Flames Ready for 1st CUSA XC Championships Appearance
10/26/2023 11:19:00 AM | Cross Country
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Men's and women's cross country will battle for Liberty's first-ever Conference USA team titles, Saturday morning. The 2023 Conference USA Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships will take place at Hobson Grove Park in Bowling Green, Ky.
The men's 8K is set to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern, followed by the women's 6K at 11 a.m. Eastern.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results, including in-race splits, will be provided by SnapTiming.
Weather Report
Saturday's weather is projected to be unseasonably warm in Kentucky, with a high temperature near 80 and a chance of morning rain showers.
Checking Out the Course
Liberty will make its first visit to Hobson Grove Park, located about two miles from Western Kentucky's campus.
Western Kentucky previously hosted the CUSA meet in both 2015 and 2019, but both of those races took place at a different venue (Spero Keriakes Park).
Hobson Grove Park served as the venue for the WKU Invitational on Sept. 15. The top five men's finishers all posted their fastest 8K times of the season to date. However, the 6K course ran more slowly for the women, with no one in the small field of 38 entrants breaking 23:00.
Men's Team Preview
Liberty has placed first or second at each of its last 20 conference cross country championships, beginning with the 2003 Big South meet. It has been a decade since the Flames last hoisted the conference championship trophy though (2013 Big South). Since then, Liberty has posted nine consecutive runner-up finishes (4 Big South, 5 ASUN).
The Flames are currently ranked No. 11 in the Southeast Region, joining Liberty's top two anticipated CUSA challengers (Middle Tennessee – No. 10 South and UTEP – No. 14 Mountain) in the most recent regional rankings.
UTEP (second place) and Middle Tennessee (third place) are the top two returning teams from the 2022 CUSA meet. Middle Tennessee has captured three of the last six CUSA titles (2017, 2019 and 2021), while UTEP won back-to-back crowns in 2015 and 2016 as the most recent of its conference-best six men's cross country championships all-time.
A first-year CUSA member has not hoisted the men's cross country team championship trophy since Cincinnati won the inaugural CUSA crown in 1995.
A deep Liberty squad has enjoyed a strong season to date, winning the Eye Opener and posting its best Paul Short Run finish (fourth place) in program history. Two different Flames (Tristian Merchant on Sept. 5 and Nicholas Kiprotich on Oct. 3) have been named CUSA Athlete of the Week, three Flames (Merchant, Kiprotich and Kyle Harkabus) have served as the team's No. 1 finisher in a race and 10 Flames have posted sub-25:00 8K times in 2023.
Men's Individual Preview
Liberty's Azaria Kirwa captured the ASUN men's cross country individual title during the Flames' first year in the conference (2018). Fellow Eldoret, Kenya native Nicholas Kiprotich, last year's ASUN third-place finisher, presents Liberty's best chance at producing a men's individual champion during its first CUSA appearance.
Kiprotich has finished inside the top five at both of his meets so far this fall, coming in third at the Eye Opener and fourth at the Paul Short Run.
Liberty also returns three other All-ASUN performers from 2022, including Jack Cottrell (13th place), Kyle Harkabus (14th place) and Caleb Olson (21st place). Olson will compete in his final conference cross country championship after collecting three All-ASUN honors.
Jacob Hess was the 2022 ASUN Men's Freshman of the Year, while first-year Flame Nathan Moore took third place at the 2022 Great Midwest meet for Walsh.
Five of the top 11 performers from the 2022 CUSA meet are back, including second-place Victor Kibiego (UTEP), fifth-place Titus Cheruiyot (UTEP), sixth-place Hillary Kimaiyo (Middle Tennessee), eighth-place Vincent Yegon (Middle Tennessee) and 11th-place Habtamu Geta (Middle Tennessee).
Kibiego is the pre-meet favorite on paper. He has notched two victories and two runner-up finishes in four starts this season following a third-place finish in the NCAA men's steeplechase national final in June.
Women's Team Preview
The Lady Flames look to carry momentum into Conference USA following a successful five-year run in the ASUN Conference. Liberty won back-to-back ASUN team titles in spring 2021 and fall 2021, while placing second during its other three appearances.
Liberty is ranked a season-best No. 9 in the Southeast Region entering conference weekend. The other two primary team title contenders (Middle Tennessee – No. 10 South and New Mexico State – No. 14 Mountain) are also regionally ranked.
Middle Tennessee (runner-up) is the top returning women's team from the 2022 CUSA meet, following its three consecutive conference titles between 2019-21. Meanwhile, first-year CUSA member New Mexico State came in third in the WAC a year ago.
The last first-year CUSA women's team to come away as conference champion was UTSA, which defeated Tulsa in a tiebreaker a decade ago (2013).
Liberty has been competitive with some high-level opponents this fall despite losing its top four finishers from the 2022 ASUN meet, headlined by All-American Calli Doan.
