Nicholas Kiprotich
Liberty Track to Compete at Penn State, in NYC
1/25/2024 2:53:00 PM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty will head north for a pair of high-level track & field meets this week. A majority of the team will compete in the Penn State National Open, Friday and Saturday at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track in University Park, Pa. Meanwhile, a group of hurdlers and jumpers will head to The Armory in New York, N.Y., for the Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge, also set for Friday and Saturday.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live video streaming will be available for both meets. The Penn State National Open will air on Big Ten Plus, while RunnerSpace +PLUS will cover a majority of the Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge. The exception will be Saturday from noon-2 p.m. (including Indea Cartwright's heat of the women's 200), when Peacock will televise the meet.
Live results will also be provided for both competitions.
It's Been a While
The Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge will mark the Flames' first visit to The Armory since 2007 (New Balance Collegiate Invitational).
Meanwhile, the Penn State National Open will be Liberty's first visit to Penn State since 2017 (Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup).
Plenty to See at Penn State
Both of Liberty's CUSA weekly honorees (Female Field Athlete and Freshman of the Week Katie Urbine and Male Field Athlete of the Week Cole Peterlin) will get to compete in their home state of Pennsylvania.
Urbine will try to improve upon her winning women's pole vault mark of 13-7.75 from the Brant Tolsma Invitational and eclipse the Liberty freshman record for the fourth meet in a row.
Peterlin, who posted a personal-best heptathlon score of 5,244 (No. 11 in the NCAA) last weekend, is entered in the men's 60 hurdles, high jump and pole vault.
Ranked No. 8 nationally at 61-10.5, All-American Warren Barrett has won his first two men's shot put competitions of the season. He will be part of a strong field on Saturday in University Park.
Nicholas Kiprotich will compete for the first time since racing at the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in November. He is entered in Saturday's men's 3K.
Brendan Pitcher and Isaiah Schulties will compete in the rarely-contested 600-meter run on Saturday. Both of Liberty's 600 records were set at the Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track, including the men's mark of 1:18.96 (Phil Leineweber on Feb. 7, 2009) and the women's standard of 1:28.2 (Jaime Watson on Feb. 6, 2010).
Highlighting Hurdlers
The 60 hurdles has been one of Liberty's strongest and deepest events this season, as the Flames boast five of CUSA's top nine men's hurdlers and three of the conference's top eight women's hurdlers.
Liberty women's 60 hurdles record holder Indea Cartwright (8.23) has won two of her three 60 hurdles competitions in 2023-24 and ranks No. 3 in CUSA with a season best of 8.34. She headlines the Lady Flames' hurdles entries in the Big Apple. Cartwright will also contest the 200 for the first time this season, taking part in one of the race's featured sections on Peacock, Saturday at 1:17 p.m.
Top men's entry Albrey Gossett has lowered his 60 hurdles best from 8.30 to 8.16 during his first season after transferring from Coastal Carolina. That ranks No. 5 in CUSA this year and No. 10 all-time for the Flames.
Conference USA Contenders
Liberty's first season as a Conference USA member will culminate with the 2024 CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Feb. 23-24 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. Liberty ranks No. 1 in the conference in the following events:
Women's 60 – Reese Webster – 7.37
Women's 200 – Reese Webster – 23.93
Women's 5K – Calli Doan – 15:58.96
Women's Pole Vault – Katie Urbine – 13-7.75
Pentathlon – Patasha Bryan – 3,814
Men's 800 – Brendan Pitcher – 1:52.62
Men's Mile – Kyle Harkabus – 4:12.66
Men's Shot Put – Warren Barrett – 61-10.5
Men's Weight Throw – John Hicks – 65-3.25
Heptathlon – Cole Peterlin – 5,244
Among the Nation's Elite
At season's end, the nation's top 16 performers in each event will qualify to the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet is scheduled for March 8-9 in Boston, Mass.
