Saturday, March 23
High Point, N.C.
12:00 PM ET
Liberty University
at
Bob Davidson Team Challenge
Indea Cartwright
Lady Flames Win Bob Davidson Team Challenge Title
3/23/2024 7:55:00 PM | Track and Field
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Liberty wrapped up the Bob Davidson Team Challenge with a successful Saturday at Vert Stadium. The Lady Flames took home the women's team title on a day that featured two program records, one Liberty freshman record and three event victories.
The Lady Flames (120 points) held off host High Point (114) and East Carolina (108) in a 10-team women's competition that was not decided until the 4 x 400 relay.
Meanwhile, the Flames totaled 64 points for fifth place out of 10 men's squads. High Point ran away with the men's team crown, ending up with 173 points.
Liberty's first two program records of the 2024 outdoor season went to Indea Cartwright (women's 100 hurdles – 13.53) and Omari Lewis (men's 100 – 10.18).
After breaking the Liberty women's pole vault freshman record four times during the indoor campaign, Katie Urbine (13-5.75) did so for the first time outdoors on Saturday.
Lewis, Desmond Coleman (men's discus – 194-4) and Katelyn Locker (women's 800 – 2:08.95) each notched first-place finishes, giving the Flames a total of five for the two-day meet.
Liberty also added five members to its NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round traveling party, including Coleman, Lewis, Urbine and the discus duo of Beau Backes (men's discus – 177-7) and Megan Mann (women's discus – 166-3).
Women's Day 2 Recap
Heading into the 4 x 400 relay, the women's team scores stood as follows: Liberty 114, High Point 110, East Carolina 105.
The Lady Flames' quartet of Maddy Merritt, Reese Webster, Patasha Bryan and Locker then won its heat and finished third overall in 3:49.51, clinching the team championship.
About 90 minutes earlier, Locker had won the women's 800 in a time of 2:08.95 which ranks No. 8 all-time for the Lady Flames. Teammate Jessica Palisca added a fourth-place finish in 2:13.03.
Cartwright took down one of the longest-standing women's records on the books with her 13.53 effort for the women's 100 hurdles runner-up spot. Olivia Charnuski had owned the mark at 13.65 since the 2010 Liberty Twilight Qualifier (April 29, 2010), prior to Saturday afternoon.
The 100 hurdles was the Lady Flames' highest-scoring event of the day (16 points), as Ahvon Mitchell came in fourth in 14.03 and Amani Hankton's personal-best 14.33 effort was good for sixth. Making her Liberty outdoor track & field debut, Mitchell moves into a tie for seventh in program history with Robin Williams and Brittney Webley.
The Lady Flames' throwers wrapped up an impressive weekend in the discus, with Mann (personal-best 166-3) and Annika Hantho (season- best 157-7) placing 2-4. In the process, Mann leapfrogged Hantho for fourth in program history.
After needing all three attempts to get over her opening height of 12-2, Urbine went on to clear three more bars. The last (13-5.75) enabled her to place second behind multiple-time All-American Sydney Horn of High Point. It also eclipsed the Liberty freshman record of current assistant Taylen (Langin) Rey, a 13-2.5 clearance at Virginia on April 27, 2019. Urbine now trails only Rey and Liberty Athletics Hall of Famer Andrea Wildrick in program history.
Mia Bowers added a fourth-place pole vault finish at 12-8, adding five more key team points late in the meet.
Rebecca Allen recorded the top outdoor long jump mark of her career, 18-10.75, earning second place in her event.
Men's Day 2 Recap
Aided by a 3.3 m/s tailwind on a gusty day, Lewis crossed the finish line first in the men's 100 final in 10.18. That effort nipped another wind-aided effort (Diamantae Griffin's 10.19 from the 2021 Texas Relays) as the fastest in program history. Lewis's last two straightaway events have resulted in program records, as he previously clocked 6.67 in the CUSA men's 60 final indoors a month ago.
Earlier in the day, Lewis anchored the Flames' 4 x 100 relay team to second place in 40.61, claiming the No. 8 spot on Liberty's all-time list. He was preceded with the baton by Elonzo Burroughs, Albrey Gossett and Revell Webster.
Coleman won the meet's final field event with a personal-best 194-4 effort in round two that ranks the redshirt sophomore among the nation's leaders early in 2024. Backes came in third at 177-7 in a successful return to action after missing the 2023 season due to injury.
CUSA indoor mile champion Kyle Harkabus came in third in his outdoor season debut, clocking 3:48.40 in the men's 1,500 final.
A year after winning the men's triple jump at this meet, Shane Wang came in fourth with a 46-11 leap.
