Thursday, May 1
Lynchburg, Va.
3:00 PM
Liberty University
vs
Liberty Twilight Qualifier
Parker, Watson Among Liberty Twilight Stars
5/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Liberty juniors Matt Parker and Jaime Watson took advantage of ideal weather conditions at Thursday's Liberty Twilight Qualifier to post NCAA East Regional-qualifying performances. Their efforts highlighted a meet which also saw four Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex records eclipsed.
Parker (Rome, N.Y.) benefitted from a steady tailwind blowing out of the south. He clocked a personal-best 14.26 seconds in the men's 110-meter hurdles final, finishing second in the race and qualifying for the NCAA East Regional Championships. He is now Liberty's second-fastest all-time performer in the event, and the fastest in the last 10 years. Parker, who had already hit the high jump regional standard this season, won that event on Thursday, with a 6-8 clearance.
Watson (Ravenna, Mich.) broke away from the field during the final lap of the women's 800 meters, blazing to a personal-best 2:08.29 in a winning effort. She is now the second-fastest 800-meter runner in school history, trailing only assistant coach Heather (Sagan) Zealand. Watson helped pull teammate Rebekah Ricksecker (Jr., Laurel, Del.) to a second-place finish in a personal-best 2:11.20. Ricksecker's time, which makes her the No. 5 performer in program history, is an ECAC qualifier.
Andrea Beckles (Jr., Lynchburg, Va.) enjoyed the best meet of her career, setting personal bests at both 100 meters and 200 meters. Her 100-meter clocking of 11.87 netted third place in the final. Shortly thereafter, the junior stopped the clock in 24.48 seconds for 200 meters, placing seventh, qualifying for the ECAC Championships and claiming the No. 5 position on Liberty's career performance list.
In addition to Watson, freshman Jennifer Healey (Virginia Beach, Va.) was the Lady Flames' other event champion. She reached 35-11.25 to win the women's triple jump. Adding a runner-up finish was Kristen Dalton (Jr., Wanchese, N.C.), in the meet's final field event, the women's javelin. Her top effort marked 119-9.
Like Beckles, a pair of Liberty men's sprinters enjoyed the warm, breezy conditions prevalent during the first part of Thursday's meet. Aaron Hewlett (Jr., Virginia Beach, Va.), who also plays football for the Flames, qualified for the IC4A Championships in the 100-meter dash. His wind-aided time of 10.75 earned sixth place in the event final.
In the 200-meter dash, Durell Cull (So., Rome, N.Y.) raced to a 21.51 effort, improving his 2008 season best by more than a full second. He also earned a spot in the IC4A Championships as a result.
A pair of Liberty seniors made the most of their final home meet. Clendon Henderson (Meadow, Texas) won the discus by 24 feet, stretching the tape to 192-8 on his best throw. Named the ECAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week earlier in the day, Henderson has now won all six of his discus competitions during the 2008 campaign.
Henderson also claimed second place in the men's hammer throw, recording a new personal best with his 192-8 heave. The only competitor to defeat him was Virginia Tech's Matej Muza, who shattered the facility record with a 219-1 effort.
Liberty 14-time All-American Josh McDougal (Sr., Peru, N.Y.), a late addition to the meet's last event, the men's 10,000 meters, won the race by 32 seconds. He qualified for the IC4A Championships with a 31:00.09 clocking in his first 10K since winning the NCAA national cross country title on Nov. 19. Flames freshman Cory Reed (Eldred, N.Y.) came in second, finishing in 31:32.29.
Another Liberty freshman to nab a runner-up finish on Thursday was Kolby Shepherd (Dublin, Ga.). He matched his career-best pole vault clearance, 16-6.75. Shepherd trailed only former Virginia Tech standout Brian Mondschein's facility-record 17-10.5 in the event. Mondschein broke the record of former Flame Michael Prettyman, which had stood at 17-0.75 for 12 years.
The other two new facility records were also established by Virginia Tech athletes. Tasmin Fanning shattered the women's 1,500-meter standard with the nation's No. 5 time of 2008, 4:18.36. Later in the meet, the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase record went down, courtesy of Rider Clauss' 9:10.37 clocking.
