ìý He timed in at 7.38, which also landed him fifth in EMU history.Ìý (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) crossed the finish in 7.54.

In the 400m dash, (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) had a solid finish, as his time of 53.08 had him third among the D-III runners.Ìý (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle) was a fraction back at 53.34.

The Royals had a busy field in the 200m dash, as Bush led a trio of runners with a time of 24.14.Ìý Watson came in at 24.19, with Allen crossing in 24.21.Ìý In the 800m run, (Mount Joy, PA/Donegal) finished one spot ahead of teammate (Dayton, VA/Benjamin Logan).Ìý Their times were 2:10.93 and 2:13.29, respectively.

In other field events, Allen, although rusty in his return to the triple jump, was still the second D-III finisher, as his best leap totaled 13.11m (43-0.25ft).

(Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) just missed his PRs in both the shot put and the weight throw.Ìý In the shot, he charted an 11.85m (38-10.5ft), while he landed at 11.93m (39-1.75ft) in the weight throw.

For the women, what they lacked in quantity on Saturday they made up for in quality.

Hannah Chappell-Dick (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton), a week after breaking the EMU record in 800m, added two more program marks to her trophy shelf.Ìý In the one mile run, the freshman cruised across the finish in 5:12.89.Ìý She was the top collegiate runner at the meet, notched the top time in the ODAC this season, and broke her own school record by more than 12 seconds.Ìý Chappell-Dick had already set the EMU record in her first meet on Dec. 1, clocked then at 5:25.09.

Classmate Jolee Paden (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) had actually broken Chappell-Dick’s first record in the event in an earlier heat, clocking a time of 5:24.93.Ìý Paden settles for second on the EMU chart, along with the third-best time in the ODAC this year.Ìý Hannah Clemmer (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) crossed in 6:03.30 at the meet, with Saralyn Mast (Gap, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) a few steps behind in 6:13.08.

In the 3000m run, Chappell-Dick added a third EMU record.Ìý She was the top D-III finisher with a time of 10:48.48, beating Andrea Good’s record of 10:51.49 from 2002 by just over three seconds.Ìý It was also the third-best time in the ODAC this year.

The only other Royals women running at the Liberty Open on Saturday were Chafin Brumfield (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) and Juni Schirch (Goshen, IN/Goshen), and both set PRs in the 800m.Ìý Brumfield finished with a time of 2:33.67, taking ninth in EMU history.Ìý Schirch charted 2:34.68, good for tenth in the program’s books.

The Eastern Mennonite teams head south again next weekend, participating at the JDL Fast Track Invite in Winston-Salem, NC.

“There is a new expectation of excellence,” he said, “and while we are still growing and have lots of room to improve, the mindset is one that is focused on being competitive and keeping the momentum going.Ìý Since so many of the cross country runners are also running track, it will be great to get the entire crew together and continue to pursue our goals.”

The track campaign starts with the indoor season opener this Saturday at the Liberty Kickoff in Lynchburg.Ìý It gets going in earnest after the upcoming Christmas break.

Lewkowicz is excited to see his team continue to grow in number and talent.Ìý The combined rosters totaled a mere 13 student-athletes the year before he took over the program.Ìý This year there are 40 men and women on the teams.

“Our team size has more or less doubled from last year which is a plus,” said Lewkowicz.Ìý “We have added a number of quality athletes that will help us be more competitive in the this year.Ìý There is a lot of energy with this group and the buzz that was created during the cross country season has carried over to our track team.Ìý We still lack depth is several critical areas but we will have a presence in most events which is exciting.”

Aside from all of the new faces on the roster this year, a big addition is the return of jumper Michael Allen (Fork Union, VA/Louisa County).Ìý In three previous seasons, he won multiple ODAC crowns as well as trips to the national meet.Ìý Allen is back for his senior campaign after missing last spring while studying off campus through EMU’s cross cultural program.

“It is great to have someone like Michael on our team for a number of reasons,” explained Lewkowicz.Ìý “He brings natural leadership and has competed at a high level, so he knows what it takes.Ìý He is admittedly rusty after taking a year off but he is working hard with Coach (Britton) Olinger and is beginning to regain his form.Ìý The talent is there and the potential is immense, although everyone will have to be patient as he works his way back into top shape.”

As happened this fall with the cross country teams, an influx of new talent should challenge some school records and buoy the process of rebuilding the Eastern Mennonite track & field program.

“On the women’s side, we will be very strong in the middle distance events,” Lewkowicz said.Ìý “We have four freshmen women who have run a faster 800m time in high school than our current school record, so that is exciting.”

The coach pointed to his top cross country runner, (Bluffton, OH/Bluffton), to lead that group, saying that she has potential to become an NCAA qualifier during her time at EMU.Ìý Lewkowicz also singled out the leadership and athleticism of senior (Berryville, VA/Clarke County), who is switching from middle distance to sprints and jumps this year.Ìý He also expects to see a few ODAC scorers from a strong crew of throwers.

“On the men’s side, it’s exciting to think about their potential to really make a jump in the ODAC rankings,” said Lewkowicz.

The Royals scored in the single digits in last year’s ODAC Championships.

