Liberty University
Bryan Clay Invitational
Ackley-Fairley, Cottrell Clock Fast 10Ks at Bryan Clay Invite
4/13/2023 11:59:40 PM | Track and Field
Liberty’s Adelyn Ackley-Fairley (ASUN-leading 34:02.76) and Jack Cottrell (Liberty freshman record 29:54.55) each ran impressive 10Ks, late Thursday night at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Their efforts marked the Flames’ top performances on a rainy opening day of competition at Cougar Athletic Stadium.
Ackley-Fairley placed 15th in a deep race won by defending national champion Mercy Chelangat of Alabama. Her 34:02.76 time bettered this season’s previous ASUN-leading mark of 34:12.68 by Lipscomb’s Colbi Borland.
Ackley-Fairley was not far off her own program record of 33:49.00 from the 2022 season. She will get to race the 10K at next month’s NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet for the second season in a row. Last year, the Mears, Mich., native missed qualifying for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships by just two spots.
Competing in the night’s final race, which wrapped up just after midnight Pacific, Cottrell excelled in his track 10K debut. His 29:54.55 clocking took down the Liberty freshman standard of 29:59.82 which Jordan McDougal had owned since the 2006 IC4A Championship.
A redshirt freshman from Chattanooga, Tenn., Cottrell becomes the 10th Flame ever to break 30 minutes for a track 10K and grabs the No. 8 spot in program history.
Patasha Bryan (3,046) and Meredith Engle (3,033) sit in fourth and fifth place, respectively, in Group B of the heptathlon following Thursday’s four events.
Bryan started the afternoon with a wind-legal personal-best 14.53 in the 100 hurdles. Engle’s top mark was a 39-0.5 shot put, which was second best in the competition and ranks No. 3 all-time by a Liberty heptathlete.
Bryan and Engle have both put themselves in good position to post a score over 5,000 points on Friday, something only five Lady Flames have accomplished in program history.
Competing in Group C of the decathlon, Daniel Van Duren tallied 3,471 points on Thursday to claim eighth place in the standings through five events. He ranked fifth in the competition with a 40-9.75 shot put and cleared an outdoor personal-best 6-0 in the high jump.
Men’s Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – 10K – Jack Cottrell – 29:54.55
Previous Record: 29:59.82 by Jordan McDougal at the IC4A Championship, May 12, 2006 in Princeton, N.J.
New Women’s NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Adelyn Ackley-Fairley – 10K – 34:02.76
Day 1 Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Women’s Top 10 List
Heptathlon Shot Put – No. 3 – Meredith Engle – 39-0.5
Day 1 Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Men’s Top 10 List
10K – No. 8 – Jack Cottrell – 29:54.55
Up Next
Liberty will have athletes in action at three different meets on Friday, including the Bryan Clay Invitational (Azusa, Calif.), Mt. SAC Relays (Walnut, Calif.) and Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic (Lynchburg, Va.)
Featured in Main Photo: Adelyn Ackley-Fairley
