John Hicks will throw the hammer at this meet for the fourth time on Wednesday.
22 Flames Set for NCAA Division I East First Rounds
5/20/2024 10:24:00 AM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A group of 22 Liberty track & field athletes is heading to the UK Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Ky., for the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet. The four-day event, which will determine the qualifiers to the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, is set for Wednesday through Saturday.
At both the Lexington and Fayetteville, Ark., venues, 48 athletes will compete in each individual event and 24 teams will race in each relay. The top 12 finishers in each event at each of the two sites will punch their tickets to the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, to be contested June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Kentucky is hosting the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet for the second time in the meet's 14-year history and the first since 2017. That year, Azaria Kirwa successfully advanced to the NCAA national meet in the men's 5K.
This year's meet will get started Wednesday at 10 a.m. with the men's hammer. Men's events will be contested on Wednesday and Friday, with women's events scheduled for Thursday and Saturday.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live video streaming coverage of each day's running events will be available on ESPN+ with commentary provided by Noah Frary and Katelyn Hutchison. Coverage will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Live results, including lap-by-lap splits and in-progress field event updates, will be provided by Flash Results.
Weather Report
With the exception of Thursday (high in the mid-70s and thunderstorms likely), the weather forecast for Lexington calls for a high around 80 each day and a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms.
NCAA First Rounds Event Capsules (Organized Chronologically)
Men's Hammer
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Liberty Competitors: John Hicks (Sr., Romney, W.Va.) and Kellen Kimes (Fr., Ludington, Mich.)
Entry Marks/Seeds: Hicks – 218-6 (66.59m)/No. 15; Kimes – 208-0 (63.40m)/No. 32
Outlook: Hicks hopes the fourth time is the charm for him at this meet. The senior has made steady process at this event, placing 38th as a freshman, 23rd as a sophomore and 14th as a junior. Hicks will need to move up at least two more places to become Liberty's first men's hammer thrower since Jon Hart in 2008 to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The only other two Liberty men's athletes to qualify for this meet four times (Ryan Smith – men's shot put, 2010-13 and Denzel Pratt – men's javelin, 2016-19) both successfully advanced to the national meet as seniors. Hart (222-4 in 2008) is the only Flame ever to heave the hammer farther than Hicks' 218-6 performance from the Virginia Challenge. Coming off his third career men's hammer conference title, Hicks will get to join younger brother Christian Hicks at this meet for the second year in a row. Christian is slated to throw the discus on Friday. CUSA's third-place finisher, Kimes has broken John Hicks' Liberty freshman record this season and owns a top mark of 208-0 from the Pacific Coast Invitational. Kimes is one of just six freshmen among the 48 men's hammer throwers who will compete in Lexington and gives Liberty multiple men's hammer entrants at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet for the first time.
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 216-5.
Men's Javelin
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Ben Shughart (Jr., Shippensburg, Pa.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 226-9 (69.11m)/No. 17
Outlook: Shughart will throw the javelin at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet for the second year in a row, looking to improve upon his 44th-place showing from 2023. The junior has launched huge throws during two of his last three competitions. Shughart reached a personal-best 226-9 to win the UCLA Legends Invitational and then dominated the CUSA final by 40 feet with a mark of 224-6. Denzel Pratt was Liberty's most recent men's javelin thrower to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, doing so in 2019.
Road to Eugene: All 48 javelin throwers in Lexington will receive three attempts, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 231-9.
Men's Shot Put
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Warren Barrett (R-Sr., Montego Bay, Jamaica)
Entry Mark/Seed: 61-9 (18.82m)/No. 18
Outlook: Two-time indoor men's shot put All-American Barrett will look to punctuate his collegiate career by advancing to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the first time. He has made two previous appearances at this meet, placing 32nd in 2021 and 22nd in 2022. Barrett has won his last two shot put competitions, reaching a season-best 61-9 at the Virginia High Performance and claiming the CUSA title. Current assistant Kyle Mitchell was the most recent Liberty men's shot putter to qualify to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, making it to Eugene in 2021.
Road to Eugene: All 48 shot putters in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 61-6.25.
Men's 1,500
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Friday at 5:15 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Kyle Harkabus (Sr., Senoia, Ga.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 3:40.78/No. 22
Outlook: Harkabus qualified for this meet for the first time as a senior, thanks to an incredible finish to his season. Harkabus arrives in Lexington having won each of his last four 1,500 races, claiming victory at the Charlotte Invitational, Liberty Twilight Qualifier, The Hill City Twilight and CUSA Championship. Harkabus punched his ticket to Lexington with a program-record 3:40.78 performance at The Hill City Twilight on May 3. As a result, he will become the first Flame since Colin Schultz in 2018 to contest the men's 1,500 at this meet. Harkabus will aim to follow in the footsteps of his coach (Isaac Wendland as a senior in 2013), who was Liberty's most recent men's 1,500 runner to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The men's 1,500 is expected to be an extremely competitive event in Lexington, as a qualifying time of 3:41.89 was required to make the field.
