Liberty University
Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational
Kipchirchir, Mojica Set Records on Saturday
2/13/2021 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Liberty broke two records on Saturday, the final day of the seventh annual Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational, at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. Ally Kipchirchir's 1:50.52 effort took down a school record that had stood for 29 years, while Naomi Mojica broke her own ASUN all-time women's shot put standard with a 51-0.25 mark.
Meanwhile, Kyle Mitchell (men's shot put – 59-0) was the home team's lone event champion on Saturday at the meet named for former Flame Darius Dixon. Dixon was tragically killed in a car accident at the age of 18 on Dec. 7, 2013, two days after his first and only collegiate track & field meet.
Prior to Saturday, the Liberty Indoor Track Complex men's 800 record had stood at 1:50.85 since the inaugural meet contested at the facility on Jan. 14, 2017. Kipchirchir was one of nine men to run faster than that time, clocking 1:50.52 for eighth place.
The Liberty men's 800 record had stood for much longer than that, dating back to Feb. 22, 1992, when Johnny Prettyman ran a hand-timed 1:50.7 at Virginia Tech. Kipchirchir, who had never broken 1:52 in an 800 previously, climbs to No. 3 all-time in the ASUN Conference.
Kipchirchir later completed an impressive day with a 48.73 split on the third leg of the Flames' 4 x 400 relay quartet. Joined by Christian Lyon, Michael Rose and Noah Tindale, Kipchirchir helped Liberty place third in 3:16.47.
Mojica's previous ASUN shot put standard of 50-4 was achieved both at the 2020 ASUN Championship and at last week's Brant Tolsma Invitational. During Saturday's third-place finish, the senior bettered that mark with both her round five (50-6.75) and round six (51-0.25) efforts.
Freshman Megan Mann, who placed seventh in the event, moved into a tie for 10th place on Liberty's women's shot put chart with her 44-1.5 performance.
In the men's shot put, Mitchell made it back-to-back Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational titles with his 59-0 put which won the event by more than four and a half feet.
Anna Hostetler was not able to defend her Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational women's 3K championship despite running 16 seconds faster than her meet-record time from 2020. She had to settle for second place on Saturday, but her personal-best time of 9:33.61 just missed the Liberty record of 9:32.67 set by Ednah Kurgat in 2016. It also ranks No. 3 all-time in the ASUN, just off the all-time conference standard (9:31.16).
Teammate Priscillah Kiplagat followed in sixth place with a time of 9:40.52 that lopped 10 seconds off her previous best and ranks No. 4 on the Lady Flame's all-time top 10 list.
Taylen Langin made the final edit to Liberty's top 10 lists on Saturday while tying for sixth place in the women's pole vault invitational section. Her indoor personal-best 12-11.75 clearance puts her in sole possession of third place in program history and into a tie for second on the ASUN all-time list.
In addition to Mitchell, four other Flames were the top collegiate finisher in their respective events on Saturday. These included Makenzy Mizera (women's triple jump, second place, 41-10.5), Quinten Clay (men's high jump, second place, 6-10.75), Juan Pablo Germain Ronco (men's 60 hurdles, third place, season-best 8.06) and Lyon (men's 200, third place, season-best 21.29).
The deepest distance meet in Liberty Indoor Track Complex facility history included the venue's first-ever sub-1:50 men's 800 (1:48.07 by Alex Amankwah of District Track Club), first-ever sub-8:00 men's 3K (7:59.55 by Ryan Renken) and first-ever sub-9:30 women's 3K (9:26.25 by North Carolina's Paige Hofstad) on Saturday.
Men's Event Winners (1)
Kyle Mitchell – Shot Put – 59-0
Women's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Anna Hostetler – 3K – 9:33.61
2nd – Makenzy Mizera – Triple Jump – 41-10.5 (1st collegiate)
3rd – Naomi Mojica – Shot Put – 51-0.25
3rd – Anna Worth – High Jump – 5-5
3rd – Pantlitz, Hoyte, Coleman, Santos – 4 x 400 – 3:56.34
Other Men's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Quinten Clay – High Jump – 6-10.75 (1st collegiate)
3rd – Juan Pablo Germain Ronco – 60 Hurdles – 8.06 (1st collegiate)
3rd – Christian Lyon – 200 – 21.29 (1st collegiate)
3rd – Jeremiah McCants – Triple Jump – 46-7.5
3rd – Jacob Strickler – Shot Put – 50-2.5
3rd – Lyon, Rose, Kipchirchir, Tindale – 4 x 400 – 3:16.47
Women's Record Breakers
ASUN Record – Shot Put – Naomi Mojica – 51-0.25
Previous Record: 50-4 by Mojica at the 2020 ASUN Indoor Track & Field Championships and the 2021 Brant Tolsma Invitational
Men's Record Breakers
School Record – 800 – Ally Kipchirchir – 1:50.52
Previous Record: 1:50.7 by Johnny Prettyman at Virginia Tech on Feb. 22, 1992
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
3K – No. 2 – Anna Hostetler – 9:33.61
Pole Vault – No. 3 – Taylen Langin – 12-11.75
3K – No. 4 – Priscillah Kiplagat – 9:40.52
Shot Put – Tie for No. 10 – Megan Mann – 44-1.5
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
800 – No. 1 – Ally Kipchirchir – 1:50.52
Up Next
For the fourth consecutive year, the ASUN Indoor Track & Field Championships will take place at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. The Liberty men's and women's squads will aim to defend their team titles at the two-day meet, slated for Feb. 26-27.