The Lady Flames have been buoyed by the return of Adelyn Fairley from a redshirt season in 2022. She became Liberty's first CUSA Women's Athlete of the Week on Sept. 26.
Meanwhile, the Lady Flames' No. 2 through 6 finishers at the rain-soaked XC23 Pre-Nationals on Oct. 14 all posted 6K personal bests. These included Catherine Farrell (21:23.4), Marie Hostetler (21:47.0), Jessica Palisca (21:59.1), Katrina Schlenker (22:01.3) and Jessie Zealand (22:19.4).
Fairley and Hostetler are the lone holdovers from the team that raced to Liberty's most recent women's cross country title (fall 2021 ASUN in Orlando).
Women's Individual Preview
Lady Flames have crossed the finish line first at each of their last four conference cross country championships. Adelyn Fairley opened her career with back-to-back ASUN titles in 2019 and spring 2021 before Calli Doan won consecutive crowns in fall 2021 and 2022.
Fairley, who also took third place at the fall 2021 ASUN meet, will try to join Jennifer Klugh (2010, 2011 and 2012 Big South) as the only Lady Flames ever to race to three individual conference cross country titles.
Fairley posted a career-best 16:59.3 5K time at the Virginia Invitational on Sept. 23 before racing to an impressive 16th-place finish at the Oct. 14 XC23 Pre-Nationals in a 6K clocking of 20:17.7.
Fairley, Liberty's 10K record holder on the track (33:49.00 from 2022), could benefit from the longer 6K distance of Saturday's course. All of the Lady Flames' previous conference cross country championships have been 5K races.
Marie Hostetler (eighth place in spring 2021) and Catherine Farrell (17th in 2022) are other Lady Flames who will race on Saturday with previous All-ASUN honors to their credit. Additionally, Katrina Schlenker was part of the 2022 ASUN All-Freshman Team.
First-year Lady Flame Katelyn Locker came in 13th in the spring 2021 MAAC Cross Country Championships, racing for Monmouth.
UTEP's Ruth Jerubet will attempt to defend her CUSA individual title from 2022. Middle Tennessee's Mercy Chepkurui (fifth in 2022) and Agnes Chepkurui (ninth in 2022) are also back.
However, Middle Tennessee has been paced this fall by the duo of Purity Sanga and Faith Nyathi, who both recorded top-10 finishes at Alabama's Crimson Classic two weeks ago. Nyathi was last year's NJCAA Division I national champion for El Paso Community College.
While Middle Tennessee has claimed four CUSA women's cross country team title trophies, either Sanga or Nyathi figures to contend for just the school's second CUSA individual crown (also Eusila Chepkemei in 2019).
The men's 8K is set to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern, followed by the women's 6K at 11 a.m. Eastern.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results, including in-race splits, will be provided by SnapTiming.
Weather Report
Saturday's weather is projected to be unseasonably warm in Kentucky, with a high temperature near 80 and a chance of morning rain showers.
Checking Out the Course
Liberty will make its first visit to Hobson Grove Park, located about two miles from Western Kentucky's campus.
Western Kentucky previously hosted the CUSA meet in both 2015 and 2019, but both of those races took place at a different venue (Spero Keriakes Park).
Hobson Grove Park served as the venue for the WKU Invitational on Sept. 15. The top five men's finishers all posted their fastest 8K times of the season to date. However, the 6K course ran more slowly for the women, with no one in the small field of 38 entrants breaking 23:00.
Men's Team Preview
Liberty has placed first or second at each of its last 20 conference cross country championships, beginning with the 2003 Big South meet. It has been a decade since the Flames last hoisted the conference championship trophy though (2013 Big South). Since then, Liberty has posted nine consecutive runner-up finishes (4 Big South, 5 ASUN).
The Flames are currently ranked No. 11 in the Southeast Region, joining Liberty's top two anticipated CUSA challengers (Middle Tennessee – No. 10 South and UTEP – No. 14 Mountain) in the most recent regional rankings.
UTEP (second place) and Middle Tennessee (third place) are the top two returning teams from the 2022 CUSA meet. Middle Tennessee has captured three of the last six CUSA titles (2017, 2019 and 2021), while UTEP won back-to-back crowns in 2015 and 2016 as the most recent of its conference-best six men's cross country championships all-time.
A first-year CUSA member has not hoisted the men's cross country team championship trophy since Cincinnati won the inaugural CUSA crown in 1995.
A deep Liberty squad has enjoyed a strong season to date, winning the Eye Opener and posting its best Paul Short Run finish (fourth place) in program history. Two different Flames (Tristian Merchant on Sept. 5 and Nicholas Kiprotich on Oct. 3) have been named CUSA Athlete of the Week, three Flames (Merchant, Kiprotich and Kyle Harkabus) have served as the team's No. 1 finisher in a race and 10 Flames have posted sub-25:00 8K times in 2023.
