Liberty University
Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational
Hicks Headlines Liberty's 6 Friday Event Victors
3/19/2021 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Liberty won six events on the opening day of the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational, Friday at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium. Throwers accounted for three of the victories, headlined by John Hicks' Liberty freshman-record mark of 199-10 in the men's hammer.
Mackenzie Hainley (women's javelin – 139-4), Chelsea Igberaese (women's hammer – 181-2), Taylen Langin (women's pole vault – 12-5.5), Makenzy Mizera (women's long jump – 18-0.5) and the men's 4 x 200 relay quartet of Diamantae Griffin, Elijah Pierson, Michael Rose and Zach Wendt (1:29.86) also posted first-place finishes for the Flames.
Hicks won in record-setting fashion for the second week in a row to begin his first collegiate outdoor season. Friday's mark of 199-10 added seven inches to his own Liberty freshman men's hammer record and ranks No. 6 nationally this season.
Teammates Lane Hluch (176-2) and Stuart Folkerts (personal-best 168-5) followed in third and fourth place, respectively, in the men's hammer.
Igberaese made it a Liberty sweep of Friday's hammer events, unleashing her winning throw (181-2) on her very first attempt since capturing the 2019 ASUN title in the event. Grace Artis added a third-place finish at 170-9, falling just six inches shy of her lifetime best.
Like Hicks, Hainley recorded her second straight victory to begin the 2021 outdoor season. The defending ASUN women's javelin champion stretched the tape to 139-4 in round five to overtake Wofford's Jenna Reid for the win.
In the men's javelin, Samuel Arter fared well in his first meet since 2018, placing second in a mark of 210-11 which currently ranks No. 10 nationally. He missed the entire 2019 campaign due to injury prior to seeing the 2020 season nixed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As was the case in the men's hammer, Liberty claimed three of the top four places in the men's javelin. Branson Rolle (third place, 173-8) and Jacob Strickler (fourth place, 172-10) joined Arter with lofty finishes.
On a cool, windy day, the women's long jump and pole vault were two events majorly impacted by the weather conditions. Mizera long jumped 18-0.5 into a headwind during a competition where only three of 20 athletes sailed past 17 feet. Meanwhile Langin made it over 12-5.5 to prevail in a women's pole vault competition where six of 14 entrants no-heighted.
The Flames' lone victory on the track came courtesy of the men's 4 x 200 grouping of Griffin, Pierson, Rose and Wendt. Their time of 1:29.86 defeated runner-up Wofford (1:30.74) by nearly a second.
Liberty qualified three athletes to Saturday's finals in the men's 110 hurdles and women's 100. Leading the way was Juan Pablo Germain Ronco. His 110 hurdles time of 14.50 was the second fastest among the three qualifying heats and ranks No. 10 all-time at Liberty.
Women's Event Winners (4)
Mackenzie Hainley – Javelin – 139-4
Chelsea Igberaese – Hammer – 181-2
Taylen Langin – Pole Vault – 12-5.5
Makenzy Mizera – Long Jump – 18-0.5
Men's Event Winners (2)
John Hicks – Hammer – 199-10
Diamantae Griffin, Elijah Pierson, Michael Rose, Zach Wendt – 4 x 200 Relay – 1:29.86
Other Women's Top 3 Finishers
3rd – Naomi Armstrong – Pole Vault – 10-11.75
3rd – Grace Artis – Hammer – 170-9
3rd – Kali Grayson – Javelin – 125-6
3rd – Janai Scott, Ty'Asia Dansbury, Dawn Hilton, Joelle Patton – 4 x 200 Relay – 1:46.78
Other Men's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Samuel Arter – Javelin – 210-11
3rd – Lane Hluch – Hammer – 176-2
3rd – Branson Rolle – Javelin – 173-8
Men's Record Breakers
Freshman Record – Hammer – John Hicks – 199-10
Old Record: 199-3 by Hicks at last week's Lynchburg Hornet Open
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
Hammer – No. 2 – John Hicks – 199-10
110 Hurdles – No. 10 – Juan Pablo Germain Ronco – 14.50
Up Next
The Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational will wrap up with a full day of action on Saturday. The men's discus will get things started at 10 a.m., with the women's 3K serving as the first running event at 10:15.
