Davidson senior Erin Osment finding success on the track

Erin Osment has had her share of highlights with the Davidson women’s track and cross country teams.

But Osment’s final year with the Wildcats has turned into her most successful yet, with at least two more races to run.

Osment was named the most outstanding women’s track athlete after winning two individual titles at the Atlantic 10 championships May 2-3 in Fairfax, Va.

The Atlanta, Ga., native set a school record in winning the women’s 10,000-meter run on the opening day of the A-10 championships. She then set a school record in taking the women’s 5,000-meter run on the final day.

“It’s definitely been a goal of mine to have this level of success,” Osment said. “But I was definitely surprised at just how well I was able to do.”

Osment won the 10K in 34 minutes, 36.74 seconds, breaking her own school record of 35:30.82 set during last year’s Southern Conference championships.

She followed that with another record performance in the 5K, with her time of 16:32.86 shattering her own record of 16:50.19 set earlier this season.

That gives Osment, who will graduate with a degree in history, Davidson records in five long-distance events: the 5,000- and 10,000-meter indoor marks, and the 3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter outdoor records.

Osment, as well as her teammates, achieved that against tougher competition this season, with the Wildcats competing in the Atlantic 10 for the first season after years in the Southern Conference.

“She’s had an exceptional season,” said Jen Straub, director of Davidson’s track and field and cross country programs. “Everybody’s had to step up their game, both in training and mental preparation. They had to recognize they had to compete at a higher level, right from the get-go.”

Said Osment: “It’s been a great experience for the whole team. The level of competition has stepped up this year. It’s helped the whole team reach a new level in training and practice, and in how we approach races.

“For me, it’s been a process of seeing how I could step up my game, in every part of the sport throughout the entire year.”

Now Osment is focusing on her final races. She will compete in the NCAA Division I Eastern Regional, scheduled for May 28-30 in Jacksonville, Fla. Should she make the cut, Osment would move on to the NCAA Division I national championships June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore.

“It would take a pretty quick time,” to advance to the nationals, Osment said. “It would be a big drop – probably around 30 seconds, if not more – but I’m really excited to get a chance to compete in the regionals.

“I’ve never made it to that meet before, so to run a fast enough time just to get there is fantastic. I’m just hoping to run a PR (personal record) and pick up some time, and enjoy the next two weeks of training.”

3 named All-A-10 in women’s tennis

Three members of Davidson’s women’s tennis team were named to the Atlantic 10’s all-conference teams in a vote of the league’s coaches.

Freshman Anna Catharine Feaster was voted on the A-10 first team, while junior Elaina Cummer and freshman Ava Todd were named to the second team.

Feaster, of Knoxville, Tenn., went 16-6 at singles for the Wildcats this season, including a 13-4 mark as the primary No. 2 singles player and 4-1 against league opponents. She was named the A-10’s rookie of the week three times, and teamed with Ally Sexton to go a team-best 17-5 in doubles.

Todd, of Baltimore, Md., had just a successful first season with Davidson, posting a team-best 19-3 record in singles at three different positions. That included a 16-match winning streak, the longest by a Wildcats player since 2005. She was also named the league’s rookie of the week three times.

Cummer, of Plano, Texas, was Davidson’s No. 1 singles player most of the season, going 10-11. She also teamed with Jenna Brunner at No. 1 doubles, going 9-10 this season.

Golfers 3rd at A-10 tourney

Davidson’s men’s golf team finished third at the Atlantic 10 tournament April 24-26 in Harmony, Fla., and two Wildcats were named to the all-conference team.

Davidson led after the opening round of the three-day tournament, but finished 15 shots behind two-time champ Virginia Commonwealth and two strokes back of Richmond. The Wildcats finished at 869, with VCU winning at 854 and the Spiders closing at 867.

Junior David Sargent (Hough) led Davidson’s golfers, finishing a career-best fifth overall with a 1-under-par 215. He finished 13 shots behind individual champion Adam Bell of VCU.

Sargent was named to the All-A-10 team along with senior Todd Eckstein, who shot a 2-over 218 in his final collegiate tournament, good for a tie for 13th.

Also scoring for Davidson were freshman Spencer Papciak (tied for 13th, 218), senior Ralph Blasey (tied for 18th, 220) and sophomore Andy Simmons (tied for 34th, 225).

This story was originally published May 8, 2015 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Davidson senior Erin Osment finding success on the track."