Road to Eugene: The top five finishers in each of Wednesday's first-round heats and the next four fastest time qualifiers will move on to Friday's quarterfinal round. On Friday, the top five finishers in each heat and the next two fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. In 2023, it took 3:45.96 to earn a time qualifier to the quarterfinals and 3:49.56 (on a very windy day in Jacksonville) to earn a time qualifier to the national meet.
Men's 100
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 7 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Friday at 6:35 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Omari Lewis (Jr., Arouca, Trindidad and Tobago)
Entry Mark/Seed: Lewis – 10.08/No. 15
Outlook: Many eyes will be on Lewis when he takes the track in Lexington after he posted the fastest time in the world this year (all conditions) with his eye-popping 9.88 (+5.1 m/s tailwind) in the CUSA final in El Paso, Texas. Lewis earned his first NCAA Division I East First Round qualification with a wind-legal 10.08 (+1.1) at the Virginia Grand Prix. Lewis is one of six CUSA men's 100 runners who will contest the event in Lexington, joining the Louisiana Tech quartet of Rodney Heath, Jr., Quoi Ellis, Karo Oghomi and Julian Forde and WKU's Kameron Horton. Four more CUSA athletes will compete in the men's 100 this week at the NCAA Division I West First Rounds meet in Arkansas, making it even more remarkable that Lewis won the CUSA 100 final by 0.19 seconds, the largest margin of victory at the meet since 2006. Lewis will try to become the first Liberty men's 100 runner ever to reach the quarterfinal round at this meet and the first Flame to reach the NCAA national championship in this event since Jacob Swinton in 1994.
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Wednesday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Friday's quarterfinal round. On Friday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 10.20 to reach the quarterfinals and 9.99 (on a day featuring +4.4 and +5.5 tailwinds) to advance to the national meet.
Men's 800
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Friday at 7:05 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Brendan Pitcher (R-So., Mason, Ohio)
Entry Mark/Seed: 1:48.26 – No. 36
Outlook: Pitcher will give Liberty a men's 800 representative at this meet for the sixth time in the last seven years, thanks to a program-record 1:48.26 effort at The Hill City Twilight on May 3. The redshirt sophomore, who will be competing less than two hours away from his hometown of Mason, Ohio, has proven to be an effective championship racer. Pitcher placed third in the CUSA outdoor men's 800 final after racing to his second straight indoor men's 800 title in February. Liberty has never sent a men's 800 runner to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Michael Todd (2019) was the most recent Flame to reach the quarterfinals at this meet, missing a trip to nationals by just six hundredths of a second that year.
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Wednesday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Friday's quarterfinal round. On Friday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 1:49.82 to guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals and 1:50.31 (on a windy Jacksonville day) to advance to the national meet.
Women's Hammer
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 10 a.m.
Liberty Competitors: Paola Bueno (So., Nayarit, Mexico), Annika Hantho (Sr., Mannington, N.J.) and Megan Mann (Sr., Mechanicsville, Va.)
Entry Marks/Seeds: Bueno – 208-7 (63.59m)/ No. 11; Hantho – 199-4 (60.75m)/No. 23; Mann – 194-9 (59.36m)/No. 32
Outlook: The Lady Flames will open Thursday's action with a trio of entrants in the women's hammer. This is only the second time Liberty has qualified three athletes to this meet in a single women's event (also 2013 discus – Mychelle Cumings, Jennifer Nicholson and Jocelyn Williams), and the Lady Flames join perennial hammer power Ole Miss as the only two schools with three representatives in this event in Lexington. CUSA champion Paola Bueno leads the way, making her second straight appearance at this meet. She threw a season-best 208-7 to win the CUSA title, and that gives her the top seed (No. 11) among any of the Lady Flames competing in Lexington. Hantho and Mann will both throw the hammer at this meet for the first time as seniors after each making significant improvement in the event this season. Hantho has become the sixth member of Liberty's 60-meter club all-time (199-4 at Virginia High Performance) after entering the year with a personal best of 170-11. Mann threw a personal-best 194-9 for fourth place at the CUSA meet. Her top mark entering 2024 was 185-4. The Lady Flames have a strong history of advancing women's hammer throwers from this meet to the national championship, including Melinda Bendik (2012), Jocelyn Williams (2015) and Dasiana Larson (2018).
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 202-11.
Women's Javelin
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 1 p.m.
Liberty Competitors: Addilae Watts (So., New Castle, Pa.) and Kali Grayson (Sr., Long Branch, N.J.)
