Liberty University
Liberty Quad
Liberty Wins 11 Events in Tolsma Indoor Track Center Finale
2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Liberty's 38th and final home meet in the 12-year history of the Tolsma Indoor Track Center, Friday's Liberty Quad, featured 11 event victories by the home team, big pole vault clearances by the Flames' Ken Ritchey (16-8.75) and Mariel Finger (12-9.5) and a new IC4A qualification by redshirt freshman Jonny Saintil in the men's triple jump.
The Flames and Lady Flames said goodbye to the Tolsma Indoor Track Center, a facility they have called home since January 2005. Liberty will move into a new indoor facility with a 200-meter hydraulically banked track in time for the 2016-17 indoor season.
Men's Meet Recap
Ritchey's personal-best 16-8.75 pole vault clearance came in his first attempt at the height. He now tops the 2016 Big South performance list and ranks No. 4 in program history. However, Ritchey finished second in the competition to William & Mary's Derek O'Connell, who tied the facility record of 17-7.
Liberty's Alex Geniesse tied his pole vault lifetime best of 15-3 and teammate Zach Gilroy cleared a season-best 15-3 for third and fourth place, respectively.
Saintil's 48-2.75 leap makes him the third Liberty triple jumper to hit the IC4A standard this season, along with teammates Darrel Jones and Aklesso Agama. Saintil matched the distance of Gardner-Webb's Jalin Lawson, but Lawson had a superior second jump and was awarded the victory. Saintil now ranks No. 6 in program history after just two collegiate meets.
Luke Jelen (personal-best 4:21.89), Jacob Onifer (4:25.80) and Bradley Prentice (4:25.89) swept the top three places in the mile, while distance teammate James Zentmeyer was the men's 3K champion in 8:56.44.
Blake Kohring's personal-best 60 hurdles time of 8.56 earned first place, while 200-meter champion Marquis Gilchrist also set a personal best in his event (23.08).
Greg Edwards, Andrew Garrett, Prentice and Kohring teamed up for victory in the men's 4 x 400 relay, clocking 3:27.63.
Garrett (personal-best 1:58.20) and Louis Paone (personal-best 2:00.01) placed second and third, respectively, in the 800, trailing former teammate John Sherret.
Other Liberty runners-up included Edwards (season-best 7.08) in the 60 and Eric Schmidt (season-best 21-1.25) in the long jump.
Women's Meet Recap
Finger continued her breakthrough sophomore season on Friday with a winning pole vault clearance of 12-9.5. Her personal-best effort ranks No. 1 in the Big South this season and trails only All-American Andrea Wildrick (14-0) on Liberty's all-time women's indoor list.
Freshman Bailey Reeves won a pair of events on the evening, including the 200 (26.18) and 400 (58.41). Teammate Kate Flower followed closely in second in the 200 (26.19), while classmate Maggie McDermott was third in the 400 at 59.52.
Alexis Taylor edged Richmond's Emma Slevin for victory in the women's 1,000, 3:00.29 to 3:00.30. Taylor's personal-best time ranks No. 9 in program history.
Lady Flames Hannah Scherlacher (5:06.36) and Torree Scull (season-best 5:09.70) took the top two spots in the women's mile.
Multi-event athletes Kylie Polsgrove (personal-best 9.08) and Audrey Bamford (9.19) finished 1-2 in the women's 60 hurdles final. Earlier in the day, Bamford recorded a time of 9.07 in the prelims, which is the fastest 60 hurdles time by a Lady Flame this season.
Polsgrove also high jumped 5-3 for third place in that event, marking one of numerous third-place showings by the Lady Flames. Third-place finishers also included Enajah Winbush (60 – 7.91), Alyssa Karle (3K – 10:40.25), Mary Cate Cooper (5K – 19:36.97) and Jessica Harrison (long jump – 16-5).
Liberty will take next week off from competition in preparation for the 2016 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet will be contested Feb. 26-27 at Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va. The Liberty men's squad will seek its 19th consecutive Big South indoor team title, while the Lady Flames will be in search of their first indoor championship since 2012.
