Liberty University
NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round
Doan Punches NCAA Ticket in Steeplechase, Brooks Just Misses with School Record
5/27/2023 8:36:41 PM | Track and Field
Liberty punched one more ticket to Austin on Saturday, the final day of the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet, and very nearly had a second. Calli Doan overcame a fall to qualify in the women’s steeplechase, but Isis Brooks lost a tiebreaker for the 12th and final qualifying position in the women’s 100 after clocking a school-record 11.23.
Two years ago at this meet on the same Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium, Doan fell twice in her steeplechase race and was unable to qualify to the national meet. Fast forward two years, and the All-American was tripped up by a hurdle again with three laps remaining, losing touch with the lead pack of three runners.
However, Doan was able to gradually reel in Michigan’s Kayla Windemuller and overtook the Wolverine for the third and final automatic qualifier from her heat. Doan’s official time was 10:02.59 as she becomes the first Lady Flame ever to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the women’s steeplechase.
Doan will be making her first NCAA national appearance on the track after garnering cross country All-America honors with a 28th-place finish in 2021. She and Kevin Nedrick (men’s discus) will represent Liberty at the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, June 7-10 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Brooks very nearly joined the travel party to the Lone Star State, shattering her own program record for the second time in three days. Aided by a +2.7 m/s tailwind, Brooks clocked a time of 11.23 for sixth place in her quarterfinal heat of the women’s 100. That effort took down her own record of 11.29 from Thursday’s first round and put Brooks onto the bubble for national qualification on time.
Minutes later, UCF’s Rayniah Jones ran 11.23 for fourth place in the third and last quarterfinal, tying Brooks for 12th place in the event. After a closer review of the photo finish, it was determined that both Brooks and Jones clocked the exact same time to the thousandth of a second (11.221).
The tie for the final ticket to Austin was broken by placement within each runner’s heat. Because Jones took fourth place in her race and Brooks finished sixth, Jones will move on.
Brooks finishes her impressive career as the program record holder in the 100 (11.23) and 200 (23.09), a three-time ASUN individual event champion and a two-time NCAA quarterfinalist in the women’s 100.
Making her NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round debut in the women’s discus, Annika Hantho’s first attempt of the afternoon (147-3) was her best. That left the junior in 42nd place in the final standings as Liberty’s ninth and final thrower to compete at this week’s meet.
Women’s NCAA Division I National Qualifiers
Calli Doan – Steeplechase – 10:02.59
Women’s Day 4 Record Breakers
Liberty Record – 100 – Isis Brooks – 11.23
Previous Record: 11.29 by Brooks in the first round on Thursday
Day 4 Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Women’s Top 10 List
100 – No. 1 – Isis Brooks – 11.23
Up Next
The 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place June 7-10 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Doan will race in the women’s steeplechase semifinals June 8 at 9:02 p.m. Eastern, while Nedrick will compete in the men’s discus June 9 at 8:35 p.m. Eastern.