Entry Marks/Seeds: Watts – 161-8 (49.29m)/No. 18; Grayson – 156-5 (47.67m)/No. 28
Outlook: Watts returns to this meet for the second year in a row after placing 22nd as a Youngstown State freshman in 2023, while Grayson makes her third NCAA Division I East First Rounds appearance (also 2021 and 2023). Watts is trending in the right direction, recording the top two marks of her career (158-3 and 161-8) during her last two competitions. Her 161-8 effort set a school record and earned a CUSA third-place finish. Grayson, who came in fifth in the CUSA javelin competition, notched her season best of 156-5 at the Pacific Coast Invitational. Watts and Grayson will be joined in Thursday's competition by a trio of FIU Panthers (Christiana Ellina, Hannah Jansen and Selena Callix). Liberty has never sent a women's javelin athlete to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Lady Flames' top javelin finisher at this meet was Brenna Smith, who took 17th place the last time it was contested in Lexington (2017). Smith owned the program record until Watts broke it at the CUSA meet in El Paso.
Road to Eugene: All 48 javelin throwers in Lexington will receive three attempts, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 157-5.
Women's 100 Hurdles
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 6 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Saturday at 6:15 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Indea Cartwright (R-Jr., Nassau, Bahamas)
Entry Mark/Seed: 13.15/No. 19
Outlook: Prior to Cartwright's arrival at Liberty, Olivia Charnuski's 13.65 effort had stood as the program record since 2010. Cartwright has lowered it five times, most recently with her wind-aided 13.11 (+4.3 m/s tailwind) for fourth place in the CUSA final. Cartwright will be the first Lady Flame to run the 100 hurdles at this meet since Charnuski competed in the inaugural edition in 2010 in Greensboro, N.C. Cartwright, who raced in the women's 100 hurdles at the 2022 NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round meet for Oral Roberts, will try to become the Lady Flames' first-ever NCAA Division I national qualifier in the event.
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Thursday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Saturday's quarterfinal round. On Saturday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 13.31 to reach the quarterfinal round and 13.02 to qualify for the national meet.
Women's Pole Vault
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Katie Urbine (Fr., Quarryville, Pa.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 13-9.25 (4.20m)/No. 16
Outlook: Urbine, the Lady Flames' lone freshman to qualify for this year's NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet, gives Liberty a women's pole vault representative for the sixth straight edition of this meet. Current assistant Taylen (Langin) Rey, whose Liberty freshman record Urbine broke earlier this season, pole vaulted at this meet four times (2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023). Urbine's top clearance of her career (13-9.25) came at the Florida Relays, and she posted a fourth-place finish in the CUSA final. Two of the three vaulters to defeat Urbine in El Paso (FIU's Nicole Janse Van Rensburg and Luciana Gomez-Iriondo) will join her in Lexington on Thursday. Urbine will try to become the Lady Flames' first national qualifier in this event since program record holder Andrea Wildrick (14-3.25) finished as NCAA national runner-up in 2002.
Road to Eugene: After opening at a height of 12-5.5, the pole vault competition will continue until all entrants have attempted at least one height and there are 12 or fewer athletes remaining. At that point, the competition will be halted and the top 12 will move on to Eugene, using a jump-off to determine the final qualifiers if necessary. Last season, a 13-10 clearance was necessary to guarantee national qualification.
Women's 100
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 7 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Saturday at 6:35 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Reese Webster (So., San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago)
Entry Mark/Seed: 11.35/No. 25
Outlook: After helping Trinidad and Tobago's women's 4 x 100 relay qualify for the Paris Olympics earlier this month, Webster will try to make more history as Liberty's first-ever women's 100 runner to qualify to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. During her first year as a Lady Flame after spending her freshman season at Elon, Webster has lowered her personal best to 11.24 (just off Isis Brooks' program record of 11.23 at this meet in 2023). Most recently, Webster came in third in the CUSA 100 final. Webster will be competing as a 22-year-old for the first time after celebrating her birthday on Tuesday (May 21).
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Thursday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Saturday's quarterfinal round. On Saturday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 11.33 to reach the quarterfinal round and 11.23 to qualify for the national meet. Brooks clocked 11.23 in the quarterfinals but lost out on a tiebreaker with UCF's Rayniah Jones for the final national qualifying spot.
Women's 800
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 7:50 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Katelyn Locker (R-Jr., Elizabethtown, Pa.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 2:04.46/No. 21
Outlook: During her first year of competition for the Lady Flames, Locker has swept the CUSA indoor and outdoor women's 800 titles and broken Jaime Watson's outdoor program record from 2010 with a 2:04.46 effort at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Locker is the first Lady Flame to qualify for this meet in the 800 since Tanner Ealum and Delaney McDowell both did so in 2019. McDowell (2018) was Liberty's last women's 800 runner to advance to the quarterfinal round at this meet. No Lady Flame has ever reached the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the two-lap event.
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Thursday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Saturday's quarterfinal round. On Saturday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 2:06.37 to reach the quarterfinal round and 2:04.97 to qualify for the national meet.
Men's Discus
Event Schedule: First Round – Friday at 1 p.m.
