Gamecock Invitational Next Stop for Liberty Track
4/5/2018 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Meet Schedule
Live Results
Columbia Weather
After dividing its team between two meets last week, Liberty track & field will take part in only the Gamecock Invitational this weekend. The one-day competition is set for Saturday at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track in Columbia, S.C.
The meet will get started with the women's hammer and men's javelin at 9 a.m. Running events will begin at 10 a.m., but Liberty's first track race (women's 400) will not happen until 12:15 p.m.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results will be available throughout the meet, courtesy of AdkinsTrak Timing Associates.
Weather Report
Saturday's forecast calls for a high temperature in the low 70s. However, rain and high winds are likely with a chance of thunderstorms.
Scouting the Competition
Liberty will face Big South foes Charleston Southern and Radford on Saturday, along with future conference member Hampton. NC State and South Carolina also highlight the field, with the host Gamecocks' men's team currently ranked No. 16 nationally.
About the Facility
The Sheila & Morris Cregger Track was completed in November 2016 at a cost of $10.3 million. The nine-lane track played host to the 2017 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Saturday will mark Liberty's second meet at the facility, as the Flames previously competed in the 2017 Gamecock Invitational (April 15, 2017). That day, Jovaine Atkinson lowered his program record in the men's 110 hurdles to 14.01 seconds, while Delaney McDowell (women's 800) and Denzel Pratt (men's javelin) each won their respective events.
Familiar Faces in New Places
Some of Liberty's top performers will be trying different events on Saturday, including Tanner Ealum in the women's 200, Delaney McDowell in the women's 400 and the duo of Jovaine Atkinson and Darrel Jones in the men's 100.
Ealum, the conference leader in the women's 400 and 800, will contest her first 200 since placing fourth at the 2017 Big South outdoor meet.
Four-time Big South women's 800 champion McDowell will race at the 400-meter distance for just the second time in her career. Her only previous 400 clocked 57.91 seconds, March 25, 2016 at the Winthrop Invitational.
Atkinson and Jones will both be making their collegiate 100 dash debuts on Saturday. Atkinson displayed his sprinting speed while winning the Big South men's 60 dash title in 6.79 seconds in February.
High-Caliber Hurdles
Jovaine Atkinson lowered the program men's 110 hurdles record to 13.77 seconds at last week's Texas Relays and currently ranks No. 9 nationally in the event. On Saturday, the redshirt sophomore from Jamaica will be part of one of the meet's featured races.
Atkinson's scheduled 110 hurdles opponents include the 2018 world indoor 60 hurdles silver medalist (Jarret Eaton), a pair of 2016 Olympians (Eddie Lovett and Milan Ristic) and a 2017 NCAA 110 hurdles finalist (South Carolina's Isaiah Moore).
Jack of All Trades
Sophomore Markus Ballengee ranks No. 4 nationally in the decathlon after scoring a personal-best 7,537 points at last week's Texas Relays. He has excelled in a wide range of events this season and currently ranks among the Big South's top eight performers in 10 different disciplines in 2018.
They include the 400 (No. 7, 50.05), 110 hurdles (No. 2, 14.42), 400 hurdles (No. 3, 54.86), high jump (tie for No. 4, 6-3.5), pole vault (No. 2, 16-0.75), long jump (tie for No. 8, 21-10.75), shot put (No. 8, 42-2), discus (No. 3, 143-6), javelin (No. 5, 168-10) and decathlon (No. 1, 7,537).
On Saturday, Ballengee is entered in the 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles, long jump and discus.
Strength in Numbers
Combining the 2018 indoor and outdoor seasons, Liberty boasts six of the Big South's seven fastest women's 400-meter runners. They include Kimone Green (No. 1, 54.47), Cortney Dowling (No. 2, 55.19), Olivia Behymer (No. 4, 55.75), Tanner Ealum (No. 5, 55.91), Ty'Asia Dansbury (No. 6, 56.02) and Maggie McDermott (No. 7, 57.16).
All but Green are entered in the one-lap event on Saturday. They will square off against two-time defending Big South Women's Track Athlete of the Week Amelia Reynolds of Radford. The freshman boasts the conference's third fastest 400 of 2018 at 55.42 seconds.
