Liberty University
David Hemery Valentine Invitational
Doan Breaks Long-Standing Program Record with 4:36.52 Mile
2/10/2023 7:12:21 PM | Track and Field
One of the most historic times in Liberty’s track & field record book fell by the wayside, Friday afternoon at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Calli Doan’s 4:36.52 mile clocking at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center shaved two seconds off the 4:38.52 Heather (Sagan) Zealand had clocked while racing to the 2002 NCAA Division I national title.
A redshirt senior from Apex, N.C., Doan won her heat and placed 18th overall while shattering her previous best of 4:39.91, set two weeks earlier at Clemson’s Bob Pollock Invitational.
Doan’s 4:36.52 briefly stood as the ASUN Conference all-time record before Kennesaw State’s Caroline Timm ran 4:36.30 later in the afternoon in Nashville.
Zealand, who now serves as Liberty’s women’s distance coach, ran 4:38.52 on March 9, 2002 to defeat the likes of Shalane Flanagan and capture Liberty’s first-ever NCAA Division I national championship.
This is Doan’s second program record in an individual event, as she set the Liberty steeplechase standard at 10:10.23 in 2021. Doan also anchored the Lady Flames’ distance medley relay squad to a record time of 11:41.12 in 2021.
Up Next
The Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational will wrap up with a busy Saturday, beginning at 10:30 a.m. with the women’s high jump, women’s shot put, women’s triple jump and open men’s pole vault. Running events will commence at 11:10 with the men’s 500.
Meanwhile, Liberty’s first Saturday event at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque will be the women’s triple jump, featuring Makenzy Mizera, at noon Eastern.
Featured in Main Photo: Heather Zealand (left) and Calli Doan (right)
