Liberty University
ASUN Outdoor Track Championships
Liberty Sweeps ASUN Men's, Women's Outdoor Track Team Titles
5/15/2021 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
For the second time in as many appearances at the ASUN Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Liberty swept the men's and women's team titles. The Flames prevailed in dominating fashion, winning nearly half (20 of 42) of the total events at the two-day meet, which wrapped up Saturday at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium.
After being edged by Kennesaw State by five points for the ASUN women's indoor team title in February, the Lady Flames exacted a measure of revenge this weekend. Liberty defeated the Owls by 45 points (227.5 to 182.5) to successfully defend its crown from 2019 and capture its sixth consecutive outdoor conference title overall.
Meanwhile, the Liberty men's squad posted an 83-point (266-183) victory over runner-up Kennesaw State to extend some impressive streaks. The Flames have now won all five ASUN men's track & field titles they have competed for, including the indoor and outdoor seasons. Overall, Liberty has captured 14 straight men's outdoor conference titles and has been victorious at each of its last 29 men's indoor and outdoor conference championship appearances. That streak began at the 2007 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Lance Bingham, who served as an assistant on Brant Tolsma's staff for many of those previous titles, continued a stellar first season as the Flames' Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. On Saturday, Bingham was voted ASUN Men's and Women's Coach of the Year. Four of the six teams he oversees (also women's cross country and men's indoor track & field) have won ASUN titles during 2021, with the other two finishing second.
First-year Flame Diamantae Griffin took home the ASUN Most Valuable Male Performer award after pacing all men's athletes with 21.5 total points. He won both the 100 (10.28) and 200 (20.63) in record-breaking fashion on Saturday. Both times established new meet records, while the sterling 200 clocking also took down the ASUN all-time and Liberty program standards. The previous Liberty 200 record of 20.64 had belonged to Jacob Swinton since 1994.
Chelsea Igberaese shared Co-ASUN Most Valuable Female Performer honors with Kennesaw State's Jessica Watkins, after each totaled 26 points. Igberaese prevailed in the women's discus (169-2) on Saturday, adding to Friday's victory in the women's hammer (195-4) and third-place finish in the women's shot put (51-5.75).
Igberaese helped Coach Clendon Henderson's athletes win all eight throwing events over the two-day meet. Saturday's other victories in the throws came from Mackenzie Hainley (women's javelin – 147-9), Samuel Arter (men's javelin – meet-record 213-7) and Jose Ballivian (men's discus – season-best 175-6).
Freshmen won five events for the Flames on Saturday, including a sweep of the women's 100 (11.63) and 200 (23.85) by Abby Pantlitz. The 100 time set a Liberty freshman record for Pantlitz, who had previously swept the ASUN women's 60 and 200 championships indoors.
Quinten Clay (personal-best 6-11.75) won the men's high jump after taking Friday's men's long jump competition. Fellow freshman Adelyn Ackley won a tactical women's 5K in 17:05.20 in a very similar fashion as her ASUN indoor 5K crown, namely outsprinting Kennesaw State's Lindsay Billings during the final straightaway.
Felix Lawrence was Liberty's final freshman champion on the day, also coming from behind during the closing stages of his men's 400 hurdles race to win in 52.31.
Ryan Drew claimed the Flames' 20th and final event championship of the weekend with a meet-record time of 14:17.67 in the men's 5K. Drew's three races in May have now seen him set an ASUN all-time record (13:53.30 5K on May 1), a program record (3:43.05 1,500 on May 5) and an ASUN meet record (14:17.67 5K on May 15).
Makenzy Mizera posted the most impressive performance among Liberty's non-event winners on the day. Her outdoor personal-best 42-6 triple jump in round six placed second in the event and broke the program record. Mia Aghaji's mark of 42-1.25 had lasted since the 2012 ECAC Championship.
