Liberty University
Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational
Johnson, Kipchirchir, Langin Break Records on Darius Dixon Day 1
2/11/2022 11:43:08 PM | Track and Field
Liberty’s Ayanna Johnson, Ally Kipchirchir and Taylen Langin each broke records on Friday, the opening day of the eighth annual Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
Johnson’s winning long jump mark of 19-10.25 took down the Liberty and meet records, Kipchirchir’s 1:49.19 clocking shattered his own Liberty standard and Langin’s 13-5.25 pole vault clearance established a new ASUN Conference all-time record.
The defending ASUN women’s long jump champion, Johnson entered Friday’s competition as the co-program record holder with teammate Makenzy Mizera at 19-4.75. She grabbed the record by herself with her third-round leap of 19-10.25, winning the event by 6.25 inches. Johnson also bettered the meet record of 19-7 set a year ago by unattached competitor Cambree Harbaugh.
Kipchirchir improved the Liberty men’s 800 record for the third time in his career with a time of 1:49.19 that was just edged out for the event victory by North Carolina’s Kyle Reinheimer (1:49.18). Kipchirchir slashed more than a second off of his most recent program record (1:50.40 from the 2021 ASUN Championship) while moving to No. 2 in ASUN Conference history.
Langin came in third overall (first collegiate) in the women’s pole vault with a lifetime-best 13-5.25 clearance that broke the ASUN all-time mark of 13-1.5 set by former teammate Rachel Milnes a year ago. The only Liberty women’s pole vaulter ever to go higher than Langin did on Friday, indoors or outdoors, is All-American and Liberty Athletics Hall of Famer Andrea Wildrick.
Kipchirchir was one of four second-place finishers for the Flames on Friday. Adelyn Ackley was the women’s 3K runner-up (9:27.11), Grace Artis took second in the women’s weight throw (personal-best 62-11.5) and Jeremy Davis finished as the men’s long jump runner-up (24-1.5).
Artis boosted her personal best from 58-9.25 to 62-11.5 in an event which also saw significant personal bests by Megan Mann (53-9.75 to 55-10.25) and Annika Hantho (52-4 to 55-3.75).
Competing in one of the day’s deepest events, Felix Kandie placed 10th in the men’s 3K with a personal-best 8:03.38 effort. That ranks No. 3 in program history behind only national champions Sam Chelanga and Josh McDougal and moves Kandie up to No. 2 all-time in the ASUN.
Three true freshmen left their mark on the program all-time top 10 lists on Friday. Pole vaulters Emory Pafford (season-best 12-7.5) and Mia Bowers (personal-best 12-5.5) now rank sixth and tied for seventh, respectively. Men’s 800 runner Isaiah Schulties (1:52.46) joined Liberty’s all-time top 10 at No. 9.
Liberty seems poised for big things from Saturday’s men’s 60 dash final after Brandon Letts (6.80), Diamantae Griffin (6.81) and Christian Lyon (6.82) posted the three fastest times during Friday’s semifinal round.
Women’s Event Winners
Ayanna Johnson – Long Jump – 19-10.25
Other Women’s Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Adelyn Ackley – 3K – 9:27.11
2nd – Grace Artis – Weight Throw – 62-11.5
3rd – Taylen Langin – Pole Vault – 13-5.25 (1st collegiate)
Men’s Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Jeremy Davis – Long Jump – 24-1.5
2nd – Ally Kipchirchir – 800 – 1:49.19
Women’s Record Breakers
ASUN Conference Record – Pole Vault – Taylen Langin – 13-5.25
Previous Record: 13-1.5 by Liberty’s Rachel Milnes at the 2021 Liberty Elite Invitational
Liberty Record – Long Jump – Ayanna Johnson – 19-10.25
Previous Record: 19-4.75 by Johnson at the 2021 ASUN Championship and Makenzy Mizera at the 2020 Liberty Flames Invite
Meet Record – Long Jump – Ayanna Johnson – 19-10.25
Previous Record: 19-7 by Cambree Harbaugh in 2021
Men’s Record Breakers
Liberty Record – 800 – Ally Kipchirchir – 1:49.19
Previous Record: 1:50.40 by Kipchirchir at the 2021 ASUN Championship
Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Women’s Top 10 List
Long Jump – No. 1 – Ayanna Johnson – 19-10.25
Pole Vault – No. 2 – Taylen Langin – 13-5.25
Weight Throw – No. 5 – Grace Artis – 62-11.5
Pole Vault – No. 6 – Emory Pafford – 12-7.5
Pole Vault – Tie for No. 7 – Mia Bowers – 12-5.5
Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Men’s Top 10 List
800 – No. 1 – Ally Kipchirchir – 1:49.19
3K – No. 3 – Felix Kandie – 8:03.38
800 – No. 9 – Isaiah Schulties – 1:52.46
Up Next
The Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational will conclude on Saturday with a busy day of activity. The day’s first events (women’s high jump, women’s shot put, women’s triple jump) will get started at 10:30 a.m. The Brant Tolsma Indoor Track will be officially dedicated with a ceremony at Noon.
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