Men's Individual Preview
Liberty's Azaria Kirwa captured the ASUN men's cross country individual title during the Flames' first year in the conference (2018). Fellow Eldoret, Kenya native Nicholas Kiprotich, last year's ASUN third-place finisher, presents Liberty's best chance at producing a men's individual champion during its first CUSA appearance.
Kiprotich has finished inside the top five at both of his meets so far this fall, coming in third at the Eye Opener and fourth at the Paul Short Run.
Liberty also returns three other All-ASUN performers from 2022, including Jack Cottrell (13th place), Kyle Harkabus (14th place) and Caleb Olson (21st place). Olson will compete in his final conference cross country championship after collecting three All-ASUN honors.
Jacob Hess was the 2022 ASUN Men's Freshman of the Year, while first-year Flame Nathan Moore took third place at the 2022 Great Midwest meet for Walsh.
Five of the top 11 performers from the 2022 CUSA meet are back, including second-place Victor Kibiego (UTEP), fifth-place Titus Cheruiyot (UTEP), sixth-place Hillary Kimaiyo (Middle Tennessee), eighth-place Vincent Yegon (Middle Tennessee) and 11th-place Habtamu Geta (Middle Tennessee).
Kibiego is the pre-meet favorite on paper. He has notched two victories and two runner-up finishes in four starts this season following a third-place finish in the NCAA men's steeplechase national final in June.
Women's Team Preview
The Lady Flames look to carry momentum into Conference USA following a successful five-year run in the ASUN Conference. Liberty won back-to-back ASUN team titles in spring 2021 and fall 2021, while placing second during its other three appearances.
Liberty is ranked a season-best No. 9 in the Southeast Region entering conference weekend. The other two primary team title contenders (Middle Tennessee – No. 10 South and New Mexico State – No. 14 Mountain) are also regionally ranked.
Middle Tennessee (runner-up) is the top returning women's team from the 2022 CUSA meet, following its three consecutive conference titles between 2019-21. Meanwhile, first-year CUSA member New Mexico State came in third in the WAC a year ago.
The last first-year CUSA women's team to come away as conference champion was UTSA, which defeated Tulsa in a tiebreaker a decade ago (2013).
Liberty has been competitive with some high-level opponents this fall despite losing its top four finishers from the 2022 ASUN meet, headlined by All-American Calli Doan.
The Lady Flames have been buoyed by the return of Adelyn Fairley from a redshirt season in 2022. She became Liberty's first CUSA Women's Athlete of the Week on Sept. 26.
Meanwhile, the Lady Flames' No. 2 through 6 finishers at the rain-soaked XC23 Pre-Nationals on Oct. 14 all posted 6K personal bests. These included Catherine Farrell (21:23.4), Marie Hostetler (21:47.0), Jessica Palisca (21:59.1), Katrina Schlenker (22:01.3) and Jessie Zealand (22:19.4).
Fairley and Hostetler are the lone holdovers from the team that raced to Liberty's most recent women's cross country title (fall 2021 ASUN in Orlando).
Women's Individual Preview
Lady Flames have crossed the finish line first at each of their last four conference cross country championships. Adelyn Fairley opened her career with back-to-back ASUN titles in 2019 and spring 2021 before Calli Doan won consecutive crowns in fall 2021 and 2022.
Fairley, who also took third place at the fall 2021 ASUN meet, will try to join Jennifer Klugh (2010, 2011 and 2012 Big South) as the only Lady Flames ever to race to three individual conference cross country titles.
Fairley posted a career-best 16:59.3 5K time at the Virginia Invitational on Sept. 23 before racing to an impressive 16th-place finish at the Oct. 14 XC23 Pre-Nationals in a 6K clocking of 20:17.7.
Fairley, Liberty's 10K record holder on the track (33:49.00 from 2022), could benefit from the longer 6K distance of Saturday's course. All of the Lady Flames' previous conference cross country championships have been 5K races.
Marie Hostetler (eighth place in spring 2021) and Catherine Farrell (17th in 2022) are other Lady Flames who will race on Saturday with previous All-ASUN honors to their credit. Additionally, Katrina Schlenker was part of the 2022 ASUN All-Freshman Team.
First-year Lady Flame Katelyn Locker came in 13th in the spring 2021 MAAC Cross Country Championships, racing for Monmouth.
UTEP's Ruth Jerubet will attempt to defend her CUSA individual title from 2022. Middle Tennessee's Mercy Chepkurui (fifth in 2022) and Agnes Chepkurui (ninth in 2022) are also back.
However, Middle Tennessee has been paced this fall by the duo of Purity Sanga and Faith Nyathi, who both recorded top-10 finishes at Alabama's Crimson Classic two weeks ago. Nyathi was last year's NJCAA Division I national champion for El Paso Community College.
While Middle Tennessee has claimed four CUSA women's cross country team title trophies, either Sanga or Nyathi figures to contend for just the school's second CUSA individual crown (also Eusila Chepkemei in 2019).
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