Final Women's Team Scores
1) Liberty – 120
2) High Point – 114
3) East Carolina – 108
4) Howard – 95
5) Akron – 72
6) James Madison – 48
7) Campbell – 46
8) Furman – 45
9) George Mason – 40
10) North Carolina A&T – 31
Final Men's Team Scores
1) High Point – 173
2) Akron – 138
3) Howard – 111
4) George Mason – 93
5) Liberty – 64
6) North Carolina A&T – 62
7) Campbell – 54
8) East Carolina – 45
9) Furman – 13
10) UNCG – 1
Women's Day 2 Event Winners
Katelyn Locker – 800 – 2:08.95
Men's Day 2 Event Winners
Desmond Coleman – Discus – 194-4
Omari Lewis – 100 – 10.18
Other Women's Day 2 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Rebecca Allen – Long Jump – 18-10.75
2nd – Indea Cartwright – 100 Hurdles – 13.53
2nd – Megan Mann – Discus – 166-3
2nd – Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 13-5.75
3rd – Maddy Merritt, Reese Webster, Patasha Bryan, Katelyn Locker – 4 x 400 Relay – 3:49.51
Other Men's Day 2 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Elonzo Burroughs, Albrey Gossett, Revell Webster, Omari Lewis – 4 x 100 Relay – 40.61
3rd – Beau Backes – Discus – 177-7
3rd – Kyle Harkabus – 1,500 – 3:48.40
Women's Day 2 Record Breakers
Program Record – Indea Cartwright – 100 Hurdles – 13.53
Previous Record: 13.65 by Olivia Charnuski at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on April 29, 2010
Program Freshman Record – Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 13-5.75
Previous Record: 13-2.5 by Taylen Langin at Virginia on April 27, 2019
Men's Day 2 Record Breakers
Program Record – Omari Lewis – 100 – 10.18
Previous Record: 10.19 by Diamantae Griffin at the Texas Relays on March 26, 2021
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Beau Backes – Discus – 177-7
Desmond Coleman – Discus – 194-4
Omari Lewis – 100 – 10.18
New Women's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Megan Mann – Discus – 166-3
Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 13-5.75
Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
100 Hurdles – No. 1 – Indea Cartwright – 13.53
Pole Vault – No. 3 – Katie Urbine – 13-5.75
Discus – No. 4 – Megan Mann – 166-3
100 Hurdes – Tie for No. 7 – Ahvon Mitchell – 14.03
800 – No. 8 – Katelyn Locker – 2:08.95
Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
100 – No. 1 – Omari Lewis – 10.18
Discus – No. 3 – Desmond Coleman – 194-4
4 x 100 – No. 8 – Burroughs, Gossett, Webster, Lewis – 40.61
Up Next
Liberty has three meets on the schedule next weekend, including the Raleigh Relays (March 28-30 in Raleigh, N.C.), Florida Relays (March 29-30 in Gainesville, Fla.) and Hornet Open (March 29-30 in Lynchburg).
The Lady Flames (120 points) held off host High Point (114) and East Carolina (108) in a 10-team women's competition that was not decided until the 4 x 400 relay.
Meanwhile, the Flames totaled 64 points for fifth place out of 10 men's squads. High Point ran away with the men's team crown, ending up with 173 points.
Liberty's first two program records of the 2024 outdoor season went to Indea Cartwright (women's 100 hurdles – 13.53) and Omari Lewis (men's 100 – 10.18).
After breaking the Liberty women's pole vault freshman record four times during the indoor campaign, Katie Urbine (13-5.75) did so for the first time outdoors on Saturday.
Lewis, Desmond Coleman (men's discus – 194-4) and Katelyn Locker (women's 800 – 2:08.95) each notched first-place finishes, giving the Flames a total of five for the two-day meet.
Liberty also added five members to its NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round traveling party, including Coleman, Lewis, Urbine and the discus duo of Beau Backes (men's discus – 177-7) and Megan Mann (women's discus – 166-3).
Women's Day 2 Recap
Heading into the 4 x 400 relay, the women's team scores stood as follows: Liberty 114, High Point 110, East Carolina 105.
The Lady Flames' quartet of Maddy Merritt, Reese Webster, Patasha Bryan and Locker then won its heat and finished third overall in 3:49.51, clinching the team championship.
About 90 minutes earlier, Locker had won the women's 800 in a time of 2:08.95 which ranks No. 8 all-time for the Lady Flames. Teammate Jessica Palisca added a fourth-place finish in 2:13.03.
Cartwright took down one of the longest-standing women's records on the books with her 13.53 effort for the women's 100 hurdles runner-up spot. Olivia Charnuski had owned the mark at 13.65 since the 2010 Liberty Twilight Qualifier (April 29, 2010), prior to Saturday afternoon.
The 100 hurdles was the Lady Flames' highest-scoring event of the day (16 points), as Ahvon Mitchell came in fourth in 14.03 and Amani Hankton's personal-best 14.33 effort was good for sixth. Making her Liberty outdoor track & field debut, Mitchell moves into a tie for seventh in program history with Robin Williams and Brittney Webley.