Liberty Competitors: Desmond Coleman (R-So., Charlotte, N.C.), Christian Hicks (R-So., Romney, W.Va.) and Beau Backes (R-Jr., Lindstrom, Minn.)
Entry Marks/Seeds: Coleman – 198-7 (60.53m)/No. 7; Hicks – 180-11 (55.14m)/No. 37; Backes – 177-7 (54.13m)/No. 48
Outlook: Despite the graduation of two-time All-American Kevin Nedrick (now an assistant on Liberty's staff), a trio of Liberty men's discus throwers will compete at this meet for the third year in a row. Northwestern State will be the only other school bringing three men's discus throwers to Lexington this week. CUSA runner-up Desmond Coleman enters as the No. 7 seed (Liberty's top seed in any event this week), thanks to his personal-best 198-7 effort at the Florida Relays. He missed out on national qualification at this meet by one centimeter a year ago as a redshirt freshman. Christian Hicks, who was the last men's discus thrower to get into this meet in 2023, is coming off a personal-best 180-11 effort for third place in the CUSA final. Beau Backes was the last men's discus thrower to receive an invite to Lexington this time around. He threw the discus at the 2022 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet before missing 2023 due to injury.
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 180-11.
Men's 5K
Event Schedule: Semifinals – Friday at 8:10 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Edwin Kiprop (Fr., Kapsabet, Kenya)
Entry Mark/Seed: 13:47.63/No. 27
Outlook: Kiprop, who just arrived at Liberty in January, will continue an impressive freshman season as one of six rookies set to contest the men's 5K in Lexington. He has set Liberty freshman records in both the 1,500 (3:44.39) and 5K (13:47.63) this season, with the latter mark eclipsing Josh McDougal's standard that had stood since 2005. Most recently, Kiprop placed fourth in the CUSA 1,500 final in El Paso. Kiprop will look to follow in the footsteps of fellow Kenya native Azaria Kirwa, who successfully advanced from Lexington to Eugene in 2017.
Road to Eugene: There will be two 5K heats contested Friday evening. The top five finishers in each heat and the next two fastest time qualifiers will move on to Eugene. In 2023, a time of 13:55.29 was necessary for national qualification.
Women's Discus
Event Schedule: First Round – Saturday at 1 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Megan Mann (Sr., Mechanicsville, Va.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 166-3 (50.68m)/No. 44
Outlook: Mann, who has qualified for this meet for the first time as a senior, will be competing in her second event, following Thursday's hammer competition. CUSA's third-place discus finisher, Mann reached her discus personal best of 166-3 at the Bob Davidson Team Challenge back in March. Two of the last three times the Lady Flames have sent a women's discus thrower to this meet, she has advanced to the national championship (Chelsea Igberaese in both 2019 and 2021). If Mann is successful in qualifying to Eugene in either of her events, it would make for an interesting situation with her wedding slated for May 31.
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 172-11.
Women's Steeplechase
Event Schedule: Quarterfinals – Saturday at 5:40 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Calli Doan (R-Sr., Apex, N.C.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 10:03.90/No. 14
Outlook: Doan will contest the steeplechase at this meet for the third time (also 2021 and 2023). On both previous occasions, she has fallen during the race. A year ago, Doan overcame her spill to advance to the national meet where she went on to place 11th in the final and earn second team All-America honors. Doan is just one of four 2023 national qualifiers returning for this year's NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet, joining Notre Dame's Olivia Markezich (defending national champion), Penn's Olivia Morganti and Duke's Emily Cole. Doan, who raced sparingly during the early portion of the season as she bounced back from injury, has been in top form in May. She improved her 800 personal best to 2:05.92 at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier and then became just the second woman ever to win both the steeplechase and 5K at the same CUSA meet. Doan's fastest steeplechase time so far in 2024 (10:03.90 at the Bryan Clay Invitational) was the top clocking by a CUSA runner in 15 years.
Road to Eugene: Saturday will feature three heats of the steeplechase. The top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest time qualifiers will punch their tickets to Eugene. Last season, a time of 10:03.25 was necessary for national qualification.
Women's Triple Jump
Event Schedule: First Round – Saturday at 6 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Makenzy Mizera (R-Sr., Maryville, Mo.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 41-6 (12.65m)/No. 41
Outlook: Mizera will triple jump at this meet for the second time in her career but the first since 2021. Her qualifying mark of 41-6 came at the Virginia Grand Prix. Mizera then finished as the CUSA triple jump runner-up, claiming the 13th and final all-conference medal of her career. No Lady Flames triple jumper has ever qualified to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Janae Jones owns Liberty's best women's triple jump finish to date at this event, taking 25th place in 2015.
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three jumps, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 42-11.5.
