Sunday, May 12
El Paso, Texas
1:30 PM ET/11:30 AM MT
Liberty University
at
Conference USA Outdoor Track Championships
Liberty Completes CUSA Track & Field Title Sweep
5/13/2024 2:26:00 AM | Track and Field
EL PASO, Texas – Liberty punctuated its inaugural season of Conference USA membership by sweeping the men's and women's team titles, Sunday at UTEP's Kidd Field. The Flames' successful day included four event titles and two new program records, headlined by Omari Lewis' show-stopping and world-leading (all conditions) 9.88 clocking for the men's 100 victory.
The Liberty men's squad totaled 195 points over the three days of competition, putting the Flames 34 points clear of runner-up UTEP. The Flames extended the nation's longest active NCAA Division I outdoor track & field championship streak to 17, now spanning three conferences (Big South – 2007-18, ASUN – 2019, 2021-23 and CUSA – 2024).
The Lady Flames completed the title sweep by racking up 177.7 points and defeating second-place UTEP (138) by nearly 40 tallies. Liberty is the first CUSA newcomer to take home the outdoor track & field team trophy since WKU in 2015 and the first CUSA school to sweep the women's indoor and outdoor titles since UTEP in 2017.
After previously claiming the CUSA men's and women's indoor team championships at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex in February, Liberty becomes the second CUSA member (also Houston in 1998 and 2005) to capture all four CUSA track & field crowns in one year.
Lance Bingham was voted the CUSA Men's and Women's Coach of the Year, increasing his career conference coach of the year count to 14.
Liberty finished the meet with 12 first-place finishes, including Sunday victories by Lewis (men's 100 – 9.88), Kyle Harkabus (men's 1,500 – 3:55.06), Calli Doan (women's 5K – 16:39.39) and Katelyn Locker (women's 800 – 2:08.54).
Lewis and Indea Cartwright (women's 100 hurdles – 13.11) each improved their own program records on Sunday, going along with Addilae Watts' women's javelin record of 161-8 from Friday.
Men's Day 3 Recap
Lewis' incredible 9.88 clocking came with the assistance of a huge 5.1 m/s tailwind and the nearly 4,000 feet of altitude in El Paso. But he finished nearly two tenths of a second in front of a loaded field led by the nation's No. 15-ranked 100 runner, Louisiana Tech's Rodney Heath, Jr.
Lewis shattered his own Liberty record of 10.08 set at the Virginia Grand Prix on April 13. He has now reigned as his conference's "fastest" man during each of his first four conference championship appearances (also 2023 ASUN indoor 60, 2023 ASUN outdoor 100 and 2024 CUSA indoor 60).
Lewis becomes the first Flame to win back-to-back men's 100 conference titles since Jeremy Wagner did so in the Big South in 2000 and 2001. Liberty has now raced to its conference's men's 100 title for four consecutive years.
Lewis later added a fourth-place finish in the 200 for good measure, clocking 20.72 with the assistance of a 3.1 m/s tailwind.
Harkabus extended his men's 1,500 winning streak to four by outdueling Men's High Point Scorer of the Meet Brian Kiptoo of Middle Tennessee down the final straightaway, 3:55.06 to 3:55.46. Harkabus closed his final lap in 55.41 to become Liberty's first men's 1,500 conference champ in a decade (Caleb Edmonds – 2014 Big South). He is also the first Flame to sweep a conference's indoor mile and outdoor 1,500 championships during the same year since 2009 (Sam Chelanga – Big South). Freshman Edwin Kiprop added a fourth-place finish in 3:57.19.
After trailing Sam Houston by a point to begin the day, Liberty took the lead for good by outscoring the Bearkats 18-0 during Sunday afternoon's men's discus competition.
Desmond Coleman (second place, 182-2) and Christian Hicks (third, personal-best 180-11) both earned All-CUSA honors, while Beau Backes (177-0) finished fifth. Hicks, who entered the meet on the bubble, clinched an NCAA Division I East First Rounds berth and climbed to No. 7 in program history.
Luke Anderson got to visit the awards podium twice on Sunday, thanks to a pair of third-place finishes in the hurdles races. He clocked a personal-best 14.22 (+3.5 m/s) in the 110 hurdles and a season-best 53.57 in the 400 hurdles despite a tight lane two assignement.