Lewkowicz said that local product Richard Robinson (Broadway, VA/Broadway) could be one of the top freshmen hurdlers in the nation, with both he and Allen challenging for ODAC golds in their respective events.Ìý Dan Nafziger (Harrisonburg, VA/Harrisonburg) and Carlos Orellana (Grottoes, VA/Spotswood), the anchors of the cross country team, will also strengthen the distance group on the track team.

Other women Lewkowicz mentioned as likely to make some noise include: (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) in the 400m and 800m, thrower (Waynesboro, VA/Waynesboro), middle distance runner (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) and (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) in the steeplechase.Ìý For the men, Lewkowicz also highlighted transfer Philip Watson (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle) and Jonathan Bush (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts), both in the 200m and 400m.

As they prepare for their first meet, team unity is proving to be a strength.

“It has been a short turnaround from the cross country season so we are working to bring the team together and get focused on our common goals of honoring God with our team while pursuing excellence in our endeavors,” Lewkowicz explained.Ìý “I am blessed with a dedicated and talented coaching staff and we are all on the same page in what it takes to prepare our athletes to compete at a high level.Ìý Our hope is that these fundamentals honed and the fitness gained over the fall will be maintained over the Christmas break so we can come out in January and continue to progress.”

While always brimming with optimism, Lewkowicz knows neither his men nor women have the depth to grab a team title at an ODAC meet this year.Ìý But he thinks a top four or five finish would be an encouraging sign of progress, both to his athletes and to the general public.

“We have a number of athletes with the potential to be All-ODAC or ODAC champions, and there are a few who have ambitions of qualifying for the NCAA Championships,” the coach said.Ìý “There are a number of school records that we expect to fall this year and we will be keeping track of them on our bulletin board outside of the athletics office.Ìý We’re hoping for weekly updates to it!”

He also expects those records to be celebrated by the entire team, as well as for them to have higher goals that might not be seen on paper.

“While (breaking records) are individual goals, so to speak, they are accomplishments that would be appreciated and shared by the team as a whole,” said Lewkowicz. Ìý“Our main non-quantitative goals are to be a team that holds itself to a high standard morally, and ethically, to maintain humility and integrity, and to seek to honor our great God in all that we do, win or lose.”

(Bluffton, OH/Bluffton) again led the EMU women.Ìý She started with the leaders and spaced only shortly behind, crossing sixth in 24:07.52.Ìý She was just a step out of fifth place, taken by Washington and Lee’s Casey Mackintosh in 24:06.15.Ìý Bridgewater senior Olivia Mills won the individual title by ten seconds, crossing in 23:07.

Chappell-Dick earned a spot on the All-ODAC First Team with her finish.Ìý Her time was also more than 45 seconds better than her time on the same course at the season-opening ODAC Preview Meet, when she won the meet in 24:53.

Senior (Harrisonburg, VA/Westmont Hilltop) also claimed a league honor, being named All-ODAC Second Team by taking 13th.Ìý She crossed the finish line in 24:50.95.

(Mt. Pleasant, PA/Mt. Pleasant Area) was just a couple of spots behind, taking 16th in 25:01.97.Ìý She was only six seconds away from 14th and the final spot on the Second Team.Ìý (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) finished 20th with a clocking of 25:16.63.Ìý (Goshen, VA/Goshen) rounded out the scoring for the Lady Royals, crossing 39th overall in 26:43.94.

(St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) battled illness throughout her run but was still 48th with a time of 27:21.06.Ìý (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) was one spot behind her in 27:32.71.

(Gap, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) shaved two and a half minutes off her ODAC Preview time and crossed in 28:59.74.Ìý (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) had a time of 29:27.32.

Eastern Mennonite took fourth as a team with 92 points, slightly behind Lynchburg in third with 85.Ìý The team score was hampered especially by Paden’s illness, as well as 2011 All-ODAC Second Teamer (Quarryville, PA/Solanco) missing the meet with an injury.

Washington and Lee had all five of their scorers in the top nine to run away with the team title at 29 points.Ìý Bridgewater had the top two finishers and took second with 51 points.

The women will now have a week off to get healthy and train for the South/Southeast Regional, which is Nov. 10 in Emory, GA.

The . Each of the seven Royals runners improved their time from the ODAC Preview Meet on the same course.

Chappell-Dick was locked in a back-and-forth finish with Washington and Lee’s senior Lauren Schultz, with EMU’s rookie making the final pass to win by two seconds.Ìý With her time of 24:53, Chappell-Dick not only won the ODAC Preview race, but also had EMU’s top time ever on the 6k course at Peakview.

Fellow freshman (St. Joseph, IL/St. Joseph-Odgen) took sixth place with her time of 25:36.Ìý She also tied for the third-best clocking by an EMU woman on the course.

A pack of three runners provided the Lady Royals’ final points.Ìý (Quarryville, PA/Solanco) was 14th in 26:33, followed by (Harrisonburg, VA/Spotswood) in 26:38.Ìý (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway) was one more spot behind in 26:56, as the women took second out of nine teams with 52 points.Ìý WLU grabbed the team crown with just 33 points.

(Goshen, IN/Goshen) was 35th for EMU in 29:25.Ìý (Matoaca, VA/Matoaca) crossed in 29:39 and Hannah Clemmer (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) clocked at 30:06.Ìý (Gap, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) crossed in 31:25.

The Lady Royals next run at the Lebanon Valley College Invite next Saturday in Annville, PA.