Liberty University
Liberty Open
Flames Win 11 Events, Break Records in 2 at Liberty Open
2/4/2023 9:06:20 PM | Track and Field
The host Flames won 11 events and set records in two different disciplines during the Liberty Open, contested Saturday at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
The men’s shuttle hurdles relay quartet of Anthony Bryan, Luke Anderson, Cole Peterlin and Felix Lawrence set both the program and facility records with its winning time of 32.04 during the morning’s first track event.
Later on, Jessica Palisca clocked a 2:09.61 for a new Liberty freshman record in the women’s 800.
Men’s Meet Recap
The shuttle hurdles relay squad shattered the Liberty record of 32.88 which had been set by All-American Jovaine Atkinson, All-American Markus Ballengee, Samson Moore and Ryan Davis (who was on hand Saturday working as Randolph’s head coach) on Jan. 27, 2017. The previous facility record of 32.41 had been achieved by Navy on Feb. 11, 2022 at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational.
Liberty went 1-2 in both men’s throwing events. John Hicks (season-best 62-10.5) and Stuart Folkerts (56-0.5) did the honors in the meet’s opening event, the weight throw.
Meanwhile, Kevin Nedrick (season-best 61-9) and Desmond Coleman (personal-best 52-9.5) took the shot put’s top two spots. Nedrick grabbed the No. 5 spot in ASUN Conference history in the process.
Freshman Graham Mussmon raced to victory in the men’s mile in 4:08.45, putting him at No. 7 in program history. Redshirt freshman Brendan Pitcher followed in third place in 4:11.99.
Competing in his first indoor long jump as a Flame, Donald McClinton won the event with a 23-6 leap.
Freshman Shane Wang nearly gave Liberty a sweep of the horizontal jump titles, but his 47-7.75 triple jump mark left him in second place, 2.75 inches out of first.
Isaiah Schulties’ indoor personal-best 1:51.64 effort garnered second place in the 800.
Bryan (8.27) and Anderson (season-best 8.29) followed up their relay performances by taking second and fourth, respectively, in the men’s 60 hurdles final. Competing unattached, teammate Prosper Ekporere won in a season-best 8.16.
In the first 400 hurdles race in facility history, Zack Weekman took second place in 54.99, racing unattached.
Women’s Meet Recap
Palisca’s record-breaking effort came in the Lady Flames’ most impressive event of the day, the 800. Calli Doan won the race in 2:07.08, slicing more than three seconds off her personal best and moving to No. 4 all-time both at Liberty and in the ASUN Conference.
Palisca now ranks No. 6 on the Lady Flames’ all-time ledger after her 2:09.61 eclipsed the Liberty freshman standard of 2:09.98 Delaney McDowell posted while winning the 2016 Big South Conference title. Palisca arrived on campus this fall with a 2:15.89 personal best from her time at Cave Spring High School.
Sandwiched between Doan and Palisca in second place was teammate Katie Locker who set a personal best of 2:07.34 while racing unattached.
Another of Liberty’s talented freshmen, Paola Bueno claimed the third women’s weight throw victory of her young career with a 62-8.5 heave. The runner-up was her teammate and fellow Mexico native Sofia Mojica at 54-2.
The Lady Flames bookended the track events with relay victories. Meredith Engle, Jasmine Williams, Patasha Bryan and Indea Cartwright took the women’s shuttle hurdles relay in 34.92, the No. 2 clocking in program history.
Three Liberty newcomers (Ava Podolski, Emily Coates, Jezelle Shaw) and one veteran (Naomi Armstrong) teamed up for victory in 3:58.08 in the final event, the 4 x 400 relay.
Myiah Scott posted a season-best time of 9.29 to win the 60 hurdles final, while Kristiana Young was victorious in her first collegiate 3K race (10:29.05).
Hurdlers Cartwright (24.87 200) and Williams (57.88 400) were the top collegiate finishers in their respective sprint events on Saturday, placing second overall in each.
Freshman Rebecca Allen’s season-best 17-11.5 stood up for third place overall and second among collegiate entrants.
Racing unattached, Adelyn Ackley-Fairley pulled out a victory in the women’s mile (5:01.42), one day before her 22nd birthday.
Men’s Event Winners
John Hicks – Weight Throw – 62-10.5
Donald McClinton – Long Jump – 23-6
Graham Mussmon – Mile – 4:08.45
Kevin Nedrick – Shot Put – 61-9
Anthony Bryan, Luke Anderson, Cole Peterlin, Felix Lawrence – Shuttle Hurdles – 32.04
Women’s Event Winners
Paola Bueno – Weight Throw – 62-8.5
Calli Doan – 800 – 2:07.08
Myiah Scott – 60 Hurdles – 9.29
Kristiana Young – 3K – 10:29.05
Ava Podolski, Emily Coates, Jezelle Shaw, Naomi Armstrong – 4 x 400 – 3:58.08
Meredith Engle, Jasmine Williams, Patasha Bryan, Indea Cartwright – Shuttle Hurdles – 34.92
Men’s Record Breakers
Liberty Record – Shuttle Hurdles – Bryan, Anderson, Peterlin, Lawrence – 32.04
Previous Record: 32.88 by Jovaine Atkinson, Markus Ballengee, Samson Moore and Ryan Davis on Jan. 27, 2017
Facility Record – Shuttle Hurdles – Bryan, Anderson, Peterlin, Lawrence – 32.04
Previous Record: 32.41 by Navy on Feb. 11, 2022
Women’s Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – 800 – Jessica Palisca – 2:09.61
Previous Record: 2:09.98 by Delaney McDowell at the Big South Championship at Virginia Tech on Feb. 27, 2016
Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Men’s Top 10 List
Shuttle Hurdles – No. 1 – Bryan, Anderson, Peterlin, Lawrence – 32.04
Shot Put – No. 4 – Kevin Nedrick – 61-9
Mile – No. 7 – Graham Mussmon – 4:08.45
800 – No. 8 – Isaiah Schulties – 1:51.64
Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Women’s Top 10 List
Shuttle Hurdles – No. 2 – Engle, Williams, Bryan, Cartwright – 34.92
800 – No. 4 – Calli Doan – 2:07.08
800 – No. 6 – Jessica Palisca – 2:09.61
Up Next
The Flames will split their team between three different meets next weekend. Most of the squad will compete at the ninth annual Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational, Feb. 10 & 11 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. Portions of both days’ events will air live on ESPN+.
Liberty will also send a group of athletes to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Don Kirby Elite Invitational, Feb. 10 & 11. Televised on FloTrack, the meet will take place at the Albuquerque Convention Center, site of the 2023 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Finally, Calli Doan is entered in the women’s mile at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Her race will take place on Feb. 10 at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center, live on FloTrack.
Featured in Main Photo (L-R): Felix Lawrence, Luke Anderson, Anthony Bryan, Cole Peterlin