At both the Lexington and Fayetteville, Ark., venues, 48 athletes will compete in each individual event and 24 teams will race in each relay. The top 12 finishers in each event at each of the two sites will punch their tickets to the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, to be contested June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Kentucky is hosting the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet for the second time in the meet's 14-year history and the first since 2017. That year, Azaria Kirwa successfully advanced to the NCAA national meet in the men's 5K.
This year's meet will get started Wednesday at 10 a.m. with the men's hammer. Men's events will be contested on Wednesday and Friday, with women's events scheduled for Thursday and Saturday.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live video streaming coverage of each day's running events will be available on ESPN+ with commentary provided by Noah Frary and Katelyn Hutchison. Coverage will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Live results, including lap-by-lap splits and in-progress field event updates, will be provided by Flash Results.
Weather Report
With the exception of Thursday (high in the mid-70s and thunderstorms likely), the weather forecast for Lexington calls for a high around 80 each day and a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms.
NCAA First Rounds Event Capsules (Organized Chronologically)
Men's Hammer
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Liberty Competitors: John Hicks (Sr., Romney, W.Va.) and Kellen Kimes (Fr., Ludington, Mich.)
Entry Marks/Seeds: Hicks – 218-6 (66.59m)/No. 15; Kimes – 208-0 (63.40m)/No. 32
Outlook: Hicks hopes the fourth time is the charm for him at this meet. The senior has made steady process at this event, placing 38th as a freshman, 23rd as a sophomore and 14th as a junior. Hicks will need to move up at least two more places to become Liberty's first men's hammer thrower since Jon Hart in 2008 to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The only other two Liberty men's athletes to qualify for this meet four times (Ryan Smith – men's shot put, 2010-13 and Denzel Pratt – men's javelin, 2016-19) both successfully advanced to the national meet as seniors. Hart (222-4 in 2008) is the only Flame ever to heave the hammer farther than Hicks' 218-6 performance from the Virginia Challenge. Coming off his third career men's hammer conference title, Hicks will get to join younger brother Christian Hicks at this meet for the second year in a row. Christian is slated to throw the discus on Friday. CUSA's third-place finisher, Kimes has broken John Hicks' Liberty freshman record this season and owns a top mark of 208-0 from the Pacific Coast Invitational. Kimes is one of just six freshmen among the 48 men's hammer throwers who will compete in Lexington and gives Liberty multiple men's hammer entrants at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet for the first time.
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 216-5.
Men's Javelin
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Ben Shughart (Jr., Shippensburg, Pa.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 226-9 (69.11m)/No. 17
Outlook: Shughart will throw the javelin at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet for the second year in a row, looking to improve upon his 44th-place showing from 2023. The junior has launched huge throws during two of his last three competitions. Shughart reached a personal-best 226-9 to win the UCLA Legends Invitational and then dominated the CUSA final by 40 feet with a mark of 224-6. Denzel Pratt was Liberty's most recent men's javelin thrower to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, doing so in 2019.
Road to Eugene: All 48 javelin throwers in Lexington will receive three attempts, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 231-9.
Men's Shot Put
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Warren Barrett (R-Sr., Montego Bay, Jamaica)
Entry Mark/Seed: 61-9 (18.82m)/No. 18
Outlook: Two-time indoor men's shot put All-American Barrett will look to punctuate his collegiate career by advancing to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the first time. He has made two previous appearances at this meet, placing 32nd in 2021 and 22nd in 2022. Barrett has won his last two shot put competitions, reaching a season-best 61-9 at the Virginia High Performance and claiming the CUSA title. Current assistant Kyle Mitchell was the most recent Liberty men's shot putter to qualify to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, making it to Eugene in 2021.
Road to Eugene: All 48 shot putters in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 61-6.25.
Men's 1,500
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Friday at 5:15 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Kyle Harkabus (Sr., Senoia, Ga.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 3:40.78/No. 22
Outlook: Harkabus qualified for this meet for the first time as a senior, thanks to an incredible finish to his season. Harkabus arrives in Lexington having won each of his last four 1,500 races, claiming victory at the Charlotte Invitational, Liberty Twilight Qualifier, The Hill City Twilight and CUSA Championship. Harkabus punched his ticket to Lexington with a program-record 3:40.78 performance at The Hill City Twilight on May 3. As a result, he will become the first Flame since Colin Schultz in 2018 to contest the men's 1,500 at this meet. Harkabus will aim to follow in the footsteps of his coach (Isaac Wendland as a senior in 2013), who was Liberty's most recent men's 1,500 runner to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The men's 1,500 is expected to be an extremely competitive event in Lexington, as a qualifying time of 3:41.89 was required to make the field.
Road to Eugene: The top five finishers in each of Wednesday's first-round heats and the next four fastest time qualifiers will move on to Friday's quarterfinal round. On Friday, the top five finishers in each heat and the next two fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. In 2023, it took 3:45.96 to earn a time qualifier to the quarterfinals and 3:49.56 (on a very windy day in Jacksonville) to earn a time qualifier to the national meet.