Clash of Olympians
Olympian Alejandro Perlaza Zapata is scheduled to compete in his first outdoor 400-meter dash as a Flame on Saturday. His top opponent could be Kyle Clemons, who owns a personal best of 44.79 seconds and helped Team USA win gold in the Rio Olympics men's 4 x 400 relay.
How High Can She Fly?
Jessie Glynn is scheduled to pole vault for the first time since clearing a personal-best 13-3.5 at the FSU Relays on March 23. On Saturday, the nation's No. 24-ranked women's pole vaulter will face Alina McDonald, who owns a career best of 14-9 and is the Liberty Indoor Track Complex record holder at 14-0.
Big South's Best
After three weekends of outdoor competition, Liberty ranks No. 1 in the Big South Conference in the following events.
Men's 200 – Alejandro Perlaza Zapata (21.13)
Men's 800 – Bradley Prentice (1:50.52)
Men's 1,500 – Colin Schultz (3:44.78)
Men's 110 Hurdles – Jovaine Atkinson (13.77)
Men's 400 Hurdles – Branson Rolle (52.50)
Men's 4 x 100 Relay – Henderson, Perlaza Zapata, Edwards, Smalley (41.29)
Men's 4 x 400 Relay – Durham, Todd, Rolle, Perlaza Zapata (3:11.24)
Men's Pole Vault – Carson Waters (16-10.75)
Men's Triple Jump – Darrel Jones (51-1)
Men's Shot Put – William Partridge (53-10.25)
Men's Javelin – Denzel Pratt (216-4)
Men's Decathlon – Markus Ballengee (7,537)
Women's 400 – Tanner Ealum (55.91)
Women's 800 – Tanner Ealum (2:08.36)
Women's 10K – Noel Palmer (34:47.26)
Women's 400 Hurdles – Kimone Green (1:01.66)
Women's Steeplechase – Alyssa Karle (11:06.89)
Women's 4 x 100 Relay – Wilson, Green, Dansbury, Dowling (46.19)
Women's 4 x 400 Relay – Dansbury, Green, Dowling, Ealum (3:44.57)
Women's Pole Vault – Jessie Glynn (13-3.5)
Women's Shot Put – Naomi Mojica (50-0)
Women's Hammer – Dasiana Larson (198-2)
Women's Javelin – Brenna Smith (159-3)
Women's Heptathlon – Kylie Polsgrove (4,932)
Punching Tickets to Tampa
The 2018 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet will be contested at USF Track & Field Stadium, May 24-26 in Tampa, Fla. The East Region's top 48 performers in each event (other than the heptathlon and decathlon) will compete at the meet, looking to qualify for the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Based upon what it took to qualify for last year's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet, the following Flames and Lady Flames have posted 2018 marks which could send them to Tampa in May.
Jovaine Atkinson – Men's 110 Hurdles (13.77)
Paige Demetriades – Women's Javelin (156-4)
Jessie Glynn – Women's Pole Vault (13-3.5)
Darrel Jones – Men's Triple Jump (51-1)
Dasiana Larson – Women's Hammer (198-2)
Naomi Mojica – Women's Shot Put (50-0)
Noel Palmer – Women's 10K (34:47.26)
Denzel Pratt – Men's Javelin (216-4)
Branson Rolle – Men's 400 Hurdles (52.50)
Colin Schultz – Men's 1,500 (3:44.78)
Brenna Smith – Women's Javelin (159-3)
Carson Waters – Men's Pole Vault (16-10.75)
En Route to Eugene
The only events which are not contested at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet are the decathlon and heptathlon. The nation's top 24 performers in each of the multi events advance straight to the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, set for June 6-9 in Eugene, Ore.
It appears that sophomore Markus Ballengee will compete in the decathlon in Eugene, thanks to his score of 7,537 at the Texas Relays. He currently ranks No. 4 nationally and is well ahead of last season's cutoff for national qualification, 7,471 points.
If Ballengee makes it to Eugene, he would be the Flames' 10th decathlete to compete at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships but the first since Daniel Newell in 2009.
Up Next
Liberty will travel across town to Randolph College for the WildCat Invitational. The men's and women's hammer will be contested at Lynchburg College on April 13. All other events will take place at WildCat Stadium on April 14.
