In 2009, Barack Obama became president, Taylor Swift played country music and the Washington and Lee women’s track and field team won their most recent ODAC championship.
That is until three weeks ago. The Generals traveled to Roanoke on March 1 and won the 2025 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) indoor championship comfortably.
They scored 195.75 points which beat second place Bridgewater College by almost 70 points.
To achieve this margin of victory, the team won seven out of 16 events at the meet and broke three program records. Additionally, the program sent a record four athletes to the NCAA Championships and earned 14 all-ODAC citations.
Simply put: the 2025 women’s track and field team is different.
Besides the fact that it accomplished something no other team in the past 16 years had, it has many of the key qualities of the typical success story.
Olivia Warr, ’27, the winner of the 3k and 5k at ODACs, said the team is special because it has “passion, dedication, and the ability to balance being serious and having a good time.”
“I’m so proud of the team and the effort and dedication everyone has put in all season,” Warr said.
After watching their hard work during the winter come to fruition, the team finally got the chance to bask in the feeling of victory. The athletes celebrated by eating pizza and ordering t-shirts, Warr said.
Mary Gorsky, ’28, the anchor of the first-place distance medley relay team, said she enjoyed sharing the win with her team.
“It’s incredible. There is something really special about winning a relay because you are all contributing and everyone is doing their best for each other,” Gorsky said. “Track can often feel very individualized so it’s really special when you get to do something with your teammates.”
The team members enjoyed their victory, but it is time to get outside and get to work, they said.
To capitalize on the team’s momentum, Warr said they need to devote time to “hard training, intentional decisions and supporting each other no matter what happens.”
Warr also runs for the women’s cross-country team, which won the ODAC championship in the fall. These athletes are hoping for three ODAC championships in one academic year.
To compete for a championship win, the women’s team will attack the outdoor season with a lot of confidence, Gorsky said.
W&L men’s track and field looks to improve on a second-place finish during the outdoor season.
“We are very excited to be back outside,” said Will Vaughn, ’27. “Our team is definitely more oriented to outdoor track.”
Will Knight, ’26, said he feels confident about the men’s chances to improve this spring.
“We have several of our athletes whose best events are during the outdoor season, and their participation always elevates our overall performance,” he said.
The men’s team won two events during the ODAC indoor championships and will attempt to displace Lynchburg as the top team in the ODAC this spring.