Final Women's Team Scores
1) Liberty – 227.5
2) Kennesaw State – 182.5
3) Jacksonville – 122.5
4) Lipscomb – 54
5) North Florida – 37.5
6) Bellarmine – 23
Final Men's Team Scores
1) Liberty – 266
2) Kennesaw State – 183
3) Lipscomb – 110
4) North Florida – 67
5) Bellarmine – 14
Co-Most Valuable Female Performer
Chelsea Igberaese, Liberty
Jessica Watkins, Kennesaw State
Most Valuable Male Performer
Diamantae Griffin, Liberty
Women's Coach of the Year
Lance Bingham, Liberty
Men's Coach of the Year
Lance Bingham, Liberty
Women's ASUN Champions (Day 2)
Adelyn Ackley – 5K – 17:05.20
Mackenzie Hainley – Javelin – 147-9
Chelsea Igberaese – Discus – 169-2
Abby Pantlitz – 100 – 11.63
Abby Pantlitz – 200 – 23.85
Men's ASUN Champions (Day 2)
Samuel Arter – Javelin – 213-7
Jose Ballivian – Discus – 175-6
Quinten Clay – High Jump – 6-11.75
Ryan Drew – 5K – 14:17.67
Diamantae Griffin – 100 – 10.28
Diamantae Griffin – 200 – 20.63
Felix Lawrence – 400 Hurdles – 52.31
Other Women's Top 3 Finishers (Day 2)
2nd – Nimeesha Coleman – 400 Hurdles – 1:02.35
2nd – Makenzy Mizera – Triple Jump – 42-6
2nd – Pantlitz, Scott, Dansbury, Johnson – 4 x 100 Relay – 45.86
3rd – Calli Doan – 1,500 – 4:20.54
3rd – Meredith Engle – Heptathlon – 4,928
3rd – Nanah Fung Loy – Javelin – 130-9
Other Men's Top 3 Finishers (Day 2)
2nd – Jovaine Atkinson – 110 Hurdles – 14.27
2nd – Christian Lyon – 100 – 10.44
2nd – Christian Lyon – 200 – 20.85
2nd – Kyle Mitchell – Discus – 164-8
3rd – Felix Lawrence – 110 Hurdles – 14.45
3rd – Branson Rolle – Javelin – 188-11
3rd – Zach Wendt – Decathlon – 6,360
3rd – Rolle, Griffin, Rose, Lyon – 4 x 100 Relay – 41.17
Women's Record Breakers (Day 2)
Meet Record – Heptathlon Javelin – Meredith Engle – 128-3
Previous Record: 128-0 by Kennesaw State's Jordan Gray in 2017
Liberty Record – Triple Jump – Makenzy Mizera – 42-6
Previous Record: 42-1.25 by Mia Aghaji at the 2012 ECAC Championship
Liberty Freshman Record – 100 – Abby Pantlitz – 11.63
Previous Record: 11.72 by Ty'Asia Dansbury at the 2018 Big South Championship and Pantlitz on Friday
Men's Record Breakers (Day 2)
ASUN All-Time and Meet Record – 200 – Diamantae Griffin – 20.63
Previous Records: 20.68 by Lipscomb's Tucker Peabody in 2013
Meet Record – 100 – Diamantae Griffin – 10.28
Previous Record: 10.29 by ETSU's Ifrish Alberg in 2013
Meet Record – 5K – Ryan Drew – 14:17.67
Previous Record: 14:30.14 by Liberty's Azaria Kirwa in 2019
Meet Record – Javelin – Samuel Arter – 213-7
Previous Record: 210-10 by Gardner-Webb's Jerel Langley in 2008
Liberty Record – 200 – Diamantae Griffin – 20.63
Previous Record: 20.64 by Jacob Swinton on June 18, 1994 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Liberty Freshman Record – 1,500 – Kyle Harkabus – 3:49.58
Previous Record: 3:50.72 by Jordan McDougal at the 2006 Big South Championship
Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers (Day 2)
Jose Ballivian – Discus – 175-6
Christian Lyon – 200 – 20.85
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List (Day 2)
Triple Jump – No. 1 – Makenzy Mizera – 42-6
100 – No. 2 – Abby Pantlitz – 11.63
1,500 – No. 2 – Calli Doan – 4:20.54
200 – No. 3 – Abby Pantlitz – 23.85
Heptathlon Javelin – No. 4 – Meredith Engle – 128-3
4 x 100 Relay – No. 6 – Pantlitz, Scott, Dansbury, Johnson – 45.86
Heptathlon – No. 8 – Meredith Engle – 4,928
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List (Day 2)
200 – No. 1 – Diamantae Griffin – 20.63
200 – Tie for No. 4 – Christian Lyon – 20.85
High Jump – No. 7 – Quinten Clay – 6-11.75
1,500 – No. 9 – Kyle Harkabus – 3:49.58
110 Hurdles – No. 10 – Felix Lawrence – 14.45
Triple Jump – No. 10 – Jeremiah McCants – 48-10.25
Up Next
Liberty will return to Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium in less than two weeks for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet. The four-day event, which will determine the qualifiers to the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, will span May 26-29.
The full field of NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round qualifiers will be announced Thursday on NCAA.com.
