Liberty University
Virginia Quadrangular
Liberty Throwers Take Center Stage at Weather-Shortened Virginia Quadrangular
4/1/2023 7:18:47 PM | Track and Field
Liberty’s throwers enjoyed a banner day at Saturday’s Virginia Quadrangular at Lannigan Field, despite extremely windy conditions and the fact that several events were cancelled or shortened due to an early evening storm which struck Charlottesville. The Flames’ throws crew accounted for four of the team’s six event victories, including a new ASUN Conference all-time record (Kevin Nedrick’s 194-5 discus) and a new Liberty freshman standard (Paola Bueno’s 190-0 hammer).
Liberty’s other event victors included Kali Grayson (women’s javelin – season-best 150-9), Megan Mann (women’s discus – personal-best 163-1), Jezelle Shaw (women’s 400 – season-best 56.85) and the Lady Flames 4 x 100 relay squad of Dawn Hilton, Nimeesha Coleman, Isis Brooks and Shaw (season-best 46.68).
Weather conditions forced the women’s triple jump and men’s javelin to be halted prematurely and cancelled the men’s 1,500, men’s pole vault and men’s shot put altogether.
The low-key meet featured competitors from Liberty, Norfolk State, Saint Francis (Pa.) and host Virginia.
Women’s Meet Recap
Grayson (women’s javelin) and Bueno (women’s hammer) set the tone for the day by winning the meet’s first two events. Grayson’s season-best 150-9 javelin effort won the event by nearly 20 feet, ranks No. 1 in the ASUN this season and should send her to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet next month.
Bueno was similarly dominant in the women’s hammer, recording the competition’s five longest throws. Her third-round effort of 190-0 eclipsed her own Liberty freshman record of 188-5 from the season-opening Bob Davidson Memorial Invitational, March 17 at High Point.
Mann’s stellar day featured one first-place finish (women’s discus), two personal-bests (163-1 discus for No. 6 in program history and 48-6.75 for No. 4 in program history) and three top-three finishes (discus – first, shot put – third and hammer – third).
One of the newest Lady Flames, Shaw had a hand in both Liberty victories on the track. Aided by the season debut of defending ASUN 100 dash champion Brooks, the women’s 4 x 100 relay squad posted a season-best time of 46.68 to defeat runner-up Norfolk State by 1.6 seconds.
Despite less than favorable wind conditions for full-lap events, Shaw posted her fastest 400 at Liberty (56.85) to take top honors in the women’s 400.
The wind was favorable (+2.5 tailwind) for Jasmine Williams who posted a season-best 13.73 to finish second behind redshirting teammate Indea Cartwright (13.42) for the third straight meet to open the outdoor campaign. Williams’ time ranks No. 3 in program history.
Meredith Engle high jumped an outdoor personal-best 5-8 for second place in the event and the Lady Flames’ best outdoor mark in this event in six years. Engle is now tied with another talented heptathlete (Kylie Polsgrove) for No. 5 all-time at Liberty.
Reigning ASUN Women’s Field Athlete of the Week Taylen Langin went over the 13-foot mark for the second consecutive meet, pole vaulting 13-1.5 to claim the runner-up spot.
Men’s Meet Recap
Nedrick reached 194-5 in round two of the men’s discus to add 10 inches to his ASUN all-time record from last weekend’s Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational and lead a 1-2-3 Flames sweep of the event. Freshmen Desmond Coleman (187-5) and Christian Hicks (158-5) joined Nedrick on the podium.
John Hicks nearly pulled out victory in the men’s hammer, but his final attempt landed at 200-4, just three inches shy of event winner John Fay from Virginia. Stuart Folkerts added a third-place showing with a personal-best 180-3 effort.
A +4.7 tailwind pushed Felix Lawrence (14.08) and Prosper Ekporere (14.13) to sterling 110 hurdles times, which placed second and third in the event and rank second and third all-time for the Flames. Defending ASUN champion Lawrence was sporting a Liberty uniform for the first time this season, while first-year Flame Ekporere made his outdoor collegiate debut.
Also wearing the red, white and blue for the first time was Clemson transfer Rayan Holmes. His runner-up time of 52.13 in the men’s 400 hurdles sits No. 9 on the Flames’ all-time top 10 chart.
Ethan Mylin (180-0) and Brady Diller (176-11) resided in second and third place, respectively, when the men’s javelin competition was stopped during round three.
Men’s Event Winners
Kevin Nedrick – Discus – 194-5
Women’s Event Winners
Paola Bueno – Hammer – 190-0
Kali Grayson – Javelin – 150-9
Megan Mann – Discus – 163-1
Jezelle Shaw – 400 – 56.85
Dawn Hilton, Nimeesha Coleman, Isis Brooks, Jezelle Shaw – 4 x 100 Relay – 46.68
Men’s Record Breakers
ASUN All-Time Record – Discus – Kevin Nedrick – 194-5
Previous Record: 193-7 by Nedrick at the Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational on March 25
Women’s Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – Hammer – Paola Bueno – 190-0
Previous Record: 188-5 by Bueno at the Bob Davidson Memorial Invitational on March 17
New Women’s NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Kali Grayson – Javelin – 150-9
Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Men’s Top 10 List
110 Hurdles – No. 2 – Felix Lawrence – 14.08
Discus – No. 2 – Kevin Nedrick – 194-5
110 Hurdles – No. 3 – Prosper Ekporere – 14.13
400 Hurdles – No. 9 – Rayan Holmes – 52.13
Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Women’s Top 10 List
100 Hurdles – No. 3 – Jasmine Williams – 13.73
Shot Put – No. 4 – Megan Mann – 48-6.75
High Jump – Tie for No. 5 – Meredith Engle – 5-8
Discus – No. 6 – Megan Mann – 163-1
Hammer – No. 7 – Paola Bueno – 190-0
Up Next
Liberty will have athletes in action at two different meets next weekend, including the Duke Invitational (April 6-8 in Durham, N.C.) and Randolph College’s WildCat Track Festival (April 8 in Lynchburg).
Featured in Main Photo: Megan Mann