Men's 100
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 7 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Friday at 6:35 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Omari Lewis (Jr., Arouca, Trindidad and Tobago)
Entry Mark/Seed: Lewis – 10.08/No. 15
Outlook: Many eyes will be on Lewis when he takes the track in Lexington after he posted the fastest time in the world this year (all conditions) with his eye-popping 9.88 (+5.1 m/s tailwind) in the CUSA final in El Paso, Texas. Lewis earned his first NCAA Division I East First Round qualification with a wind-legal 10.08 (+1.1) at the Virginia Grand Prix. Lewis is one of six CUSA men's 100 runners who will contest the event in Lexington, joining the Louisiana Tech quartet of Rodney Heath, Jr., Quoi Ellis, Karo Oghomi and Julian Forde and WKU's Kameron Horton. Four more CUSA athletes will compete in the men's 100 this week at the NCAA Division I West First Rounds meet in Arkansas, making it even more remarkable that Lewis won the CUSA 100 final by 0.19 seconds, the largest margin of victory at the meet since 2006. Lewis will try to become the first Liberty men's 100 runner ever to reach the quarterfinal round at this meet and the first Flame to reach the NCAA national championship in this event since Jacob Swinton in 1994.
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Wednesday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Friday's quarterfinal round. On Friday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 10.20 to reach the quarterfinals and 9.99 (on a day featuring +4.4 and +5.5 tailwinds) to advance to the national meet.
Men's 800
Event Schedule: First Round – Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Friday at 7:05 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Brendan Pitcher (R-So., Mason, Ohio)
Entry Mark/Seed: 1:48.26 – No. 36
Outlook: Pitcher will give Liberty a men's 800 representative at this meet for the sixth time in the last seven years, thanks to a program-record 1:48.26 effort at The Hill City Twilight on May 3. The redshirt sophomore, who will be competing less than two hours away from his hometown of Mason, Ohio, has proven to be an effective championship racer. Pitcher placed third in the CUSA outdoor men's 800 final after racing to his second straight indoor men's 800 title in February. Liberty has never sent a men's 800 runner to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Michael Todd (2019) was the most recent Flame to reach the quarterfinals at this meet, missing a trip to nationals by just six hundredths of a second that year.
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Wednesday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Friday's quarterfinal round. On Friday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 1:49.82 to guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals and 1:50.31 (on a windy Jacksonville day) to advance to the national meet.
Women's Hammer
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 10 a.m.
Liberty Competitors: Paola Bueno (So., Nayarit, Mexico), Annika Hantho (Sr., Mannington, N.J.) and Megan Mann (Sr., Mechanicsville, Va.)
Entry Marks/Seeds: Bueno – 208-7 (63.59m)/ No. 11; Hantho – 199-4 (60.75m)/No. 23; Mann – 194-9 (59.36m)/No. 32
Outlook: The Lady Flames will open Thursday's action with a trio of entrants in the women's hammer. This is only the second time Liberty has qualified three athletes to this meet in a single women's event (also 2013 discus – Mychelle Cumings, Jennifer Nicholson and Jocelyn Williams), and the Lady Flames join perennial hammer power Ole Miss as the only two schools with three representatives in this event in Lexington. CUSA champion Paola Bueno leads the way, making her second straight appearance at this meet. She threw a season-best 208-7 to win the CUSA title, and that gives her the top seed (No. 11) among any of the Lady Flames competing in Lexington. Hantho and Mann will both throw the hammer at this meet for the first time as seniors after each making significant improvement in the event this season. Hantho has become the sixth member of Liberty's 60-meter club all-time (199-4 at Virginia High Performance) after entering the year with a personal best of 170-11. Mann threw a personal-best 194-9 for fourth place at the CUSA meet. Her top mark entering 2024 was 185-4. The Lady Flames have a strong history of advancing women's hammer throwers from this meet to the national championship, including Melinda Bendik (2012), Jocelyn Williams (2015) and Dasiana Larson (2018).
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 202-11.
Women's Javelin
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 1 p.m.
Liberty Competitors: Addilae Watts (So., New Castle, Pa.) and Kali Grayson (Sr., Long Branch, N.J.)
Entry Marks/Seeds: Watts – 161-8 (49.29m)/No. 18; Grayson – 156-5 (47.67m)/No. 28
Outlook: Watts returns to this meet for the second year in a row after placing 22nd as a Youngstown State freshman in 2023, while Grayson makes her third NCAA Division I East First Rounds appearance (also 2021 and 2023). Watts is trending in the right direction, recording the top two marks of her career (158-3 and 161-8) during her last two competitions. Her 161-8 effort set a school record and earned a CUSA third-place finish. Grayson, who came in fifth in the CUSA javelin competition, notched her season best of 156-5 at the Pacific Coast Invitational. Watts and Grayson will be joined in Thursday's competition by a trio of FIU Panthers (Christiana Ellina, Hannah Jansen and Selena Callix). Liberty has never sent a women's javelin athlete to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Lady Flames' top javelin finisher at this meet was Brenna Smith, who took 17th place the last time it was contested in Lexington (2017). Smith owned the program record until Watts broke it at the CUSA meet in El Paso.