Two nights after racing to victory in the men's 10K, Nicholas Kiprotich clocked 15:11.03 for third in the 5K. Jacob Hess chipped in a fourth-place showing at 15:59.02.
CUSA indoor 800 champion Brendan Pitcher edged out Middle Tennessee's Sammy Sang for third place in Sunday's outdoor 800 final, 1:55.53 to 1:55.54.
Freshman Simon Lamparelli's personal-best 48.03 effort was good for fourth place in the men's 400 final.
Women's Day 3 Recap
Doan helped clinch the Lady Flames' team championship while winning her second race in as many nights, the women's 5K (16:39.39). She showed no ill effects of Saturday night's steeplechase triumph, breaking free from a pack which included CUSA 1,500 champion Odilia Jepchumba of Middle Tennessee and 10K champion Sandra Maiyo of UTEP with two laps to go.
Only the third outdoor 5K race of her collegiate career saw Doan snag the 11th individual conference title of her career (including cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field). The two-time All-American joins SMU's Silje Fjortoft (2008) as the only CUSA women's runners ever to win the steeplechase and 5K at the same conference meet.
Also helping to seal the team title around the same time Sunday evening was freshman Eva Whiteman in the women's high jump. She was a surprise runner-up finisher, thanks to a Liberty freshman-record 5-8 clearance. That took down the mark of 5-7.75 set by Abby Thorpe at the 2019 ASUN Championship and is tied with Meredith Engle and Kylie Polsgrove for fifth all-time at Liberty.
The performance was especially meaningful for Whiteman, as it occurred on the first Mother's Day since the Aug. 27, 2023 passing of her mother, Lisa Whiteman, due to cancer.
Locker crossed the finish line in 2:08.54, completing a sweep of the 2024 CUSA indoor and outdoor women's 800 championships. She becomes the first Lady Flame since 2017 (Delaney McDowell – Big South) to win her conference's indoor and outdoor 800 crowns. It is the second outdoor 800 conference championship of Locker's career, also including her 2021 MAAC win as a Monmouth freshman. Teammate Jessica Palisca clocked 2:12.18 for fourth place, making for the Lady Flames' highest-scoring event of the day (15 points).
Cartwright's record-setting 13.11 clocking was only good for fourth in a lightning fast women's 100 hurdles final helped by a 4.3 m/s tailwind. She improved upon her 13.15 performance from the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 1.
One week after helping Trinidad and Tobago's women's 4 x 100 relay team qualify for the Paris Olympics, Webster collected All-CUSA medals in both the women's 100 (third place, wind-legal 11.32) and 200 (second, personal-best and wind-legal 23.22).
Megan Mann (160-8) and Annika Hantho (season-best 159-10) wrapped up a big meet for the Lady Flames' throwers by finishing 3-4 in the women's discus. Mann's top mark came in round six, propelling the senior to her seventh career all-conference finish and second this weekend (also shot put runner-up).
Meanwhile, Makenzy Mizera's career all-conference count reached 13 with her women's triple jump runner-up finish. Mizera reached 41-0.5 on her sixth and final attempt to secure her place on the awards podium.
