Saturday, September 23
Charlottesville, Va.
9:30 AM ET
Liberty University
at
Virginia Invitational (Women Only)
Lady Flames to Return to Action at Virginia Invitational
9/21/2023 10:17:00 AM | Cross Country
LYNCHBURG, Va. – After three weeks away from competition, the Liberty women's cross country team will battle some of the nation's top squads at Saturday's Virginia Invitational in Charlottesville, Va. The meet will be the Lady Flames' first of what they hope will be three visits to Panorama Farms this season.
The women's 5K, which will feature 12 nationally-ranked teams among 23 entrants, is set to begin at 9:30 a.m.
Many of the nation's elite programs are heading to central Virginia to preview the course for the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, slated for Nov. 18.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results, including in-race splits, will be provided by PrimeTime Timing.
Weather Report
Saturday's race will likely feature a soggy course, with rain in the forecast for Friday night into Saturday afternoon. The temperature is forecasted to be in the low 60s with a considerable breeze from the north.
Checking Out the Course
Saturday will mark Liberty's first full team competition at Virginia's off-campus cross country course (Panorama Farms) since the 2019 NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships. Adelyn Fairley is the only Lady Flame who raced that day and is entered in Saturday's race.
Running unattached, Katelyn Locker came in 51st at last year's Panorama Farms XC 23 Invitational (Oct. 15, 2022) in a 5K time of 17:49.6.
Both the Liberty men's and women's squads will race at Panorama Farms on Oct. 14 for the XC-23 Pre-Nationals.
For the first time, Panorama Farms will play host to the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, Nov. 18. It will mark this meet's first visit to Virginia since 1987.
Scouting the Competition
Twelve of the 23 women's teams who will toe the starting line Saturday morning are nationally-ranked, headlined by Top 10 squads No. 2 Northern Arizona, No. 5 Colorado, No. 9 Stanford and No. 10 North Carolina.
Currently ranked No. 15 in the Southeast Region, Liberty is one of five regionally-ranked teams entered from the Southeast. They join No. 2 Virginia, No. 3 North Carolina, No. 4 Duke and No. 9 Elon.
Looking Back
The Lady Flames began their 2023 season at the Eye Opener, Sept. 1 in Spartanburg, S.C. Adelyn Fairley finished a team-best 11th in the women's 5K, her first cross country race since 2021. That performance helped Liberty place third of 17 women's teams, one point ahead of South Carolina.
All seven of Liberty's entries for Saturday's race placed inside the top 40 in Spartanburg, also including Katie Sigerud (19th place), Marie Hostetler (20th), Katelyn Locker (21st), Jessica Palisca (25th), Catherine Farrell (28th) and Katrina Schlenker (39th). Locker, a transfer from Monmouth, was making her Liberty debut.
Up Next
The Liberty men's team and the women's runners not competing at UVA will take part in the Paul Short Run, Sept. 30 in Bethlehem, Pa. The 49th running of the event will be contested at Lehigh's Murray H. Goodman Campus.
The women's 5K, which will feature 12 nationally-ranked teams among 23 entrants, is set to begin at 9:30 a.m.
Many of the nation's elite programs are heading to central Virginia to preview the course for the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, slated for Nov. 18.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results, including in-race splits, will be provided by PrimeTime Timing.
Weather Report
Saturday's race will likely feature a soggy course, with rain in the forecast for Friday night into Saturday afternoon. The temperature is forecasted to be in the low 60s with a considerable breeze from the north.
Checking Out the Course
Saturday will mark Liberty's first full team competition at Virginia's off-campus cross country course (Panorama Farms) since the 2019 NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships. Adelyn Fairley is the only Lady Flame who raced that day and is entered in Saturday's race.
Running unattached, Katelyn Locker came in 51st at last year's Panorama Farms XC 23 Invitational (Oct. 15, 2022) in a 5K time of 17:49.6.
Both the Liberty men's and women's squads will race at Panorama Farms on Oct. 14 for the XC-23 Pre-Nationals.
For the first time, Panorama Farms will play host to the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, Nov. 18. It will mark this meet's first visit to Virginia since 1987.
Scouting the Competition
Twelve of the 23 women's teams who will toe the starting line Saturday morning are nationally-ranked, headlined by Top 10 squads No. 2 Northern Arizona, No. 5 Colorado, No. 9 Stanford and No. 10 North Carolina.
Currently ranked No. 15 in the Southeast Region, Liberty is one of five regionally-ranked teams entered from the Southeast. They join No. 2 Virginia, No. 3 North Carolina, No. 4 Duke and No. 9 Elon.
Looking Back
The Lady Flames began their 2023 season at the Eye Opener, Sept. 1 in Spartanburg, S.C. Adelyn Fairley finished a team-best 11th in the women's 5K, her first cross country race since 2021. That performance helped Liberty place third of 17 women's teams, one point ahead of South Carolina.
All seven of Liberty's entries for Saturday's race placed inside the top 40 in Spartanburg, also including Katie Sigerud (19th place), Marie Hostetler (20th), Katelyn Locker (21st), Jessica Palisca (25th), Catherine Farrell (28th) and Katrina Schlenker (39th). Locker, a transfer from Monmouth, was making her Liberty debut.
Up Next
The Liberty men's team and the women's runners not competing at UVA will take part in the Paul Short Run, Sept. 30 in Bethlehem, Pa. The 49th running of the event will be contested at Lehigh's Murray H. Goodman Campus.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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