Liberty University
Aggie Invitational
Clay, Women's Throwers Excel at Aggie Invitational
4/10/2021 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Women's throwers accounted for three of Liberty's four victories during Saturday's Aggie Invitational at Irwin Belk Track, paced by Naomi Mojica's record-breaking 53-0.75 shot put performance. Quinten Clay picked up the Flames' other win, thanks to a Liberty freshman-record 24-3.5 long jump.
Mojica saved her best for last, recording her 53-0.75 effort in round six. That added nine inches to her previous Liberty and ASUN Conference all-time shot put records (52-3.75), set at the 2019 FSU Relays in Tallahassee, Fla. The performance also qualified the junior to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet for the third time in her career.
Chelsea Igberaese, who placed third in the shot put with a big season-best mark of 49-3, will join Mojica at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet in Jacksonville next month, thanks to Saturday's 175-2 winning discus effort. Igberaese recorded the competition's only three throws to sail past 170 feet.
Behind Igberaese, Liberty freshmen Sofia Mojica (third place, 155-2), Megan Mann (fifth, 150-8) and Annika Hantho (eighth, 140-6) all recorded personal bests in the women's discus.
Lady Flames Kali Grayson (139-11) and Jamie Gray (120-10) each posted the best javelin throws of their respective careers, capturing a 1-2 finish in the event. Grayson joins Liberty's all-time top 10 list at No. 9 with Saturday's performance.
The only throwing event the Lady Flames did not win (hammer) was cut short along with the men's shot put due to an early evening thunderstorm which passed through Greensboro. At the time of the interruption, Sofia Mojica stood in second place in the women's hammer with a personal-best 151-11 heave.
The very first indoor long jump of Clay's collegiate career measured 23-7.5 and was good enough to win the 2021 ASUN title. The freshman's inaugural outdoor long jump came on Saturday and stretched the tape to 24-3.5. That was good enough to win the event and break Brad Smalley's Liberty freshman record of 23-11.75 from the 2017 Virginia Grand Prix. Clay's mark ranks No. 10 all-time for the Flames and is the best outdoor long jump mark by a Liberty athlete in 11 years.
Clay later went on to match his high jump personal best of 6-10.75 for third place in the event and a tie for eighth in program history.
Makenzy Mizera finished second in both of her events, thanks to a season-best 18-10.75 long jump and an outdoor personal-best 41-7 triple jump. Teammate Lizbeth Joseph followed in third place with a 40-6 triple jump that moves her into sixth place all-time for the Lady Flames.
Liberty posted top-three finishes in all three men's throwing events which were completed on Saturday. Jose Ballivian (171-6 discus) and Jacob Strickler (177-11 javelin) were runners-up in their respective events, while John Hicks took third in the hammer at 179-9.
Freshman Luke Anderson was the most impressive member of Liberty's limited track entries on the day. He placed seventh in the men's 110 hurdles final in 14.88 after clocking a personal-best time of 14.61 during the prelims. Anderson later led the Flames' 400 hurdles contingent with an 11th-place showing in 55.17.
Women's Event Winners (3)
Kali Grayson – Javelin – 139-11
Chelsea Igberaese – Discus – 175-2
Naomi Mojica – Shot Put – 53-0.75
Men's Event Winners (1)
Quinten Clay – Long Jump – 24-3.5
Other Women's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Jamie Gray – Javelin – 120-10
2nd – Makenzy Mizera – Long Jump – 18-10.75
2nd – Makenzy Mizera – Triple Jump – 41-7
2nd – Sofia Mojica – Hammer – 151-11
3rd – Chelsea Igberaese – Shot Put – 49-3
3rd – Lizbeth Joseph – Triple Jump – 40-6
3rd – Sofia Mojica – Discus – 155-2
Other Men's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Jose Ballivian – Discus – 171-6
2nd – Jacob Strickler – Javelin – 177-11
3rd – Quinten Clay – High Jump – 6-10.75
3rd – John Hicks – Hammer – 179-9
Women's Record BreakersLiberty and ASUN Conference Record – Shot Put – Naomi Mojica – 53-0.75
Previous Records: 52-3.75 by Mojica at the FSU Relays on March 22, 2019
Men's Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – Long Jump – Quinten Clay – 24-3.5
Previous Record: 23-11.75 by Brad Smalley at the Virginia Grand Prix on April 29, 2017
Women's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Chelsea Igberaese – Discus – 175-2
Naomi Mojica – Shot Put – 53-0.75
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
Shot Put – No. 1 – Naomi Mojica – 53-0.75
Triple Jump – No. 3 – Makenzy Mizera – 41-7
Triple Jump – No. 6 – Lizbeth Joseph – 40-6
Discus – No. 7 – Sofia Mojica – 155-2
Discus – No. 9 – Megan Mann – 150-8
Javelin – No. 9 – Kali Grayson – 139-11
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
High Jump – Tie for No. 8 – Quinten Clay – 6-10.75
Long Jump – No. 10 – Quinten Clay – 24-3.5
Triple Jump – No. 10 – Jeremiah McCants – 48-6.75
Up Next
Liberty will travel north on Route 29 twice this month for meets at Virginia's Lannigan Field in Charlottesville, Va. The Flames' first visit to Charlottesville will see them compete in the Virginia Challenge, April 16 and 17.
Liberty will also send a group of athletes across town for the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic. The one-day meet will take place April 17 at the University of Lynchburg's Dr. Jack M. Toms Track.
