Cross Country

Men’s and women’s cross country were the first teams to claim championship victories on Nov. 1 at Bridgewater College. 

The No. 18 men’s team won its 15th ODAC championship title with 27 points and five runners finishing inside the top 11. 

Sam Daunt, ’28, placed first, finishing in 25:36.9. He finished just two-tenths of a second before second-place finisher and teammate Robert Cooper, ’27.

“[The win] feels great, but it’s really a reflection of our whole team’s hard work and trust in each other,” said Daunt. “My teammates put me in a good position and have been great training partners all season.”

Both Daunt and Cooper broke the previous course record of 25:42.60, set in 2015. Daunt also earned ODAC Runner of the Meet accolades, and Keaton Rush, ’26, was named ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row.

The men’s team wasn’t the only one to find success in Bridgewater. The No. 14 women’s cross country team earned its 21st ODAC title in program history. 

Five Generals finished in the top seven, with Olivia Warr, ’27, taking first and Lydia Harvey, ’27, placing second. Both runners surpassed the previous course record of 22:21.9, set in 2015.

With her victory, Warr became the ODAC individual champion for the second year in a row. She was also named ODAC Runner of the Meet. 

“One of my values as a runner is always to stay hungry and humble,” said Warr. “ODACs helped me recognize last year wasn’t a fluke, but I have a long way to go to reach my goals.”

Harvey was recognized as the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the year, and 11 Generals earned All-ODAC Honors.

Following their ODAC sweep, both teams headed to the NCAA South Region Championships in Salem, Va. on Nov. 15.

“We enjoyed the win for a little bit but then got right back to work,” said Daunt. “We know we have bigger goals ahead this season.”

The men’s team tallied 31 points and took home the title of NCAA DIII South Region Champions. With the win, the men captured the second regional title in program history. 

They will head to the NCAA DIII National Championships in Spartanburg, S.C. on Nov. 22. 

The women’s team placed second behind Emory University. Warr captured the title of South Regional Champion for the second year in a row. Harvey took the second place spot, 36 seconds after Warr.

The men’s team automatically qualified for the National Championship in Spartanburg, S.C., with their win, according to the NCAA website. The women’s team earned an at-large bid.

Field Hockey

The No. 21 ranked field hockey team began post-season play with a dominant victory over Roanoke College in the ODAC quarterfinals on Nov. 4. 

The Generals outshot the Maroons 25-0 and scored three goals. The win secured the team a spot in the ODAC semifinals against No. 20 Shenandoah University on Nov. 6. 

W&L took an early 3-1 lead, with three goals from Betty Boatwright, ’26. 

Shenandoah scored two more goals to tie the game. One goal occurred during the final minute of regulation, sending the game to overtime. 

The Hornets scored the game-winning goal less than three minutes into overtime, ending the Generals’ run at an ODAC title.

“It’s such a privilege to be able to play such challenging competition in our conference,” says Boatwright. “Although it wasn’t the result we wanted, I’m beyond thankful that we continued to play together throughout the whole game.” 

Generals field hockey did not earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team ended the season with a record of 14-5. 

Women’s Soccer

The No. 9 W&L women’s soccer team captured its sixth ODAC Tournament championship in a thrilling win over the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins. 

The team advanced to the championship after a decisive 9-0 win against Eastern Mennonite University on Nov. 1 and a 3-2 overtime win against Bridgewater College on Nov. 5. 

The championship win came after two overtime periods and a penalty kick shootout. The Marlins scored early in the match, but senior Sarah Zimmerman scored the tying goal in the 50th minute. 

Each team successfully scored its first six penalty kicks. The Generals missed the seventh kick, leaving it up to sophomore goalie Kate McEnroe to make a save.

“I just took each kick one moment at a time,” said McEnroe. “I tried to not get ahead of myself and rely on my training and preparation.”  

McEnroe made the crucial save, then scored her own penalty kick, giving the Generals a 7-6 lead. 

The Marlins missed their final penalty kick, ending the game and making Generals women’s soccer back-to-back ODAC champions. 

The Generals then went on to play in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament against Marymount University. The game was on Watt Field, the Generals’ home turf. 

Head Coach Tiffany Pins says she’s grateful the NCAA gave the Generals an opportunity to play at home. 

“We love playing on Watt,” says Pins. “We know we play great soccer on this field, so to be home is really special.” 

W&L women’s soccer had a dominant 3-0 win against Marymount on Nov. 15. They face-off against Carnegie Mellon University on Nov. 16 in Round 2 of the NCAA Tournament. 

Men’s Soccer

W&L men’s soccer started the ODAC tournament with a 1-0 win against Randolph-Macon College on Nov. 1 in the quarterfinals and a 2-0 win against No. 23 Hampden-Sydney on Nov. 5 in the semifinals. 

The Generals played in the ODAC Championship match against No. 13 University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Va. On Nov. 8. 

Senior captain Willy Hall, assisted by Junior Nick Apostolou netted the first goal of the game just seven minutes in. 

The Hornets scored two goals early in the second half, giving them the lead. W&L was unable to score in the remaining minutes of the game, ending their hopes of an ODAC Championship title. 

“We gave up a championship that we were fully poised to take,” says Hall. “That’s a brutal feeling, but sometimes that’s the way it goes.” 

The team now looks ahead to Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament. The Generals earned an at-large bid and play No. 25 Denison University on Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m. 

“We know we can compete with and beat any team in the country, and the hunger to win is definitely showing,” says Hall. 

The Generals were unable to secure a win against Denison, ending their season and run in the NCAA Tournament. 

Men’s soccer finished with an overall record of 11-5-5. 

Volleyball

Generals volleyball began ODAC Tournament play on Nov. 11, besting Shenandoah in three sets. 

The team went on to upset No. 14 Virginia Wesleyan in a five-set thriller ODAC semifinal match to secure a spot in the championship. 

The Generals faced Bridgewater College for the title of ODAC Champions. The volleyball team claimed their third ODAC title in three years, following a four-set win over Bridgewater. 

The selection show for NCAA Tournament play is on Nov. 17. 

Football

Football competed in their final game against Shenandoah University on Nov. 15. The Generals lost the game by three points, moving them to third place in the ODAC.  

The Generals will finish as one of the two ODAC teams to play in the Chesapeake Challenge bowl series this season.