Selected Liberty athletes will compete in Sunday's Duke Twilight Meet, which will begin at 2 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Parker (Rome, N.Y.) benefitted from a steady tailwind blowing out of the south. He clocked a personal-best 14.26 seconds in the men's 110-meter hurdles final, finishing second in the race and qualifying for the NCAA East Regional Championships. He is now Liberty's second-fastest all-time performer in the event, and the fastest in the last 10 years. Parker, who had already hit the high jump regional standard this season, won that event on Thursday, with a 6-8 clearance.
Watson (Ravenna, Mich.) broke away from the field during the final lap of the women's 800 meters, blazing to a personal-best 2:08.29 in a winning effort. She is now the second-fastest 800-meter runner in school history, trailing only assistant coach Heather (Sagan) Zealand. Watson helped pull teammate Rebekah Ricksecker (Jr., Laurel, Del.) to a second-place finish in a personal-best 2:11.20. Ricksecker's time, which makes her the No. 5 performer in program history, is an ECAC qualifier.
Andrea Beckles (Jr., Lynchburg, Va.) enjoyed the best meet of her career, setting personal bests at both 100 meters and 200 meters. Her 100-meter clocking of 11.87 netted third place in the final. Shortly thereafter, the junior stopped the clock in 24.48 seconds for 200 meters, placing seventh, qualifying for the ECAC Championships and claiming the No. 5 position on Liberty's career performance list.
In addition to Watson, freshman Jennifer Healey (Virginia Beach, Va.) was the Lady Flames' other event champion. She reached 35-11.25 to win the women's triple jump. Adding a runner-up finish was Kristen Dalton (Jr., Wanchese, N.C.), in the meet's final field event, the women's javelin. Her top effort marked 119-9.
Like Beckles, a pair of Liberty men's sprinters enjoyed the warm, breezy conditions prevalent during the first part of Thursday's meet. Aaron Hewlett (Jr., Virginia Beach, Va.), who also plays football for the Flames, qualified for the IC4A Championships in the 100-meter dash. His wind-aided time of 10.75 earned sixth place in the event final.
In the 200-meter dash, Durell Cull (So., Rome, N.Y.) raced to a 21.51 effort, improving his 2008 season best by more than a full second. He also earned a spot in the IC4A Championships as a result.
A pair of Liberty seniors made the most of their final home meet. Clendon Henderson (Meadow, Texas) won the discus by 24 feet, stretching the tape to 192-8 on his best throw. Named the ECAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week earlier in the day, Henderson has now won all six of his discus competitions during the 2008 campaign.
Henderson also claimed second place in the men's hammer throw, recording a new personal best with his 192-8 heave. The only competitor to defeat him was Virginia Tech's Matej Muza, who shattered the facility record with a 219-1 effort.
Liberty 14-time All-American Josh McDougal (Sr., Peru, N.Y.), a late addition to the meet's last event, the men's 10,000 meters, won the race by 32 seconds. He qualified for the IC4A Championships with a 31:00.09 clocking in his first 10K since winning the NCAA national cross country title on Nov. 19. Flames freshman Cory Reed (Eldred, N.Y.) came in second, finishing in 31:32.29.
Another Liberty freshman to nab a runner-up finish on Thursday was Kolby Shepherd (Dublin, Ga.). He matched his career-best pole vault clearance, 16-6.75. Shepherd trailed only former Virginia Tech standout Brian Mondschein's facility-record 17-10.5 in the event. Mondschein broke the record of former Flame Michael Prettyman, which had stood at 17-0.75 for 12 years.
The other two new facility records were also established by Virginia Tech athletes. Tasmin Fanning shattered the women's 1,500-meter standard with the nation's No. 5 time of 2008, 4:18.36. Later in the meet, the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase record went down, courtesy of Rider Clauss' 9:10.37 clocking.
Selected Liberty athletes will compete in Sunday's Duke Twilight Meet, which will begin at 2 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
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