Sunday, April 28
Charlottesville, Va.
3:00 PM ET
Liberty University
at
Virginia High Performance
Addilae Watts
Watts, Bueno, Barrett Victorious at UVA
4/28/2024 9:14:00 PM | Track and Field
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Liberty's throws crew made an impressive showing at Sunday's Virginia High Performance meet at Lannigan Field. Addilae Watts (women's javelin), Paola Bueno (women's hammer) and Warren Barrett (men's shot put) won their respective events, while Annika Hantho and Desmond Coleman each threw the hammer over 60 meters for the first time.
Women's Meet Recap
Watts set the tone for the Flames' successful day by winning the afternoon's opening event, the women's javelin. Her personal-best 158-3 effort in round two defeated runner-up Liv Cantby of William & Mary (the 2023 ECAC champion) by two feet. The third javelin triumph of Watts' first season as a Lady Flame saw her climb to No. 3 on Liberty's all-time top 10 list.
Bueno (199-11), Hantho (199-3) and Megan Mann (184-9) swept the top three spots in the women's hammer competition.
Hantho became the sixth Lady Flame ever to go over 60 meters in the women's hammer (60.75m, to be exact) and punched her ticket to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet. Hantho has made incredible improvements in the hammer as a senior, boosting her personal best from 170-11 entering the year to 199-3 on Sunday.
Mann placed inside the top three in each of her three Sunday events. In addition to her hammer performance, she also placed a team-best second in both the women's shot put (46-1.25) and discus (157-6).
Mann's next closest competition in the shot put (Efe Latham, 44-3.5) and discus (Hantho, 152-1) came from teammates.
Men's Meet Recap
Throwing the shot put for just the second time this outdoor season, Barrett defeated five-time Big South shot put champion Chris Van Niekerk of High Point with an outdoor personal-best 61-9 heave on his opening attempt. Barrett now ranks No. 26 nationally this season and No. 3 in program history, trailing only fellow Jamaicans Kyle Mitchell and Kevin Nedrick.
Reigning CUSA Male Field Athlete of the Week John Hicks was the top collegiate performer in the men's hammer, throwing 216-3 for second place overall.
Making his collegiate hammer debut, Coleman placed third at 200-4, becoming Liberty's fifth 60-meter thrower (61.07m) in program history and claiming the No. 4 spot on the Flames' all-time chart. Coleman later placed a team-best third in the men's discus with a 183-6 heave.
Christian Hicks followed with a fourth-place discus finish, thanks to a personal-best 178-0 effort. Hicks' performance moves him up to No. 8 in program history and likely earns a return visit to next month's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
The Flames' freshman throwers recorded personal bests in each of their events on Sunday, beginning with Jordae Edwards in the shot put. He finished third at 55-6.25, shattering his previous best of 53-7.
Classmate Jason Hayes later notched personal bests in both the men's hammer (175-6 for fourth place) and discus (157-9 for seventh). Hayes' hammer mark added 15 feet to his best entering the competition.
A pair of Flames alumni took home event victories, including assistant Kevin Nedrick in the men's discus (200-8) and Brandon Letts in the men's 100 (wind-aided 10.34).
Women's Event Winners
Paola Bueno – Hammer – 199-11
Addilae Watts – Javelin – 158-3
Men's Event Winners
Warren Barrett – Shot Put – 61-9
Other Women's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Annika Hantho – Hammer – 199-3
2nd – Megan Mann – Shot Put – 46-1.25
2nd – Megan Mann – Discus – 157-6
3rd – Annika Hantho – Discus – 152-1
3rd – Efe Latham – Shot Put – 44-3.5
3rd – Megan Mann – Hammer – 184-9
Other Men's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – John Hicks – Hammer – 216-3
3rd – Desmond Coleman – Hammer – 200-4
3rd – Desmond Coleman – Discus – 183-6
3rd – Jordae Edwards – Shot Put – 55-6.25
New Women's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Annika Hantho – Hammer – 199-3
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Christian Hicks – Discus – 178-0
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
Javelin – No. 3 – Addilae Watts – 158-3
Hammer – No. 6 – Annika Hantho – 199-3
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
Shot Put – No. 3 – Warren Barrett – 61-9
Hammer – No. 4 – Desmond Coleman – 200-4
Discus – No. 8 – Christian Hicks – 178-0
Up Next
The Flames will return to Lynchburg on Wednesday for their lone home meet of the 2024 outdoor season, the Liberty Twilight Qualifier. The one-day competition at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex will see the Flames' 18 seniors recognized.
