Dana Freeman Named Old Dominion Athletic Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year

By Brian Laubscher
March 12, 2026

Dana Freeman, head women's track & field coach at Washington and Lee University, was named the 2026 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year after leading the Generals to their second consecutive conference title.

Freeman's squad racked up 195.5 team points to out-pace the University of Lynchburg, which tallied 113 points. The Generals claimed championships in six individual events, produced 37 top eight finishes and notched a pair of school records during the ODAC Championship meet.

W&L went on to qualify three athletes for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championship, to be held March 13-14 in Birmingham, Alabama. Jesma Evans '26 qualified in the 400 meters; Bailey Hedgemon '26 qualified in the weight throw; and Camille Gillum '26 qualified in the high jump.

Over her career at W&L, Freeman has coached her athletes to 72 individual conference championship titles, while 18 have qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship. Five have gone on to earn All-America status based on their finishes at the national championship meet.

Freeman joined the W&L faculty in 2013 after three years as an assistant track & field coach and director of student-athlete support services at Ashland University. She has also assisted the track & field programs at Roanoke College, the College of Wooster, Radford University and Campbell University. Freeman holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in sport management from Kent State University.

If you know a W&L faculty member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.