8 Flames Distance Runners to Race in California
3/31/2021 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Meet Information
Live Video (@soundrunning Instagram Live)
Live Results
Irvine Weather
Eight of Liberty's top distance runners will fly to Irvine, Calif., for Friday's Sound Running College Invite. The Flames and Lady Flames will chase NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round qualifying times while facing talented fields of collegiate and post-collegiate competitors.
Ryan Drew and Ally Kipchirchir will get Liberty's evening started with the men's 1,500 at 10 p.m. Eastern.
The Flames' other events include the women's 5K (Adelyn Ackley, Grace Dwyer, Anna Hostetler, Marie Hostetler and Noel Palmer) at 10:10, the men's 5K (Felix Kandie) at 10:35 and the women's 10K (Coach Rachel Johnson) at 11.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Friday's races will be streamed on Instagram Live by Sound Running (@soundrunning).
Live results will be available throughout the meet, courtesy of Finished Results.
Weather Report
Friday's forecast in Irvine calls for sunny weather and a high of 72. By the time the races get started, the temperature should be in the lower 60s.
Chasing Fast Times in California
Liberty distance runners have enjoyed past success when racing in California. The current program records for the men's 5K (13:20.43 by Josh McDougal at the 2007 Mt. SAC Relays), men's 10K (27:08.39 by Sam Chelanga at the 2010 Stanford Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational) and women's 5K (15:48.63 by Ednah Kurgat at the 2016 Mt. SAC Relays) were all set in the Golden State.
Friday will mark the first time since Kurgat's appearance at the 2016 Mt. SAC Relays that Liberty distance runners have competed in California.
Event-by-Event Preview
10 p.m. Eastern – Men's 1,500 (Ryan Drew and Ally Kipchirchir) – Drew and Kipchirchir will each compete at the 1,500-meter distance for the first time as Flames. Drew, who won the 2019 ASUN men's mile title before placing third this year, owns a 4:08.21 personal best in the mile. Kipchirchir will be stepping up in distance after clocking an indoor program-record 1:50.40 in the 800 last month. It is expected to take a time of 3:45 or faster to qualify for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet this season. ASUN runners are off to a strong start in the "metric mile" this spring, with Lipscomb's Shane Streich clocking 3:42.41 and North Florida's Timothy Doyle running 3:45.14.
10:10 p.m. Eastern – Women's 5K (Adelyn Ackley, Grace Dwyer, Anna Hostetler, Marie Hostetler and Noel Palmer) – All five Lady Flames will be making their 2021 outdoor track season debut after helping the women's cross country team record its best season in program history. Palmer is the only one of the five who has ever competed in an outdoor meet for Liberty. She owns the program freshman record of 16:28.13 from the 2018 season and is also the Lady Flames' 10K record holder at 33:56.67. Ackley was the ASUN indoor 5K champion in 16:25.24 last month. It is expected to take something in the range of 16:15 to qualify for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet. Liberty's all-time top 10 list figures to change considerably on Friday, as only five Lady Flames have ever broken 17:00 outdoors. They include Ednah Kurgat (15:48.63 in 2016), Palmer (16:28.13 in 2018), Ashley Osborne (16:31.00 in 2010), Jacy Christiansen (16:45.99 in 2014) and Carol Jefferson (16:50.86 in 2007). The ASUN all-time record (16:13.71 by Belmont's Christy Csorna in 2004) could also be in play.
10:35 p.m. Eastern – Men's 5K (Felix Kandie) – The reigning ASUN indoor men's 5K champion, Kandie will be racing his first outdoor 5K in almost exactly two years. He clocked an outdoor personal-best 14:36.14 at the 2019 Raleigh Relays. His indoor personal best is 14:17.55. It will likely take a time of 14:05 or faster to qualify for this year's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet. Only three Flames have ever broken 14:00 outdoors, and all three (Josh McDougal, Sam Chelanga and Caleb Edmonds) posted their best times in California.
11 p.m. Eastern – Women's 10K (Coach Rachel Johnson) – Johnson is chasing the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying standard of 32:25. The All-American during her time at Baylor posted impressive times of 9:10.78 (3K) and 16:04.99 (5K) during the indoor season. Her personal best in the 10K is 32:32.84 from 2018.
Atop the ASUN
During the early stages of the 2021 outdoor track & field season, Liberty ranks No. 1 in the ASUN Conference in the following events:
Women's 4 x 100 Relay – 46.13
Women's Pole Vault – Taylen Langin – 12-5.5
Women's Shot Put – Naomi Mojica – 50-8
Women's Discus – Chelsea Igberaese – 167-11
Women's Hammer – Chelsea Igberaese – 193-8
Women's Javelin – Mackenzie Hainley – 154-5
Men's 100 – Diamantae Griffin – 10.19
Men's 200 – Diamantae Griffin – 20.88
Men's 400 Hurdles – Felix Lawrence – 52.82
Men's 4 x 100 Relay – 40.90
Men's Hammer – John Hicks – 200-2
Men's Javelin – Samuel Arter – 216-6
Punching Preliminary Round Tickets
The 2021 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet will be contested May 27-29 in Jacksonville, Fla. The East Region's top 32 performers in each event will compete at the meet, with the 12 best finishers advancing to the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Based upon past historical data, here are Liberty's potential NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round qualifiers at this point of the season.
Likely Qualifiers – Jose Ballivian (Men's Shot Put – 61-3), Warren Barrett (Men's Shot Put – 60-6.5) and Kyle Mitchell (Men's Shot Put – 61-11.5)
On the Bubble – Samuel Arter (Men's Javelin – 216-6), Diamantae Griffin (Men's 200 – 20.88), John Hicks (Men's Hammer – 200-2) and Chelsea Igberaese (Women's Discus – 167-11)
Up Next
At this point in time, Bradley Prentice is the only Flame scheduled to compete next weekend. He will race at the Tobacco Road Challenge, April 9 & 10 at Morris Williams Stadium in Durham, N.C.
