Saturday, January 27
University Park, Pa.
10:40 AM ET
Liberty University
at
Penn State National Open
Katelyn Locker
Locker, Urbine, Barrett Lead Way on Big Saturday at Penn State
1/27/2024 8:30:00 PM | Track and Field
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – New records by Pennsylvania natives Katelyn Locker (Liberty-record 2:45.61 women's 1,000) and Katie Urbine (Liberty freshman-record 13-8.5 women's pole vault) and the nation's No. 4 men's shot put mark (63-6) by Warren Barrett headlined Liberty's Saturday at the Penn State National Open at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.
Urbine, who shared the invitational women's pole vault title, was one of the Flames' three first-place finishers one the day. Jessica Palisca (open women's 1,000, 2:52.50) and Kyle Harkabus (open men's 3K, 8:14.70) also won their respective events.
Women's Day 2 Recap
Racing to second place in the invitational women's 1,000, Locker's time of 2:45.61 shattered both her previous personal best (2:50.97 from the Liberty Kickoff on Dec. 1) and the program record (2:49.95 by Delaney McDowell in 2018). McDowell's mark was set six years prior to the day, during the 2018 Liberty Kickoff.
Palisca also made a big breakthrough while winning the 1,000's open section by more than two seconds. The sophomore's 2:52.50 effort shaved four seconds off her personal best and moved her up to No. 5 all-time at Liberty.
Urbine has now broken the Liberty freshman record during each of her four collegiate pole vault competitions. On Saturday, she made a first-attempt clearance at 13-8.5, eclipsing her own mark of 13-7.75 from one week earlier at the Brant Tolsma Invitational.
Urbine was victorious for the second week in a row, sharing Saturday's crown with Penn State's Hailey Zurich. Both athletes made it through 13-8.5 without a miss before bowing out at 14-0.5. If successful at that height, Urbine would have taken down Andrea Wildrick's program record of 14-0 from 2002, three years before Urbine was born.
Liberty leaves University Park with victories in both sections of the women's pole vault, also including Mia Bowers' triumph in Friday's open section.
All three of Liberty's mile standouts from Friday doubled back with strong performances in the 3K on Saturday. Adelyn Fairley (ninth place, 9:27.64) and Marie Hostetler (20th, 9:46.00) both clocked season bests in the invitational section, about three hours after Aycock had joined the sub-10:00 club with her 9:53.60 effort for seventh in the open section. Meanwhile, Isabela Ross climbed to No. 5 on the Lady Flames' all-time 3K list with her lifetime-best 9:35.57 effort for 14th in the invitational section.
Megan Mann heaved the shot put an indoor personal-best 48-7.25, nabbing a seventh-place finish.
Men's Day 2 Recap
Barrett, who had won his first two shot put competitions of the season while returning from injury, was the top collegiate finisher on Saturday. His season-best 63-6 put placed the All-American second overall and greatly improves his chances at a return trip to the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in March.
The open men's 3K provided the Flames' most impressive team showing of the day, as Liberty claimed three of the top four places. Coming off a 4:05.28 mile on Friday, Harkabus clocked a personal-best 8:14.70 to take Saturday's 3K victory.
Harkabus was followed in rapid succession by teammates Will Jefferson (second place, season-best 8:15.75) and Nathan Moore (fourth, personal-best 8:16.51).
Nicholas Kiprotich made it four Flames inside the top 10, crossing the line 10th in 8:22.82 during his first race since the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in November.
Jonathon Hadley was the only Liberty men's athlete to shake up the program's top 10 list on the day. His personal-best 2:28.15 1,000 sits No. 10 all-time for the Flames.
Brendan Pitcher (1:20.10) and Isaiah Schulties (1:20.99) came in third and fifth, respectively, in the rarely-contested men's 600.
Omari Lewis (season-best 21.61, invitational men's 200) and Hunter Flack (15-1, open men's pole vault) each recorded fifth-place showings in their events.
Women's Day 2 Event Winners
Jessica Palisca – Open 1,000 – 2:52.50
Katie Urbine – Invitational Pole Vault – 13-8.5
Men's Day 2 Event Winners
Kyle Harkabus – Open 3K – 8:14.70
Women's Day 2 Record Breakers
Liberty Record – 1,000 – Katelyn Locker – 2:45.61
Previous Record: 2:49.95 by Delaney McDowell at the Liberty Kickoff on Jan. 27, 2018
Liberty Freshman Record – Pole Vault – Katie Urbine – 13-8.5
Previous Record: 13-7.75 by Urbine at the Brant Tolsma Invitational on Jan. 20
Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
Pole Vault – No. 2 – Katie Urbine – 13-8.5
Shot Put – No. 4 – Megan Mann – 48-7.25
1,000 – No. 5 – Jessica Palisca – 2:52.50
3K - No. 5 - Isabela Ross - 9:35.57
Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
1,000 – No. 10 – Jonathon Hadley – 2:28.15
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.