The following Flames currently rank among the top 16 in their respective events:
No. 7 – Patasha Bryan – Pentathlon – 3,814
No. 8 – Warren Barrett – Men's Shot Put – 61-10.5
No. 11 – Cole Peterlin – Heptathlon – 5,244
Up Next
The Flames will return to Lynchburg for their first of three February home meets. The Liberty Open is slated for Feb. 3 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live video streaming will be available for both meets. The Penn State National Open will air on Big Ten Plus, while RunnerSpace +PLUS will cover a majority of the Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge. The exception will be Saturday from noon-2 p.m. (including Indea Cartwright's heat of the women's 200), when Peacock will televise the meet.
Live results will also be provided for both competitions.
It's Been a While
The Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge will mark the Flames' first visit to The Armory since 2007 (New Balance Collegiate Invitational).
Meanwhile, the Penn State National Open will be Liberty's first visit to Penn State since 2017 (Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup).
Plenty to See at Penn State
Both of Liberty's CUSA weekly honorees (Female Field Athlete and Freshman of the Week Katie Urbine and Male Field Athlete of the Week Cole Peterlin) will get to compete in their home state of Pennsylvania.
Urbine will try to improve upon her winning women's pole vault mark of 13-7.75 from the Brant Tolsma Invitational and eclipse the Liberty freshman record for the fourth meet in a row.
Peterlin, who posted a personal-best heptathlon score of 5,244 (No. 11 in the NCAA) last weekend, is entered in the men's 60 hurdles, high jump and pole vault.
Ranked No. 8 nationally at 61-10.5, All-American Warren Barrett has won his first two men's shot put competitions of the season. He will be part of a strong field on Saturday in University Park.
Nicholas Kiprotich will compete for the first time since racing at the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in November. He is entered in Saturday's men's 3K.
Brendan Pitcher and Isaiah Schulties will compete in the rarely-contested 600-meter run on Saturday. Both of Liberty's 600 records were set at the Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track, including the men's mark of 1:18.96 (Phil Leineweber on Feb. 7, 2009) and the women's standard of 1:28.2 (Jaime Watson on Feb. 6, 2010).
Highlighting Hurdlers
The 60 hurdles has been one of Liberty's strongest and deepest events this season, as the Flames boast five of CUSA's top nine men's hurdlers and three of the conference's top eight women's hurdlers.
Liberty women's 60 hurdles record holder Indea Cartwright (8.23) has won two of her three 60 hurdles competitions in 2023-24 and ranks No. 3 in CUSA with a season best of 8.34. She headlines the Lady Flames' hurdles entries in the Big Apple. Cartwright will also contest the 200 for the first time this season, taking part in one of the race's featured sections on Peacock, Saturday at 1:17 p.m.
Top men's entry Albrey Gossett has lowered his 60 hurdles best from 8.30 to 8.16 during his first season after transferring from Coastal Carolina. That ranks No. 5 in CUSA this year and No. 10 all-time for the Flames.
Conference USA Contenders
Liberty's first season as a Conference USA member will culminate with the 2024 CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Feb. 23-24 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. Liberty ranks No. 1 in the conference in the following events:
Women's 60 – Reese Webster – 7.37
Women's 200 – Reese Webster – 23.93
Women's 5K – Calli Doan – 15:58.96
Women's Pole Vault – Katie Urbine – 13-7.75
Pentathlon – Patasha Bryan – 3,814
Men's 800 – Brendan Pitcher – 1:52.62
Men's Mile – Kyle Harkabus – 4:12.66
Men's Shot Put – Warren Barrett – 61-10.5
Men's Weight Throw – John Hicks – 65-3.25
Heptathlon – Cole Peterlin – 5,244
Among the Nation's Elite
At season's end, the nation's top 16 performers in each event will qualify to the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet is scheduled for March 8-9 in Boston, Mass.
The following Flames currently rank among the top 16 in their respective events:
No. 7 – Patasha Bryan – Pentathlon – 3,814
No. 8 – Warren Barrett – Men's Shot Put – 61-10.5
No. 11 – Cole Peterlin – Heptathlon – 5,244
Up Next
The Flames will return to Lynchburg for their first of three February home meets. The Liberty Open is slated for Feb. 3 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
Players Mentioned
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Heptathlon
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Hurdles
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Distance
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Hurdles
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Distance
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Distance
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Decathlon
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Mid-distance
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Mid-distance
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Pole Vault
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Sprints
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