Washington and Lee University
LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The Washington and Lee men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams were in action on Friday at the ODAC Championship meet held at Liberty University. The women placed second out of six teams with 110.5 point, while the men finished third out of six teams with 52 points, which is the highest finish in 10 years. The Generals had six conference champions, received 10 all-conference citations, set three school records and set five conference championship meet records.
Leading the way for the women was junior Elizabeth Webb (Middlebury, Va./Wakefield), who was named ODAC Scholar-Athete of the Year. Webb set two ODAC championship meet records when she placed first in the mile (5:11.51) and in the 800 meters (2:21.54). Junior Jessica Shaw (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park) also notched a first-place finish and set a conference championship meet record in the 5000 meters with a time of 17:45.85.
Junior Stacy Doornbos (Roswell, Ga./Lassiter) finished second in the long jump (17’9”), third in the 400 meters (60.80), fourth in the triple jump (10.45 m), fifth in both the high jump (1.53 m) and the 55 meters (8.92) and sixth in the 200 meters (27.20). Also, sophomore Maggie Sutherland (Sewickley, Pa./Sewickley Academy) set a school record when she notched a fourth-place finish in the 55m hurdles (8.91).
Junior Becca Taylor (Hamilton, Ohio/Edgewood) placed second in the mile (5:22.85) and fifth in the 800 meters (2:30.29). Sophomore Dorothy Todd (Watkinsville, Ga./Athens Academy) finished third in the mile (5:27.85) and fourth in the 800 meters ( 2:29.24), while sophomore Grace Andrews (Dyersburg, Tenn./Dyersburg) placed third in the weight throw with a toss of 13.33 m and fourth in the shot put (11.02 m).
Additionally, the Distance Medley Relay squad finished first with an ODAC championship meet record time of 13:19.36. Freshman Katherine Fenwick (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) led off the relay and was joined by junior Tara Hildenbrand (Castroville, Texas/Medina Valley), freshman Christine Baliseri (Mequon,Wisc./Homestead) and sophomore Kat Telfeyan (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge). Also the women’s 4x400 relay team placed second overall with a time of 4:11.74. Sophomore Sallie Armstrong (Houston, Texas/St. John’s) led the team and was joined by Doornbos, Hildenbrand and junior Stephanie Stelter (Magnolia, Texas/Concordia Lutheran).
The W&L men were led by sophomore Billy Billington (Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell), who won the weight throw with a toss of 16.75 m. His toss set a school record, an ODAC championship meet record and was a NCAA qualifying mark. Billington also finished second in the shot put (47’6”). Sophomore Ryan Castle (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) was the conference champion in the high jump when he leaped 1.93 m.
Freshman Jeff Giordano (Slidell, La./Jesuit), who was named ODAC Rookie of the Year, placed third in the 55 meters (6.55) and fourth in the 200 meters (22.89). Giordano’s finish in the 200 meters set a school record.
Also scoring for the Generals were junior Michael Welsh (Tullahoma, Tenn./Tullahoma), who finished fourth in the 5,000 meters (15:45), while junior Vance Berry (Porte Vedra, Fla./Episcopal) placed fifth in the mile (4:30.75). Also, senior Tom Brower (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) finishedd sixth in the 5000 meters (16:02).
The Generals 4x400 meter relay team of junior Chip McCoy (Litchfield, Conn./Litchfield), senior Marshall French (Richmond, Va./St. Christopher’s), sophomore Brian Bondurant (Richmond, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) and Giordano finished fourth in 3:38.13, while the Distance Medley Relay squad of junior Alex Jackson (Centreville, Va./Westfield), senior Andrew Friski (Lexington, Va./Rockbridge County), freshman Michael Shiplet (Jacksonville, Fla./Bartram Trail) and French placed fourth with a time of 10:57.63.
National qualifiers Webb and Billington will compete at the Virginia Tech Last Meet on Sat., March 8 at 10:00 am, while the rest of the Washington and Lee team returns to action on Sat., March 22 at the Emory Invitational at 8:00 am.
~ Generals ~