The Lady Flames' throwers wrapped up an impressive weekend in the discus, with Mann (personal-best 166-3) and Annika Hantho (season- best 157-7) placing 2-4. In the process, Mann leapfrogged Hantho for fourth in program history.
After needing all three attempts to get over her opening height of 12-2, Urbine went on to clear three more bars. The last (13-5.75) enabled her to place second behind multiple-time All-American Sydney Horn of High Point. It also eclipsed the Liberty freshman record of current assistant Taylen (Langin) Rey, a 13-2.5 clearance at Virginia on April 27, 2019. Urbine now trails only Rey and Liberty Athletics Hall of Famer Andrea Wildrick in program history.
Mia Bowers added a fourth-place pole vault finish at 12-8, adding five more key team points late in the meet.
Rebecca Allen recorded the top outdoor long jump mark of her career, 18-10.75, earning second place in her event.
Men's Day 2 Recap
Aided by a 3.3 m/s tailwind on a gusty day, Lewis crossed the finish line first in the men's 100 final in 10.18. That effort nipped another wind-aided effort (Diamantae Griffin's 10.19 from the 2021 Texas Relays) as the fastest in program history. Lewis's last two straightaway events have resulted in program records, as he previously clocked 6.67 in the CUSA men's 60 final indoors a month ago.
Earlier in the day, Lewis anchored the Flames' 4 x 100 relay team to second place in 40.61, claiming the No. 8 spot on Liberty's all-time list. He was preceded with the baton by Elonzo Burroughs, Albrey Gossett and Revell Webster.
Coleman won the meet's final field event with a personal-best 194-4 effort in round two that ranks the redshirt sophomore among the nation's leaders early in 2024. Backes came in third at 177-7 in a successful return to action after missing the 2023 season due to injury.
CUSA indoor mile champion Kyle Harkabus came in third in his outdoor season debut, clocking 3:48.40 in the men's 1,500 final.
A year after winning the men's triple jump at this meet, Shane Wang came in fourth with a 46-11 leap.
Final Women's Team Scores
1) Liberty – 120
2) High Point – 114
3) East Carolina – 108
4) Howard – 95
5) Akron – 72
6) James Madison – 48
7) Campbell – 46
8) Furman – 45
9) George Mason – 40
10) North Carolina A&T – 31
Final Men's Team Scores
1) High Point – 173
2) Akron – 138
3) Howard – 111
4) George Mason – 93
5) Liberty – 64
6) North Carolina A&T – 62
7) Campbell – 54
8) East Carolina – 45
9) Furman – 13
10) UNCG – 1
Women's Day 2 Event Winners
Katelyn Locker – 800 – 2:08.95
Men's Day 2 Event Winners
Desmond Coleman – Discus – 194-4
Omari Lewis – 100 – 10.18
Other Women's Day 2 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Rebecca Allen – Long Jump – 18-10.75
2nd – Indea Cartwright – 100 Hurdles – 13.53
2nd – Megan Mann – Discus – 166-3
2nd – Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 13-5.75
3rd – Maddy Merritt, Reese Webster, Patasha Bryan, Katelyn Locker – 4 x 400 Relay – 3:49.51
Other Men's Day 2 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Elonzo Burroughs, Albrey Gossett, Revell Webster, Omari Lewis – 4 x 100 Relay – 40.61
3rd – Beau Backes – Discus – 177-7
3rd – Kyle Harkabus – 1,500 – 3:48.40
Women's Day 2 Record Breakers
Program Record – Indea Cartwright – 100 Hurdles – 13.53
Previous Record: 13.65 by Olivia Charnuski at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on April 29, 2010
Program Freshman Record – Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 13-5.75
Previous Record: 13-2.5 by Taylen Langin at Virginia on April 27, 2019
Men's Day 2 Record Breakers
Program Record – Omari Lewis – 100 – 10.18
Previous Record: 10.19 by Diamantae Griffin at the Texas Relays on March 26, 2021
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Beau Backes – Discus – 177-7
Desmond Coleman – Discus – 194-4
Omari Lewis – 100 – 10.18
New Women's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Megan Mann – Discus – 166-3
Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 13-5.75
Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
100 Hurdles – No. 1 – Indea Cartwright – 13.53
Pole Vault – No. 3 – Katie Urbine – 13-5.75
Discus – No. 4 – Megan Mann – 166-3
100 Hurdes – Tie for No. 7 – Ahvon Mitchell – 14.03
800 – No. 8 – Katelyn Locker – 2:08.95
Day 2 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
100 – No. 1 – Omari Lewis – 10.18
Discus – No. 3 – Desmond Coleman – 194-4
4 x 100 – No. 8 – Burroughs, Gossett, Webster, Lewis – 40.61
Up Next
Liberty has three meets on the schedule next weekend, including the Raleigh Relays (March 28-30 in Raleigh, N.C.), Florida Relays (March 29-30 in Gainesville, Fla.) and Hornet Open (March 29-30 in Lynchburg).
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