Road to Eugene: All 48 javelin throwers in Lexington will receive three attempts, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 157-5.
Women's 100 Hurdles
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 6 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Saturday at 6:15 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Indea Cartwright (R-Jr., Nassau, Bahamas)
Entry Mark/Seed: 13.15/No. 19
Outlook: Prior to Cartwright's arrival at Liberty, Olivia Charnuski's 13.65 effort had stood as the program record since 2010. Cartwright has lowered it five times, most recently with her wind-aided 13.11 (+4.3 m/s tailwind) for fourth place in the CUSA final. Cartwright will be the first Lady Flame to run the 100 hurdles at this meet since Charnuski competed in the inaugural edition in 2010 in Greensboro, N.C. Cartwright, who raced in the women's 100 hurdles at the 2022 NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round meet for Oral Roberts, will try to become the Lady Flames' first-ever NCAA Division I national qualifier in the event.
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Thursday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Saturday's quarterfinal round. On Saturday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 13.31 to reach the quarterfinal round and 13.02 to qualify for the national meet.
Women's Pole Vault
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Katie Urbine (Fr., Quarryville, Pa.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 13-9.25 (4.20m)/No. 16
Outlook: Urbine, the Lady Flames' lone freshman to qualify for this year's NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet, gives Liberty a women's pole vault representative for the sixth straight edition of this meet. Current assistant Taylen (Langin) Rey, whose Liberty freshman record Urbine broke earlier this season, pole vaulted at this meet four times (2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023). Urbine's top clearance of her career (13-9.25) came at the Florida Relays, and she posted a fourth-place finish in the CUSA final. Two of the three vaulters to defeat Urbine in El Paso (FIU's Nicole Janse Van Rensburg and Luciana Gomez-Iriondo) will join her in Lexington on Thursday. Urbine will try to become the Lady Flames' first national qualifier in this event since program record holder Andrea Wildrick (14-3.25) finished as NCAA national runner-up in 2002.
Road to Eugene: After opening at a height of 12-5.5, the pole vault competition will continue until all entrants have attempted at least one height and there are 12 or fewer athletes remaining. At that point, the competition will be halted and the top 12 will move on to Eugene, using a jump-off to determine the final qualifiers if necessary. Last season, a 13-10 clearance was necessary to guarantee national qualification.
Women's 100
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 7 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Saturday at 6:35 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Reese Webster (So., San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago)
Entry Mark/Seed: 11.35/No. 25
Outlook: After helping Trinidad and Tobago's women's 4 x 100 relay qualify for the Paris Olympics earlier this month, Webster will try to make more history as Liberty's first-ever women's 100 runner to qualify to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. During her first year as a Lady Flame after spending her freshman season at Elon, Webster has lowered her personal best to 11.24 (just off Isis Brooks' program record of 11.23 at this meet in 2023). Most recently, Webster came in third in the CUSA 100 final. Webster will be competing as a 22-year-old for the first time after celebrating her birthday on Tuesday (May 21).
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Thursday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Saturday's quarterfinal round. On Saturday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 11.33 to reach the quarterfinal round and 11.23 to qualify for the national meet. Brooks clocked 11.23 in the quarterfinals but lost out on a tiebreaker with UCF's Rayniah Jones for the final national qualifying spot.
Women's 800
Event Schedule: First Round – Thursday at 7:50 p.m.; Quarterfinals – Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Katelyn Locker (R-Jr., Elizabethtown, Pa.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 2:04.46/No. 21
Outlook: During her first year of competition for the Lady Flames, Locker has swept the CUSA indoor and outdoor women's 800 titles and broken Jaime Watson's outdoor program record from 2010 with a 2:04.46 effort at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Locker is the first Lady Flame to qualify for this meet in the 800 since Tanner Ealum and Delaney McDowell both did so in 2019. McDowell (2018) was Liberty's last women's 800 runner to advance to the quarterfinal round at this meet. No Lady Flame has ever reached the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the two-lap event.
Road to Eugene: The top three finishers in each of Thursday's first-round heats and the next six fastest time qualifiers will move on to Saturday's quarterfinal round. On Saturday, the top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest qualifiers will advance to Eugene. Last season, it took 2:06.37 to reach the quarterfinal round and 2:04.97 to qualify for the national meet.
Men's Discus
Event Schedule: First Round – Friday at 1 p.m.
Liberty Competitors: Desmond Coleman (R-So., Charlotte, N.C.), Christian Hicks (R-So., Romney, W.Va.) and Beau Backes (R-Jr., Lindstrom, Minn.)
