Liberty University
Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup
Liberty Racks Up 8 Victories at Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup
2/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Liberty won eight different Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup events on Saturday, wrapping up arguably the Flames' most impressive overall performance in meet history. The most event titles Liberty had claimed in nine previous Cup appearances at Penn State's Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor track was four in 2009.
Victories by Stephen Racanelli (men's 400), Colin Schultz (men's 800), Darrel Jones (men's triple jump), Carson Waters (men's pole vault) and the quartet of Ryan Davis, Jeff Jacobs, Michael Todd and Racanelli (men's 4 x 400 relay) helped Liberty finish third in the final men's team standings with 95.5 points. That equals the Flames' best-ever showing at this meet, as Liberty also placed third in 2009. No. 21 Penn State took the men's team title with 202.5 points, outdistancing runner-up UMBC (139).
Meanwhile, the Lady Flames placed fourth for the fourth consecutive year, led by victories from Anna Van Wyk (women's 3K), Janae Jones (women's triple jump) and Erin Zappia (women's high jump). Liberty totaled 93.5 points for fourth place out of seven women's teams. No. 19 Penn State made it a sweep of the team championships, scoring 161 points to James Madison's 134.
Men's Day Two Recap
Senior Racanelli started his day off with a victory in the men's 400. His time of 49.00 marked a season best, qualified him to the IC4A meet and currently ranks atop the 2016-17 Big South performance list. Teammate Jacobs added a fourth-place finish in a season-best 49.46 clocking.
Davis, Jacobs, Todd and Racanelli then punctuated the Flames' successful day with their victory in the 4 x 400 relay. Todd (48.2) and Racanelli (48.9) both posted sub-49.00 splits, helping Liberty achieve its fastest time of the season, 3:17.25.
Schultz's first 800-meter race of the year resulted in victory, thanks to a personal-best time of 1:51.25. The Nevada native qualified for the IC4A meet in a fourth event (also 1,000, mile and 4 x 800 relay) and took over the Big South seasonal lead. Schultz is now tied with Chris Lyons for second place in both Liberty and Big South Conference history for the event.
Reigning Big South Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week Waters made a strong case to repeat on Saturday, winning the men's pole vault with a personal-best 16-11 clearance. The junior climbed to fourth on Liberty's all-time indoor list in the process. Luke Moffett tied for fourth place by making it over 14-7.5.
Jones won the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup men's triple jump crown for the second straight year, doing so in dominating fashion. His 50-6 leap outdistanced his nearest competitor by two feet and measured just 3.25 inches shy of his own school record. Jones becomes just the second Flame to win back-to-back Sykes-Sabock titles in the same event, joining Kolby Shepherd (men's pole vault, 2009 and 2010).
Freshman teammate Andre Wright followed in fourth place with his 47-7.75 triple jump effort.
Zach Davis high jumped a season-best 6-9.75 for second place in the high jump and first place in the Big South this season. He matched the clearance of Binghamton's Jack Fitzgerald, but was edged out for the event title on misses.
Women's Day Two Recap
After opening her collegiate track & field career with a mile victory at the Liberty Kickoff, Van Wyk remained unbeaten with her 3K triumph on Saturday. The Minnesota native edged James Madison's Carol Strock, 9:43.63 to 9:43.70, qualifying for the ECAC meet in a second event and breaking Liberty's freshman record. Van Wyk, who improved upon Ednah Kurgat's mark of 9:44.26 from 2015, now ranks third in program history for the event.
Kammi Kurtz just missed out on scoring points in the 3K with her ninth-place finish, but the sophomore's time of 10:07.48 lopped 28 seconds off of her previous best. Kurtz moved up to No. 3 in the Big South this season.
Jones dominated the women's triple jump competition, as her mark of 40-5.5 was the best of the day by more than two and a half feet. It also fell just 2.75 inches shy of her own school record.
Liberty scored 23 big points in the women's high jump, thanks to the trio of Zappia (first place, 5-5), Brittany Small (second, season-best 5-5) and Kylie Polsgrove (fourth, 5-3).
Delaney McDowell and Tanner Ealum both made successful season debuts at the 800-meter distance, running the two fastest times in the Big South this season while also both notching ECAC qualifiers. McDowell placed third in 2:10.31, followed closely by Ealum in fourth (personal-best 2:11.63). Ealum's time ranks the freshman No. 5 in program history.
Mary Witmer cut two seconds off of her personal best in the 600, clocking 1:36.98 for sixth place.
Nicole Leonzo, Witmer, McDowell and Ealum wrapped up the day with a fifth-place showing in the 4 x 400 relay in 3:49.99. Ealum recorded the quartet's fastest split at 55.9 seconds.
The Lady Flames also got points from Bailey Reeves (seventh in women's 400 in an indoor personal-best 58.09) and Dasiana Larson (eighth in women's shot put at 42-5.25).
Up Next
Liberty will close out its home schedule for the 2016-17 indoor season on Friday and Saturday, when the Flames host the inaugural Liberty Elite Invitational at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
Liberty's final tune-up for the 2017 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships will feature competitors from Campbell, Charleston Southern, Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, Elon, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, as well as some talented post-collegiate athletes.