Women's Meet Recap
Watts set the tone for the Flames' successful day by winning the afternoon's opening event, the women's javelin. Her personal-best 158-3 effort in round two defeated runner-up Liv Cantby of William & Mary (the 2023 ECAC champion) by two feet. The third javelin triumph of Watts' first season as a Lady Flame saw her climb to No. 3 on Liberty's all-time top 10 list.
Bueno (199-11), Hantho (199-3) and Megan Mann (184-9) swept the top three spots in the women's hammer competition.
Hantho became the sixth Lady Flame ever to go over 60 meters in the women's hammer (60.75m, to be exact) and punched her ticket to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet. Hantho has made incredible improvements in the hammer as a senior, boosting her personal best from 170-11 entering the year to 199-3 on Sunday.
Mann placed inside the top three in each of her three Sunday events. In addition to her hammer performance, she also placed a team-best second in both the women's shot put (46-1.25) and discus (157-6).
Mann's next closest competition in the shot put (Efe Latham, 44-3.5) and discus (Hantho, 152-1) came from teammates.
Men's Meet Recap
Throwing the shot put for just the second time this outdoor season, Barrett defeated five-time Big South shot put champion Chris Van Niekerk of High Point with an outdoor personal-best 61-9 heave on his opening attempt. Barrett now ranks No. 26 nationally this season and No. 3 in program history, trailing only fellow Jamaicans Kyle Mitchell and Kevin Nedrick.
Reigning CUSA Male Field Athlete of the Week John Hicks was the top collegiate performer in the men's hammer, throwing 216-3 for second place overall.
Making his collegiate hammer debut, Coleman placed third at 200-4, becoming Liberty's fifth 60-meter thrower (61.07m) in program history and claiming the No. 4 spot on the Flames' all-time chart. Coleman later placed a team-best third in the men's discus with a 183-6 heave.
Christian Hicks followed with a fourth-place discus finish, thanks to a personal-best 178-0 effort. Hicks' performance moves him up to No. 8 in program history and likely earns a return visit to next month's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
The Flames' freshman throwers recorded personal bests in each of their events on Sunday, beginning with Jordae Edwards in the shot put. He finished third at 55-6.25, shattering his previous best of 53-7.
Classmate Jason Hayes later notched personal bests in both the men's hammer (175-6 for fourth place) and discus (157-9 for seventh). Hayes' hammer mark added 15 feet to his best entering the competition.
A pair of Flames alumni took home event victories, including assistant Kevin Nedrick in the men's discus (200-8) and Brandon Letts in the men's 100 (wind-aided 10.34).
Women's Event Winners
Paola Bueno – Hammer – 199-11
Addilae Watts – Javelin – 158-3
Men's Event Winners
Warren Barrett – Shot Put – 61-9
Other Women's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Annika Hantho – Hammer – 199-3
2nd – Megan Mann – Shot Put – 46-1.25
2nd – Megan Mann – Discus – 157-6
3rd – Annika Hantho – Discus – 152-1
3rd – Efe Latham – Shot Put – 44-3.5
3rd – Megan Mann – Hammer – 184-9
Other Men's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – John Hicks – Hammer – 216-3
3rd – Desmond Coleman – Hammer – 200-4
3rd – Desmond Coleman – Discus – 183-6
3rd – Jordae Edwards – Shot Put – 55-6.25
New Women's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Annika Hantho – Hammer – 199-3
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Christian Hicks – Discus – 178-0
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
Javelin – No. 3 – Addilae Watts – 158-3
Hammer – No. 6 – Annika Hantho – 199-3
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
Shot Put – No. 3 – Warren Barrett – 61-9
Hammer – No. 4 – Desmond Coleman – 200-4
Discus – No. 8 – Christian Hicks – 178-0
Up Next
The Flames will return to Lynchburg on Wednesday for their lone home meet of the 2024 outdoor season, the Liberty Twilight Qualifier. The one-day competition at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex will see the Flames' 18 seniors recognized.
Players Mentioned
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Hammer
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Throws
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