Final Men's Team Scores
1) Liberty – 195
2) UTEP – 161
3) Sam Houston – 150
4) Middle Tennessee – 105
5) Louisiana Tech – 85
6) WKU – 63
7) FIU – 40
Final Women's Team Scores
1) Liberty – 177.7
2) UTEP – 138
3) New Mexico State – 119
4) Middle Tennessee – 104.2
5) FIU – 96.2
6) Louisiana Tech – 86
7) Jacksonville State – 38
8) WKU – 28.4
9) Sam Houston – 25.5
Men's High Point Scorer of the Meet
Brian Kiptoo, Middle Tennessee
Women's High Point Scorer of the Meet
Niesha Burgher, UTEP
Men's Freshman of the Meet
Xavier Butler, UTEP
Women's Freshman of the Meet
Rejoice Sule, UTEP
Men's Coach of the Year
Lance Bingham, Liberty
Women's Coach of the Year
Lance Bingham, Liberty
Men's Day 3 CUSA Champions
Kyle Harkabus – 1,500 – 3:55.06
Omari Lewis – 100 – 9.88
Women's Day 3 CUSA Champions
Calli Doan – 5K – 16:39.39
Katelyn Locker – 800 – 2:08.54
Other Men's Day 3 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Desmond Coleman – Discus – 182-2
3rd – Luke Anderson – 110 Hurdles – 14.22
3rd – Luke Anderson – 400 Hurdles – 53.57
3rd – Christian Hicks – Discus – 180-11
3rd – Nicholas Kiprotich – 5K – 15:11.03
3rd – Brendan Pitcher – 800 – 1:55.53
3rd – Shane Wang – Triple Jump – 48-0
Other Women's Day 3 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Makenzy Mizera – Triple Jump – 41-0.5
2nd – Reese Webster – 200 – 23.22
2nd – Eva Whiteman – High Jump – 5-8
3rd – Megan Mann – Discus – 160-8
3rd – Reese Webster – 100 – 11.32
Women's Day 2 Record Breakers
Program Record – Indea Cartwright – 100 Hurdles – 13.11
Previous Record: 13.15 by Cartwright at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 1
Liberty Freshman Record – Eva Whiteman – High Jump – 5-8
Previous Record: 5-7.75 by Abby Thorpe at the ASUN Championship on May 11, 2019 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Men's Day 2 Record Breakers
Program Record – Omari Lewis – 100 – 9.88
Previous Record: 10.08 by Lewis at the Virginia Grand Prix on April 13 in Charlottesville, Va.
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Christian Hicks – Discus – 180-11
Day 3 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
No. 1 – 100 – Omari Lewis – 9.88
No. 5 – 110 Hurdles – Luke Anderson – 14.22
No. 7 – Discus – Christian Hicks – 180-11
Day 3 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
No. 1 – 100 Hurdles – Indea Cartwright – 13.11
No. 2 – 200 – Reese Webster – 23.22
Tie for No. 5 – High Jump – Eva Whiteman – 5-8
Up Next
The NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet will be contested May 22-25 at the UK Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Ky. More than 20 Flames are expected to make the trip to the Bluegrass State.
The official list of qualifiers for Lexington will be announced on Thursday on NCAA.com.
The Liberty men's squad totaled 195 points over the three days of competition, putting the Flames 34 points clear of runner-up UTEP. The Flames extended the nation's longest active NCAA Division I outdoor track & field championship streak to 17, now spanning three conferences (Big South – 2007-18, ASUN – 2019, 2021-23 and CUSA – 2024).
The Lady Flames completed the title sweep by racking up 177.7 points and defeating second-place UTEP (138) by nearly 40 tallies. Liberty is the first CUSA newcomer to take home the outdoor track & field team trophy since WKU in 2015 and the first CUSA school to sweep the women's indoor and outdoor titles since UTEP in 2017.
After previously claiming the CUSA men's and women's indoor team championships at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex in February, Liberty becomes the second CUSA member (also Houston in 1998 and 2005) to capture all four CUSA track & field crowns in one year.
Lance Bingham was voted the CUSA Men's and Women's Coach of the Year, increasing his career conference coach of the year count to 14.
Liberty finished the meet with 12 first-place finishes, including Sunday victories by Lewis (men's 100 – 9.88), Kyle Harkabus (men's 1,500 – 3:55.06), Calli Doan (women's 5K – 16:39.39) and Katelyn Locker (women's 800 – 2:08.54).
Lewis and Indea Cartwright (women's 100 hurdles – 13.11) each improved their own program records on Sunday, going along with Addilae Watts' women's javelin record of 161-8 from Friday.
9.88?!?!?!
— Liberty XC & TF (@Liberty_XCTF) May 13, 2024
Fastest time in the world this year (all conditions)!
We know it was windy (+5.1) and at altitude, but Omari Lewis was blazing to win the CUSA men's 100 final! pic.twitter.com/hrPpORJPqd
Men's Day 3 Recap
Lewis' incredible 9.88 clocking came with the assistance of a huge 5.1 m/s tailwind and the nearly 4,000 feet of altitude in El Paso. But he finished nearly two tenths of a second in front of a loaded field led by the nation's No. 15-ranked 100 runner, Louisiana Tech's Rodney Heath, Jr.
