Conference-High 10 Flames Voted to ASUN Outdoor Track All-Academic Squads
5/28/2021 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
A conference-best 10 Liberty student-athletes have been voted to the 2021 ASUN Conference Outdoor Track & Field All-Academic Teams, it was announced on Friday. The Flames' honorees included six women's student-athletes (Brittany Carnathan, Calli Doan, Grace Dwyer, Mackenzie Hainley, Taylen Langin and Noel Palmer) and four men's student-athletes (Samuel Arter, Jovaine Atkinson, Stuart Folkerts and Lane Hluch).
Palmer and Doan headlined the Flames' award winners. Both of them made their third ASUN All-Academic Team of the semester, also including the women's cross country and indoor track & field squads. Palmer was Liberty's only repeat honoree from the 2019 ASUN Women's Outdoor Track & Field All-Academic Team. She has now been voted to five ASUN All-Academic Teams in her career (two outdoor track & field, two indoor track & field and one cross country).
Carnathan, a redshirt sophomore from Selinsgrove, Pa., is a biology major with a 4.0 GPA. She was the ASUN women's steeplechase runner-up in a personal-best time of 10:56.46 that ranks No. 3 in program history. Carnathan also won the steeplechase at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic during her final season as a Lady Flame.
Doan, a sophomore from Apex, N.C., is an exercise science major with a 4.0 GPA. She was the ASUN women's steeplechase champion and placed third in the 1,500 with a personal-best time of 4:20.54 that ranks No. 2 in program history and No. 4 in meet history. Doan set the Liberty steeplechase record in each of her first two attempts at the event, including her winning time of 10:10.23 at the Virginia Grand Prix. That effort earned ASUN Women's Track Athlete of the Week honors on May 6 and qualified her for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
Dwyer, a redshirt junior from Mercerville, N.J., owns a 4.0 GPA as she pursues a master's degree in strategic communications. The first-year Lady Flame placed sixth in the ASUN women's 5K final. Her personal-best 5K time of 16:44.55 from the Virginia Challenge ranks No. 5 in program history.
Hainley, a sophomore from Denver, Pa., owns a 4.0 GPA as a psychology major. She successfully defended her ASUN women's javelin title from 2019 with a throw of 147-9 that outdistanced her nearest competitor by more than 16 feet. Hainley heaved the javelin a personal-best 154-5 at the Texas Relays to qualify for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet for the first time. She was named ASUN Women's Field Athlete of the Week on March 17, following her first of four women's javelin first-place finishes on the season.
Langin, a sophomore from Meridian, Idaho, owns a 3.95 GPA as an exercise science major. She claimed the ASUN women's pole vault title with a 13-2.5 clearance that matched her personal best and ranks No. 2 in meet history. Langin competed in the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet for the second time.
Palmer, a junior from Forest, Va., owns a 4.0 GPA as a biology major. She clocked the ASUN's second-fastest 10K (34:48.51 at the Virginia Challenge) and sixth-fastest 5K (16:46.34 at the Sound Running College Invite) of the 2021 outdoor season.
Arter, a redshirt senior from Hamilton, Va., owns a 4.0 GPA as he pursues a master's degree in human performance. Returning to action this spring for the first time since 2018, Arter won the ASUN men's javelin title with a throw of 213-7 that set a new meet record. His season-best mark of 216-6 at the Texas Relays qualified him for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet for the third time.
Atkinson, a redshirt senior from Spanish Town, Jamaica, owns a 3.84 GPA as an aeronautics major. He finished as the ASUN men's 110 hurdles runner-up. Atkinson clocked a season-best 110 hurdles time of 13.92 at the Virginia Grand Prix, qualifying for his third NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
Folkerts, a redshirt freshman from Highlands Ranch, Colo., owns a 4.0 GPA as a psychology major. He came in fifth in the ASUN men's hammer final. Folkerts' personal-best hammer mark of 174-8 won the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic title.
Hluch, a redshirt senior from Atwater, Ohio, owns a 4.0 GPA as he works toward a master's degree in secondary education. In his only year of competition at Liberty, Hluch was the ASUN men's hammer third-place finisher. His personal-best 192-6 hammer effort at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier ranks No. 2 in the ASUN this season and No. 8 on Liberty's all-time list.