Urbine, who shared the invitational women's pole vault title, was one of the Flames' three first-place finishers one the day. Jessica Palisca (open women's 1,000, 2:52.50) and Kyle Harkabus (open men's 3K, 8:14.70) also won their respective events.
Women's Day 2 Recap
Racing to second place in the invitational women's 1,000, Locker's time of 2:45.61 shattered both her previous personal best (2:50.97 from the Liberty Kickoff on Dec. 1) and the program record (2:49.95 by Delaney McDowell in 2018). McDowell's mark was set six years prior to the day, during the 2018 Liberty Kickoff.
Palisca also made a big breakthrough while winning the 1,000's open section by more than two seconds. The sophomore's 2:52.50 effort shaved four seconds off her personal best and moved her up to No. 5 all-time at Liberty.
Urbine has now broken the Liberty freshman record during each of her four collegiate pole vault competitions. On Saturday, she made a first-attempt clearance at 13-8.5, eclipsing her own mark of 13-7.75 from one week earlier at the Brant Tolsma Invitational.
Urbine was victorious for the second week in a row, sharing Saturday's crown with Penn State's Hailey Zurich. Both athletes made it through 13-8.5 without a miss before bowing out at 14-0.5. If successful at that height, Urbine would have taken down Andrea Wildrick's program record of 14-0 from 2002, three years before Urbine was born.
Liberty leaves University Park with victories in both sections of the women's pole vault, also including Mia Bowers' triumph in Friday's open section.
All three of Liberty's mile standouts from Friday doubled back with strong performances in the 3K on Saturday. Adelyn Fairley (ninth place, 9:27.64) and Marie Hostetler (20th, 9:46.00) both clocked season bests in the invitational section, about three hours after Aycock had joined the sub-10:00 club with her 9:53.60 effort for seventh in the open section. Meanwhile, Isabela Ross climbed to No. 5 on the Lady Flames' all-time 3K list with her lifetime-best 9:35.57 effort for 14th in the invitational section.
Megan Mann heaved the shot put an indoor personal-best 48-7.25, nabbing a seventh-place finish.
Men's Day 2 Recap
Barrett, who had won his first two shot put competitions of the season while returning from injury, was the top collegiate finisher on Saturday. His season-best 63-6 put placed the All-American second overall and greatly improves his chances at a return trip to the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in March.
The open men's 3K provided the Flames' most impressive team showing of the day, as Liberty claimed three of the top four places. Coming off a 4:05.28 mile on Friday, Harkabus clocked a personal-best 8:14.70 to take Saturday's 3K victory.
Harkabus was followed in rapid succession by teammates Will Jefferson (second place, season-best 8:15.75) and Nathan Moore (fourth, personal-best 8:16.51).
Nicholas Kiprotich made it four Flames inside the top 10, crossing the line 10th in 8:22.82 during his first race since the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in November.
Jonathon Hadley was the only Liberty men's athlete to shake up the program's top 10 list on the day. His personal-best 2:28.15 1,000 sits No. 10 all-time for the Flames.
Brendan Pitcher (1:20.10) and Isaiah Schulties (1:20.99) came in third and fifth, respectively, in the rarely-contested men's 600.
Omari Lewis (season-best 21.61, invitational men's 200) and Hunter Flack (15-1, open men's pole vault) each recorded fifth-place showings in their events.
Women's Day 2 Event Winners
Jessica Palisca – Open 1,000 – 2:52.50
Katie Urbine – Invitational Pole Vault – 13-8.5
Men's Day 2 Event Winners
Kyle Harkabus – Open 3K – 8:14.70
Women's Day 2 Record Breakers
Liberty Record – 1,000 – Katelyn Locker – 2:45.61
Previous Record: 2:49.95 by Delaney McDowell at the Liberty Kickoff on Jan. 27, 2018
Liberty Freshman Record – Pole Vault – Katie Urbine – 13-8.5
Previous Record: 13-7.75 by Urbine at the Brant Tolsma Invitational on Jan. 20
Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
Pole Vault – No. 2 – Katie Urbine – 13-8.5
Shot Put – No. 4 – Megan Mann – 48-7.25
1,000 – No. 5 – Jessica Palisca – 2:52.50
3K - No. 5 - Isabela Ross - 9:35.57
Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
1,000 – No. 10 – Jonathon Hadley – 2:28.15
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.
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