Lewis shattered his own Liberty record of 10.08 set at the Virginia Grand Prix on April 13. He has now reigned as his conference's "fastest" man during each of his first four conference championship appearances (also 2023 ASUN indoor 60, 2023 ASUN outdoor 100 and 2024 CUSA indoor 60).
Lewis becomes the first Flame to win back-to-back men's 100 conference titles since Jeremy Wagner did so in the Big South in 2000 and 2001. Liberty has now raced to its conference's men's 100 title for four consecutive years.
Lewis later added a fourth-place finish in the 200 for good measure, clocking 20.72 with the assistance of a 3.1 m/s tailwind.
Harkabus extended his men's 1,500 winning streak to four by outdueling Men's High Point Scorer of the Meet Brian Kiptoo of Middle Tennessee down the final straightaway, 3:55.06 to 3:55.46. Harkabus closed his final lap in 55.41 to become Liberty's first men's 1,500 conference champ in a decade (Caleb Edmonds – 2014 Big South). He is also the first Flame to sweep a conference's indoor mile and outdoor 1,500 championships during the same year since 2009 (Sam Chelanga – Big South). Freshman Edwin Kiprop added a fourth-place finish in 3:57.19.
After trailing Sam Houston by a point to begin the day, Liberty took the lead for good by outscoring the Bearkats 18-0 during Sunday afternoon's men's discus competition.
Desmond Coleman (second place, 182-2) and Christian Hicks (third, personal-best 180-11) both earned All-CUSA honors, while Beau Backes (177-0) finished fifth. Hicks, who entered the meet on the bubble, clinched an NCAA Division I East First Rounds berth and climbed to No. 7 in program history.
Luke Anderson got to visit the awards podium twice on Sunday, thanks to a pair of third-place finishes in the hurdles races. He clocked a personal-best 14.22 (+3.5 m/s) in the 110 hurdles and a season-best 53.57 in the 400 hurdles despite a tight lane two assignement.
Two nights after racing to victory in the men's 10K, Nicholas Kiprotich clocked 15:11.03 for third in the 5K. Jacob Hess chipped in a fourth-place showing at 15:59.02.
CUSA indoor 800 champion Brendan Pitcher edged out Middle Tennessee's Sammy Sang for third place in Sunday's outdoor 800 final, 1:55.53 to 1:55.54.
Freshman Simon Lamparelli's personal-best 48.03 effort was good for fourth place in the men's 400 final.
Women's Day 3 Recap
Doan helped clinch the Lady Flames' team championship while winning her second race in as many nights, the women's 5K (16:39.39). She showed no ill effects of Saturday night's steeplechase triumph, breaking free from a pack which included CUSA 1,500 champion Odilia Jepchumba of Middle Tennessee and 10K champion Sandra Maiyo of UTEP with two laps to go.
Only the third outdoor 5K race of her collegiate career saw Doan snag the 11th individual conference title of her career (including cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field). The two-time All-American joins SMU's Silje Fjortoft (2008) as the only CUSA women's runners ever to win the steeplechase and 5K at the same conference meet.
Also helping to seal the team title around the same time Sunday evening was freshman Eva Whiteman in the women's high jump. She was a surprise runner-up finisher, thanks to a Liberty freshman-record 5-8 clearance. That took down the mark of 5-7.75 set by Abby Thorpe at the 2019 ASUN Championship and is tied with Meredith Engle and Kylie Polsgrove for fifth all-time at Liberty.
The performance was especially meaningful for Whiteman, as it occurred on the first Mother's Day since the Aug. 27, 2023 passing of her mother, Lisa Whiteman, due to cancer.
Locker crossed the finish line in 2:08.54, completing a sweep of the 2024 CUSA indoor and outdoor women's 800 championships. She becomes the first Lady Flame since 2017 (Delaney McDowell – Big South) to win her conference's indoor and outdoor 800 crowns. It is the second outdoor 800 conference championship of Locker's career, also including her 2021 MAAC win as a Monmouth freshman. Teammate Jessica Palisca clocked 2:12.18 for fourth place, making for the Lady Flames' highest-scoring event of the day (15 points).
Cartwright's record-setting 13.11 clocking was only good for fourth in a lightning fast women's 100 hurdles final helped by a 4.3 m/s tailwind. She improved upon her 13.15 performance from the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 1.
