WINCHESTER, Va. – The nationally 11th-ranked Washington and Lee University men's cross country team delivered a historic performance at the 2026 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championships on Saturday, sweeping the top four individual places and posting the second-lowest winning score in conference history with 16 points to capture its second consecutive title at Kernstown Battlefield.
The Generals placed all five scoring runners among the top six finishers, securing their 16th ODAC championship and 17th conference title overall. Washington and Lee established a program record with five First Team All-ODAC selections and totaled eight all-conference honorees, while the Blue and White finished 29 points ahead of nationally 26th-ranked Lynchburg (45).
Matt Kelly led the charge with a course-record time of 24:53.6, earning the individual championship and ODAC Runner of the Meet honors. Kelly broke the previous Kernstown Battlefield record of 25:38.4, established by Lynchburg's Frank Csorba in 2022, and became the second consecutive General to claim the individual conference crown.
Defending champion
Sam Daunt followed in 25:09.2, while
Robert Cooper (25:27.2) edged
William Dunaway (25:27.3) by one-tenth of a second for third place. All four Generals finished under the previous course record, as did Lynchburg's fifth-place finisher Aidan Riggle (25:33.8). Senior
Thomas Franklin completed W&L's scoring five in sixth place at 25:43.1.
Cooper added another distinction to his championship performance, earning ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. The senior collected First Team All-ODAC recognition for the second consecutive season after finishing runner-up at the 2025 championship.
The victory also completed a second consecutive ODAC championship sweep for Washington and Lee's men's and women's programs, with the women capturing their conference-record 22nd title earlier in the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Washington and Lee established an early advantage at the 2.5-kilometer checkpoint, leading the nine-team field with 27 points. All five scoring runners were positioned among the top nine, with just 1.3 seconds separating the Generals' first five finishers at the opening split.
- The Blue and White tightened their grip on the race by the 4-kilometer mark, reducing their team score to 17 points. Kelly, Daunt and Cooper occupied the top three positions, while Dunaway and Franklin ran fifth and sixth, respectively.
- W&L completed its sweep of the top four positions by the 5.2-kilometer checkpoint, with Kelly, Daunt, Cooper and Dunaway leading the field and Franklin holding sixth. The Generals' team score dropped to 16 points, a total they maintained through the finish.
- Kelly maintained his advantage over the final 2.8 kilometers, crossing the finish line in 24:53.6 to secure the individual championship. Daunt followed 15.6 seconds later, while Cooper edged Dunaway by one-tenth of a second to complete W&L's sweep of the top four places.
- Franklin's sixth-place finish secured the Generals' final scoring total, while Davis Amare (14th, 26:18.4) and Hall Wildman (16th, 26:27.9) rounded out W&L's top seven. The Blue and White placed seven runners among the first 16 finishers and four inside the top five.
- Washington and Lee's scoring five combined for a time of 2:06:41, averaging 25:21 with a 50-second spread. The Generals finished 29 points ahead of runner-up No. 26 Lynchburg (45), while Roanoke placed third with 80 points.
SCORING SEVEN
- Matt Kelly: Kelly captured the individual championship and ODAC Runner of the Meet honors with a course-record time of 24:53.6, breaking the previous Kernstown Battlefield standard of 25:38.4. The W&L law student earned First Team All-ODAC recognition after entering the meet with the conference's fastest 8k time of the season (24:36.2).
- Sam Daunt: The junior finished runner-up in 25:09.2, collecting his second consecutive First Team All-ODAC honor. Daunt, the defending individual champion, surpassed the previous course record and has now placed first or second at each of the last two conference championships.
- Robert Cooper: Cooper placed third overall in 25:27.2, earning First Team All-ODAC honors and the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. The senior has recorded consecutive top-three finishes at the conference championship after placing second in 2025.
- William Dunaway: Dunaway placed fourth in 25:27.3, improving four positions from his eighth-place showing in 2025. The junior earned his first First Team All-ODAC selection after receiving Second Team recognition last season.
- Thomas Franklin: Franklin completed W&L's scoring five in sixth place with a time of 25:43.1. The senior improved five positions from his 11th-place finish in 2025, securing First Team All-ODAC recognition.
- Davis Amare: Amare finished 14th overall in 26:18.4, earning Second Team All-ODAC honors. The junior climbed 23 positions from his 37th-place finish at the 2025 conference championship.
- Hall Wildman: Wildman crossed the line 16th in 26:27.9 to collect Third Team All-ODAC recognition. The sophomore improved 15 places from his 31st-place showing a season ago, helping the Generals place all seven of their top finishers among the first 16 competitors.
TEAM NOTES
- Washington and Lee secured its second consecutive ODAC men's cross country championship, the program's 16th ODAC title and 17th conference championship overall.
- The Generals' 16-point performance marked the second-lowest winning score in ODAC men's cross country championship history, trailing only Lynchburg's perfect 15-point performance in 2022.
- W&L claimed the top four individual finishing positions, with Kelly, Daunt, Cooper and Dunaway leading a field of 100 competitors.
- Washington and Lee established a program record with five First Team All-ODAC selections and collected eight all-conference honors overall, including one second-team and two third-team honorees.
- Kelly's individual championship, following Daunt's victory in 2025, marked W&L's first consecutive ODAC individual champions since the Generals claimed three straight titles from 2003-05. Andrew Schorr won the 2003 crown before Nathan Johnson captured back-to-back championships in 2004 and 2005.
- Kelly earned ODAC Runner of the Meet honors after breaking the Kernstown Battlefield course record in 24:53.6. The top five individual finishers all surpassed the previous standard of 25:38.4.
- Cooper received ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition, adding the academic distinction to his third-place finish and First Team All-ODAC honors.
- All seven of W&L's top finishers placed among the first 16 competitors, with the Generals' scoring five averaging 25:21 and recording a 50-second spread.
- Washington and Lee completed its second consecutive sweep of the men's and women's ODAC cross country championships, with the women's team securing its conference-record 22nd title earlier in the day.
- The Generals entered Saturday's championship ranked No. 11 nationally, the highest ranking in program history, and held the top position in the USTFCCCA South Region rankings.
ALL-ODAC HONORS
First Team (Places 1-7)
Second Team (Places 8-14)
Third Team (Places 15-21)
TEAM RESULTS
| Place |
Team |
Points |
| 1 |
No. 11 Washington and Lee |
16 |
| 2 |
No. 26 Lynchburg |
45 |
| 3 |
Roanoke |
80 |
| 4 |
Shenandoah |
109 |
| 5 |
Eastern Mennonite |
160 |
| 6 |
Batten University |
186 |
| 7 |
Bridgewater (Va.) |
204 |
| 8 |
Hampden-Sydney |
222 |
| 9 |
Randolph |
230 |
ADDITIONAL W&L FINISHERS
First-year
Will Pacey led the Generals' remaining finishers, placing 20th in 26:34.6 to earn Third Team All-ODAC recognition in his conference championship debut. Pacey, who claimed ODAC Runner of the Week honors earlier this season, was W&L's top first-year finisher.
UP NEXT
Washington and Lee will turn its attention to the NCAA Division III South Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14, hosted by the University of Lynchburg at Panorama Farms in Earlysville, Va. The Generals will look to defend their regional title after winning the 2025 South Region Championship for the first time since 1995.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
