Liberty University
ASUN Indoor Track Championships
Trio of 1st-Place Finishes Lead Lady Flames to ASUN Day 1 Lead
2/24/2023 10:28:42 PM | Track and Field
Aided by three first-place finishes, the Liberty women’s squad leads the team standings after day one of the 2023 ASUN Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. Meanwhile, the men’s team sits a close second to Kennesaw State after Friday’s events at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
The Lady Flames have tallied 84 points through seven of 17 women’s events, putting them 18 points ahead of Kennesaw State. Liberty’s event champions included Paola Bueno (women’s weight throw – 64-8), Calli Doan (women’s 5K – 16:35.87) and Meredith Engle (pentathlon – 3,973).
The four-time defending ASUN champion Flames posted 59 points during Friday’s five men’s disciplines and sit 12 points behind Kennesaw State. Liberty did not win an event on the day, but notched a pair of second-place and three third-place showings.
The Flames also broke records in two different events, including the heptathlon shot put (meet and facility-record 52-10 by Desmond Coleman) and 5K (Liberty freshman-record 14:05.30 by Jack Cottrell).
Women’s Day 1 Recap
Engle got the Lady Flames off to a good start by successfully defending her ASUN pentathlon title with a personal-best score of 3,973 points. The first athlete to go back-to-back in this event since Kennesaw State’s Jordan Gray (2015-17), Engle set new personal bests in the 60 hurdles (8.83) and shot put (42-8.25) along the way.
Redshirt freshman teammate Patasha Bryan joined Engle on the podium in third place, tallying 3,721 points. She got her busy day going with a personal-best 60 hurdles clocking of her own (8.90) and later won the 800 in 2:20.55 to wrap it up.
Bueno dominated the women’s weight throw, as her opening mark of 64-8 won the competition by more than three and a half feet. She became the first freshman to capture the ASUN women’s weight throw crown since Jacksonville’s Shunisha McClinton did so at the inaugural championship in 2006.
Three teammates followed Bueno among the event’s eight scorers, and all three improved their personal bests in the process. They included Megan Mann (fourth, 59-1.25), Sofia Mojica (sixth, 58-2.5) and Annika Hantho (seventh, 55-10.5).
Doan captured the fifth ASUN track individual event title of her career while running her first 5K of the season. The All-American clocked 16:35.87 and was joined in the scoring by two-time defending 5K champion Adelyn Ackley-Fairley (fourth, 16:39.80) and Anna Hostetler (eighth, 17:24.32).
Hostetler’s younger sister Anna later anchored the Lady Flames to a runner-up finish in the distance medley relay in the No. 3 time in program history, 11:42.50. She was preceded with the baton by Catherine Farrell, Dawn Hilton and Naomi Armstrong.
Taylen Langin earned her sixth career All-ASUN medal in the pole vault, matching the previous meet record with a season-best 13-0.25 clearance for second place. Mia Bowers made it over 12-2.5 to share the fourth position.
Kacy Cox collected her first All-ASUN accolade, sharing third place in the women’s high jump with a first-attempt clearance at 5-4.25. Engle and Bryan got over the same height on their second try to tie for sixth place.
Freshman Rebecca Allen made it seven-for-seven in scoring points for the Lady Flames on Friday, matching her season best long jump of 17-11.5 for eighth.
The Lady Flames enjoyed a successful day of qualifying, sending multiple athletes to Saturday’s finals in the 400 (Jasmine Williams – 57.30 and Nimeesha Coleman – 57.47), 800 (Naomi Armstrong – 2:12.06 and Jessica Palisca – 2:12.68), mile (Doan – 4:49.04, Palisca – 4:50.91 and Marie Hostetler – 4:54.18) and 60 hurdles (Williams – 8.29 and Indea Cartwright – 8.47). Williams and Cartrwight were the top two hurdles qualifiers among the two heats.
Men’s Day 1 Recap
The 5K was arguably the Liberty men’s squad’s most impressive event final of the day, as Tristian Merchant (14:04.57), Cottrell (14:05.30) and Nicholas Kiprotich (14:21.19) went 2-3-6. Cottrell’s time was especially notable as it shattered his track 5K best (14:44.47) and the Liberty freshman standard of 14:29.28, set by Jeremie Bourget at the 2013 IC4A Championship in Boston. Cottrell now ranks No. 5 all-time at Liberty for the event.
Even though Quinten Clay just missed out on his third straight ASUN men’s long jump crown, the Flames added 18 more team points in the event. Clay took second at 23-6, just behind event champion Kaelen Mitchell of Kennesaw State (23-7.25). Anthony Bryan (fourth, 22-9.75), Daniel Van Duren (sixth, 21-11.5) and Joshua Smith (seventh, 21-9) backed up Clay’s performance.
