Liberty University
Virginia Challenge
Sauder, Men’s 4 x 100 Squad Star on Saturday
4/23/2022 6:05:53 PM | Track and Field
Liberty’s Kennedy Sauder matched the program men’s high jump record of 7-1 in his outdoor debut, while the men’s 4 x 100 relay quartet of Brandon Letts, Diamantae Griffin, Christian Lyon and Donald McClinton set the Liberty and ASUN records (39.39) for the third time this season on Saturday, the final day of the Virginia Challenge at Lannigan Field.
Sauder capped off a fabulous freshman season by earning second team All-America honors at the 2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, March 12 in Birmingham, Ala. However, he sustained an injury in the process and Saturday marked his first competition in six weeks.
Sauder displayed no signs of rust, winning the invitational section of the men’s high jump with a second-attempt clearance at 7-1. That matched the program record originally set by Matt Parker at the 2009 IC4A Championship and equaled by Kyle Wheeler at the 2012 Big South Championship. Sauder’s clearance also tied Wheeler’s Liberty freshman standard.
Sauder is now tied for No. 17 nationally this season, including first among freshmen. He has also qualified for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
Prior to this season, Liberty’s men’s 4 x 100 relay record had stood at 39.86 for 26 years. The talented quartet of Letts, Griffin, Lyon and McClinton have now lowered it to 39.65, 39.44 and now 39.39.
The Flames placed a close second to Princeton (39.36) in Saturday’s men’s 4 x 100 relay final, as both teams dipped under Penn State’s meet record of 39.49 from 2017.
Liberty’s indoor men’s 800 record holder at 1:49.19, Ally Kipchirchir nearly snagged the outdoor standard on Saturday. He clocked a lifetime-best 1:48.92 for sixth place in the invitational men’s 800, ranking second behind only Bradley Prentice’s 1:48.70 from 2018 on the Flames’ all-time list. As a result, Kipchirchir will be heading back to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
Freshman Isaiah Schulties also ran the fastest 800 of his career on Saturday. His 1:51.00 effort ranks No. 10 in program history.
A trio of Flames finished inside the top seven of the men’s shot put standings, including Kevin Nedrick (fourth, season-best 60-2.5), Warren Barrett (fifth, season-best 59-5.5) and Kyle Mitchell (seventh, 58-10.75). All three should now be bound for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
Competing for the first time in over a year, Juan Pablo Germain Ronco was one of three Flames to break 15 seconds in the men’s 110 hurdles. Felix Lawrence placed eighth in 14.35, followed by Germain Ronco in 22nd (14.84) and Luke Anderson in 24th (14.91).
Naomi Mojica was the Lady Flames’ top performer on the day, heaving the shot put 49-5.75 for seventh place.
Men’s Event Winners
Kennedy Sauder – Invitational High Jump – 7-1
Other Men’s Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Brandon Letts, Diamantae Griffin, Christian Lyon, Donald McClinton – 4 x 100 Relay – 39.39
Men’s Record Breakers
Liberty and ASUN Conference Record – 4 x 100 Relay – Letts, Griffin, Lyon, McClinton – 39.39
Previous Records: 39.44 by the same quartet at the VertKlasse Meeting on April 2
Liberty Record – High Jump – Kennedy Sauder – 7-1
Shared Record: 7-1 by Matt Parker at the IC4A Championship in Princeton, N.J. on May 17, 2009 and Kyle Wheeler at the Big South Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on April 20, 2012
Liberty Freshman Record – High Jump – Kennedy Sauder – 7-1
Shared Record: 7-1 by Kyle Wheeler at the Big South Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on April 20, 2012
New Men’s NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Warren Barrett – Shot Put – 59-5.5
Ally Kipchirchir – 800 – 1:48.92
Kennedy Sauder – High Jump – 7-1
Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Men’s Top 10 List
4 x 100 Relay – No. 1 – Letts, Griffin, Lyon, McClinton – 39.39
High Jump – Tie for No. 1 – Kennedy Sauder – 7-1
800 – No. 2 – Ally Kipchirchir – 1:48.92
Shot Put – No. 6 – Kevin Nedrick – 60-2.5
800 – No. 10 – Isaiah Schulties – 1:51.00
Up Next
Next weekend, Liberty will preview the venue for the ASUN Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The UNF Invitational is slated for Friday and Saturday at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
