Liberty University
Virginia Challenge
Brooks, Shughart Post NCAA Preliminary Round Qualifiers at UVA
4/21/2023 11:06:03 PM | Track and Field
With only three weeks remaining in outdoor track & field’s regular season, athletes are looking to take advantage of their final chances to qualify to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet. Liberty’s Isis Brooks (11.38 women’s 100) and Ben Shughart (214-9 men’s javelin) were able to do just that on Friday at Lannigan Field during the second day of the Virginia Challenge.
Women’s Day 2 Recap
Aided by a significant (+3.9) tailwind and a temperature in the 80s, Brooks dropped her 100 time from 11.57 at last weekend’s Bryan Clay Invitational to 11.38 during Friday’s prelims. The fastest clocking in the ASUN Conference this season, it ranked second overall in the prelims.
Although Brooks did not return for Friday evening’s 100 final, she punched her ticket to next month’s NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet for the second year in a row. Last season, she became the first-ever Lady Flame to advance to the NCAA’s quarterfinal round in the women’s 100.
Six days after pole vaulting an ASUN all-time record 13-9.25, Taylen Langin sailed over 13-5.25 to share second place with High Point All-American Rachel Vesper in the event’s invitational section. Langin cleared 13-5.25 on her first try, matching the second-highest height of her career.
Earlier in the afternoon, teammate Mia Bowers secured third place in the women’s pole vault open section with a season-best 12-6.75 clearance.
The Lady Flames fared well in the 1,500, led by freshman Katie Sigerud’s personal-best 4:30.18 effort for second place in the open section. The only athlete to run faster was teammate Katelyn Locker, running a personal-best 4:28.68 while competing unattached.
About two hours later, Marie Hostetler lowered her season best to 4:30.68 in the women’s 1,500 invitational section.
After joining heptathlon’s 5,000-point club last week, Meredith Engle only had one event to focus on Friday evening. She took eighth in the women’s javelin with a mark of 136-3 which added five feet to her previous best. Kali Grayson followed closely in ninth at 136-1.
Annika Hantho got Liberty’s day started with a season-best 157-10 discus mark for 10th place. That ranks No. 2 in the ASUN this season behind teammate Megan Mann, who came in 12th at 156-2 on Friday.
Makenzy Mizera’s season-best 40-9 triple jump held up for ninth place in the competition.
Noel Palmer was the final Lady Flame to compete on the day, contesting her first 10K in two years under the lights. She came in ninth in the 25-lap race in 35:44.23.
Men’s Day 2 Recap
Last season as a freshman, Shughart recorded a javelin personal best of 167-10. During the first two competitions of his sophomore campaign, he has reached 204-10 at the season-opening Bob Davidson Memorial Invitational and 214-9 on his fifth attempt Friday evening.
The mark earned a fourth-place finish in the competition and will extend his season to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet. Shughart climbs into Liberty’s all-time top 10 at No. 8.
All three Flames qualified to the javelin finals on Friday, as Brady Diller (188-8) and Ethan Mylin (185-8) followed in eighth and ninth, respectively.
Freshman Shane Wang also enjoyed a breakthrough effort on Friday. He posted four triple jumps better than his lifetime best of 48-9 entering the day. The longest was a wind-legal 49-5 leap in round three which placed eighth overall and No. 7 in program history.
Like their female counterparts, the Flames enjoyed a solid night of running at the 1,500-meter distance. Kyle Harkabus led the way in 3:44.78, placing 15th in a loaded invitational section. Brendan Pitcher (sixth place, 3:50.71) and fellow redshirt freshman Jonathon Hadley (10th, personal-best 3:51.11) each recorded top-10 finishes in the open section, with Hadley winning his heat.
Anders Janes was the only other Flame to notch a top-10 showing on day two. He cleared 15-3 for 10th in the men’s pole vault open section.
Women’s Day 2 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Katie Sigerud – Women’s 1,500 Open – 4:30.18
Tie for 2nd – Taylen Langin – Women’s Pole Vault Invitational – 13-5.25
3rd – Mia Bowers – Women’s Pole Vault Open – 12-6.75
New Women’s NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Isis Brooks – 100 – 11.38
New Men’s NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Ben Shughart – Javelin – 214-9
Day 2 Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Men’s Top 10 List
Triple Jump – No. 7 – Shane Wang – 49-5
Javelin – No. 8 – Ben Shughart – 214-9
Up Next
Liberty will wrap up its weekend of competition on Saturday with the Virginia Challenge (Charlottesville, Va.) and WildCat Twilight (Lynchburg, Va.)
Featured in Main Photo: Isis Brooks