One week after helping Trinidad and Tobago's women's 4 x 100 relay team qualify for the Paris Olympics, Webster collected All-CUSA medals in both the women's 100 (third place, wind-legal 11.32) and 200 (second, personal-best and wind-legal 23.22).
Megan Mann (160-8) and Annika Hantho (season-best 159-10) wrapped up a big meet for the Lady Flames' throwers by finishing 3-4 in the women's discus. Mann's top mark came in round six, propelling the senior to her seventh career all-conference finish and second this weekend (also shot put runner-up).
Meanwhile, Makenzy Mizera's career all-conference count reached 13 with her women's triple jump runner-up finish. Mizera reached 41-0.5 on her sixth and final attempt to secure her place on the awards podium.
Final Men's Team Scores
1) Liberty – 195
2) UTEP – 161
3) Sam Houston – 150
4) Middle Tennessee – 105
5) Louisiana Tech – 85
6) WKU – 63
7) FIU – 40
Final Women's Team Scores
1) Liberty – 177.7
2) UTEP – 138
3) New Mexico State – 119
4) Middle Tennessee – 104.2
5) FIU – 96.2
6) Louisiana Tech – 86
7) Jacksonville State – 38
8) WKU – 28.4
9) Sam Houston – 25.5
Men's High Point Scorer of the Meet
Brian Kiptoo, Middle Tennessee
Women's High Point Scorer of the Meet
Niesha Burgher, UTEP
Men's Freshman of the Meet
Xavier Butler, UTEP
Women's Freshman of the Meet
Rejoice Sule, UTEP
Men's Coach of the Year
Lance Bingham, Liberty
Women's Coach of the Year
Lance Bingham, Liberty
Men's Day 3 CUSA Champions
Kyle Harkabus – 1,500 – 3:55.06
Omari Lewis – 100 – 9.88
Women's Day 3 CUSA Champions
Calli Doan – 5K – 16:39.39
Katelyn Locker – 800 – 2:08.54
Other Men's Day 3 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Desmond Coleman – Discus – 182-2
3rd – Luke Anderson – 110 Hurdles – 14.22
3rd – Luke Anderson – 400 Hurdles – 53.57
3rd – Christian Hicks – Discus – 180-11
3rd – Nicholas Kiprotich – 5K – 15:11.03
3rd – Brendan Pitcher – 800 – 1:55.53
3rd – Shane Wang – Triple Jump – 48-0
Other Women's Day 3 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Makenzy Mizera – Triple Jump – 41-0.5
2nd – Reese Webster – 200 – 23.22
2nd – Eva Whiteman – High Jump – 5-8
3rd – Megan Mann – Discus – 160-8
3rd – Reese Webster – 100 – 11.32
Women's Day 2 Record Breakers
Program Record – Indea Cartwright – 100 Hurdles – 13.11
Previous Record: 13.15 by Cartwright at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 1
Liberty Freshman Record – Eva Whiteman – High Jump – 5-8
Previous Record: 5-7.75 by Abby Thorpe at the ASUN Championship on May 11, 2019 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Men's Day 2 Record Breakers
Program Record – Omari Lewis – 100 – 9.88
Previous Record: 10.08 by Lewis at the Virginia Grand Prix on April 13 in Charlottesville, Va.
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Christian Hicks – Discus – 180-11
Day 3 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
No. 1 – 100 – Omari Lewis – 9.88
No. 5 – 110 Hurdles – Luke Anderson – 14.22
No. 7 – Discus – Christian Hicks – 180-11
Day 3 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
No. 1 – 100 Hurdles – Indea Cartwright – 13.11
No. 2 – 200 – Reese Webster – 23.22
Tie for No. 5 – High Jump – Eva Whiteman – 5-8
Up Next
The NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet will be contested May 22-25 at the UK Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Ky. More than 20 Flames are expected to make the trip to the Bluegrass State.
The official list of qualifiers for Lexington will be announced on Thursday on NCAA.com.
Players Mentioned
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and FieldEmma Unger: Every Step of the Way
Wednesday, May 14
Follow the Leader: Lance Bingham
Tuesday, May 13
Beau Backes: Following God's Calling in Two Worlds
Friday, May 02
Reagan Underwood: Running a New Race
Tuesday, April 15