John Hicks was denied a fourth consecutive ASUN men’s weight throw championship but grabbed a third-place finish with a 63-6.75 heave. Stuart Folkerts (seventh, 58-0.25) and brother Christian Hicks (eighth, personal-best 57-3.5) joined in on the scoring.
Anders Janes is now a six-time All-ASUN performer in the men’s pole vault after sailing over 16-1.75 for third place. Hunter Flack and Anthony Bryan each got over 14-8, coming in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Graham Mussmon, Luke Anderson, Isaiah Schulties and Kyle Harkabus earned Liberty’s final four tallies of the night, clocking 10:12.83 for fifth place in the men’s distance medley relay.
The Flames are set up for big points in the heptathlon with Anthony Bryan (2,999) and Daniel Van Duren (2,960) ranking 1-2 through Friday’s quartet of events. Van Duren was especially impressive, recording new personal bests in both jumps (22-5.75 long jump and 6-2.25 high jump) and posting an indoor best 41-2.5 shot put.
Bryan (8.18) and Van Duren (personal-best 8.37) were among Liberty’s amazing six qualifiers to the men’s 60 hurdles final. They will be joined on Saturday’s start line by Felix Lawrence (fastest qualifier at 7.99), Prosper Ekporere (8.05), Cole Peterlin (8.24) and Anderson (8.32).
Liberty will also have three runners in the 800 final (Ally Kipchirchir – 1:52.83, Brendan Pitcher – 1:53.92 and Schulties – 1:52.24) and two each in the 60 (Omari Lewis – personal-best 6.73 and Donald McClinton – personal-best 6.79), 200 (McClinton – 21.23 and Lewis – 21.41) and mile (Harkabus – personal-best 4:04.64 and Mussmon – personal-best 4:08.25). McClinton and Lewis qualified 1-2 in the 200.
Women’s Team Scores (Through 7 of 17 Events)
1) Liberty – 84
2) Kennesaw State – 66
3) Lipscomb – 29
4) Queens – 24
5) Jacksonville – 22
6) Austin Peay – 20
7) North Florida – 10.5
8) Eastern Kentucky – 7
9) Central Arkansas – 4.5
10T) Bellarmine – 3
10T) Jacksonville State – 3
Men’s Team Scores (Through 5 of 17 Events)
1) Kennesaw State – 71
2) Liberty – 59
3) Eastern Kentucky - 19
4) North Florida – 18
5) Central Arkansas – 11
6) Bellarmine – 8
7) Lipscomb – 7
8) Queens – 2
Women’s Day 1 ASUN Champions
Paola Bueno – Weight Throw – 64-8
Calli Doan – 5K – 16:35.87
Meredith Engle – Pentathlon – 3,973
Other Women’s Day 1 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Taylen Langin – Pole Vault – 13-0.25
2nd – Catherine Farrell, Dawn Hilton, Naomi Armstrong, Marie Hostetler – DMR – 11:42.50
3rd – Patasha Bryan – Pentathlon – 3,721
Tie for 3rd – Kacy Cox – High Jump – 5-4.25
Other Men’s Day 1 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Quinten Clay – Long Jump – 23-6
2nd – Tristian Merchant – 5K – 14:04.57
3rd – Jack Cottrell – 5K – 14:05.30
3rd – John Hicks – Weight Throw – 63-6.75
3rd – Anders Janes – Pole Vault – 16-1.75
Men’s Day 1 Record Breakers
Meet Record – Heptathlon Shot Put – Desmond Coleman – 52-10
Previous Record: 49-6.5 by Kennesaw State’s Casey Strickland in 2009
Facility Record – Heptathlon Shot Put – Desmond Coleman – 52-10
Previous Record: 49-8.5 by Dylan Cooper of Athletic Lab Track Club in 2021
Liberty Freshman Record – 5K – Jack Cottrell – 14:05.30
Previous Record: 14:29.28 by Jeremie Bourget at the 2013 IC4A meet in Boston
Day 1 Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Women’s Top 10 List
Pentathlon – No. 2 – Meredith Engle – 3,973
DMR – No. 3 – Catherine Farrell, Dawn Hilton, Naomi Armstrong, Marie Hostetler – 11:42.50
Weight Throw – No. 9 – Megan Mann – 59-1.25
Day 1 Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Men’s Top 10 List
60 – Tie for No. 2 – Omari Lewis – 6.73
Mile – No. 4 – Kyle Harkabus – 4:04.64
5K – No. 5 – Jack Cottrell – 14:05.30
60 – Tie for No. 6 – Donald McClinton – 6.79
Mile – No. 9 – Graham Mussmon – 4:08.25
Up Next
The 2023 ASUN Indoor Track & Field Championships will wrap up with a busy day of action on Saturday. The day’s first event, the heptathlon 60 hurdles, will begin at 8:30 a.m. The meet will wrap up at approximately 3:30 p.m. with the awards ceremony.
Featured in Main Photo: Meredith Engle
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