Liberty University
Pre-Nationals
Liberty Men's XC Wins Pre-Nationals Black Race
10/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
The Liberty men's and women's cross country teams enjoyed a successful final tune-up for the 2015 Big South Cross Country Championships at Saturday's Pre-Nationals. The Flames won the men's black race team title at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park, while freshman Ednah Kurgat was the women's black race runner-up in a Liberty 6K record time of 20:22.0.
Liberty placed three men in the top 20 of the black (unseeded) race, helping the Flames top the 31-team field with a score of 159. It marked the Flames' first cross country team victory since the 2013 Big South Cross Country Championships in Buena Vista, Va.
The Flames outdistanced second-place UC Davis by 13 points and third-place Brown by 39 tallies, while improving upon their previous best Pre-Nationals finish (10th in the 2010 white race). Liberty also picked up its first victory over reigning Big South champion High Point this season, as the Panthers placed fourth with 223 points.
The Lady Flames also notched their best-ever Pre-Nationals placement, totaling 485 points for 20th place out of 35 teams in the black race. Liberty's previous best showing was 23rd, in the 2007 white race. Washington State (176 points) edged Buffalo (183) for first place in the women's black race.
Men's 8K Black Race Recap
Azaria Kirwa was the first of four Flames to clock sub-25:00 8K times on Saturday, crossing the line in 24:15.1 for 10th place overall and first among freshmen.
Cameron Francis followed just seven seconds later, continuing his breakthrough sophomore campaign with a personal-best 24:22.7 effort for 15th place. Francis' top 8K effort as a freshman was 26:26.93, but the Midlothian, Va., native has now recorded times of 25:30.17 and 24:22.7 in his last two races (Upstate Invitational/Big South Preview and Pre-Nationals).
Juniors Jeremie Bourget and Josh Showalter served as Liberty's No. 3 and 4 runners on Saturday. Bourget clocked 24:34.0 for 20th place, while Showalter posted his first career sub-25:00 time (24:51.7) for the 42nd spot in the field of 207.
Freshman James Zentmeyer wrapped up the Flames' victory with his personal-best 25:10.0 time and 72nd place finish.
Sophomores Graham Hansel (25:37.4, 114th place) and Luke Jelen (26:03.8, 156th place) joined the Flames' parade of 8K personal-best times on Saturday.
Women's 6K Black Race Recap
Liberty's freshmen fared well during their first collegiate 6K race on Saturday, paced by Kurgat's second-place finish in the field of 237. Combining all three of Saturday's women's races in Louisville, Kurgat recorded the 16th-fastest time out of 674 women, including second among freshmen.
Kurgat crossed the line just 4.7 seconds behind black race champion Allie Buchalski of Furman for the Lady Flames' best-ever finish in a Pre-Nationals race. Liberty's previous best was 11th place by Jacy Christiansen in the 2014 Pre-Nationals white race.
Kurgat's time of 20:22.0 broke the previous Liberty 6K record of 20:35.78, set by Jennifer Klugh at the 2012 NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships in Charlotte, N.C. It was Kurgat's second school record in as many races, after her 17:11.1 5K effort at the Virginia/Panorama Farms Invitational on Sept. 26.
The Lady Flames' next two finishers were also freshmen, including Torree Scull (22:05.3, 76th place) and Anna Van Wyk (22:32.9, 119th place).
Junior Kat Bouton moved up 41 positions during the second half of the race, ending up 128th in a 6K personal-best time of 22:37.9. Classmate Lindsey Bray lopped 47 seconds off of her previous 6K best, closing out the Lady Flames' scoring in 162nd place at 22:58.7.
Sophomore Alyssa Karle also ran a big personal best on Saturday, clocking 23:32.3 for 195th place.
Men's 8K Open Race Recap
Liberty also entered a pair of freshmen in Saturday's 8K open race in Louisville, and each of them posted their fastest time of the season. Jack Tidball ran 26:11.9 for 79th place, while Louis Paone clocked 26:19.4 for the 87th spot.
Flames graduate assistant Jaiden Brandt sped to a time of 24:42.1 for fourth place in the open race, with fellow graduate assistant Zach Barker coming in 78th in 26:09.7.
Women's 6K Open Race Recap
Freshman Aryn Embretson paced the Lady Flames in the women's 6K open race, running 23:01.1 for 64th place. Junior Terrill Zentmeyer (personal-best 23:08.6) came in 73rd, while freshman Kammi Kurtz was 97th in 23:41.9.
Assistant coach Rebekah Ricksecker also competed in the open race, and her time of 21:52.6 was good for 12th place in the field of 126 competitors.
Liberty's next meet will be the 2015 Big South Cross Country Championships, Oct. 31 in Spartanburg, S.C. The men's 8K will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by the women's 5K at 11:30, with both races taking place at the Milliken Center.