Entry Marks/Seeds: Coleman – 198-7 (60.53m)/No. 7; Hicks – 180-11 (55.14m)/No. 37; Backes – 177-7 (54.13m)/No. 48
Outlook: Despite the graduation of two-time All-American Kevin Nedrick (now an assistant on Liberty's staff), a trio of Liberty men's discus throwers will compete at this meet for the third year in a row. Northwestern State will be the only other school bringing three men's discus throwers to Lexington this week. CUSA runner-up Desmond Coleman enters as the No. 7 seed (Liberty's top seed in any event this week), thanks to his personal-best 198-7 effort at the Florida Relays. He missed out on national qualification at this meet by one centimeter a year ago as a redshirt freshman. Christian Hicks, who was the last men's discus thrower to get into this meet in 2023, is coming off a personal-best 180-11 effort for third place in the CUSA final. Beau Backes was the last men's discus thrower to receive an invite to Lexington this time around. He threw the discus at the 2022 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet before missing 2023 due to injury.
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 180-11.
Men's 5K
Event Schedule: Semifinals – Friday at 8:10 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Edwin Kiprop (Fr., Kapsabet, Kenya)
Entry Mark/Seed: 13:47.63/No. 27
Outlook: Kiprop, who just arrived at Liberty in January, will continue an impressive freshman season as one of six rookies set to contest the men's 5K in Lexington. He has set Liberty freshman records in both the 1,500 (3:44.39) and 5K (13:47.63) this season, with the latter mark eclipsing Josh McDougal's standard that had stood since 2005. Most recently, Kiprop placed fourth in the CUSA 1,500 final in El Paso. Kiprop will look to follow in the footsteps of fellow Kenya native Azaria Kirwa, who successfully advanced from Lexington to Eugene in 2017.
Road to Eugene: There will be two 5K heats contested Friday evening. The top five finishers in each heat and the next two fastest time qualifiers will move on to Eugene. In 2023, a time of 13:55.29 was necessary for national qualification.
Women's Discus
Event Schedule: First Round – Saturday at 1 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Megan Mann (Sr., Mechanicsville, Va.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 166-3 (50.68m)/No. 44
Outlook: Mann, who has qualified for this meet for the first time as a senior, will be competing in her second event, following Thursday's hammer competition. CUSA's third-place discus finisher, Mann reached her discus personal best of 166-3 at the Bob Davidson Team Challenge back in March. Two of the last three times the Lady Flames have sent a women's discus thrower to this meet, she has advanced to the national championship (Chelsea Igberaese in both 2019 and 2021). If Mann is successful in qualifying to Eugene in either of her events, it would make for an interesting situation with her wedding slated for May 31.
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three throws, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 172-11.
Women's Steeplechase
Event Schedule: Quarterfinals – Saturday at 5:40 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Calli Doan (R-Sr., Apex, N.C.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 10:03.90/No. 14
Outlook: Doan will contest the steeplechase at this meet for the third time (also 2021 and 2023). On both previous occasions, she has fallen during the race. A year ago, Doan overcame her spill to advance to the national meet where she went on to place 11th in the final and earn second team All-America honors. Doan is just one of four 2023 national qualifiers returning for this year's NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet, joining Notre Dame's Olivia Markezich (defending national champion), Penn's Olivia Morganti and Duke's Emily Cole. Doan, who raced sparingly during the early portion of the season as she bounced back from injury, has been in top form in May. She improved her 800 personal best to 2:05.92 at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier and then became just the second woman ever to win both the steeplechase and 5K at the same CUSA meet. Doan's fastest steeplechase time so far in 2024 (10:03.90 at the Bryan Clay Invitational) was the top clocking by a CUSA runner in 15 years.
Road to Eugene: Saturday will feature three heats of the steeplechase. The top three finishers in each heat and the next three fastest time qualifiers will punch their tickets to Eugene. Last season, a time of 10:03.25 was necessary for national qualification.
Women's Triple Jump
Event Schedule: First Round – Saturday at 6 p.m.
Liberty Competitor: Makenzy Mizera (R-Sr., Maryville, Mo.)
Entry Mark/Seed: 41-6 (12.65m)/No. 41
Outlook: Mizera will triple jump at this meet for the second time in her career but the first since 2021. Her qualifying mark of 41-6 came at the Virginia Grand Prix. Mizera then finished as the CUSA triple jump runner-up, claiming the 13th and final all-conference medal of her career. No Lady Flames triple jumper has ever qualified to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Janae Jones owns Liberty's best women's triple jump finish to date at this event, taking 25th place in 2015.
Road to Eugene: All 48 athletes in Lexington will take three jumps, with the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene. Last year, 12th place measured 42-11.5.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Hammer
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and FieldPaola Bueno: Representing Liberty and Mexico
Thursday, January 29
The Sherard Family: On the Court and on the Track
Wednesday, January 21
Allie Zealand Talks About The Cross Country & Indoor Track Season
Friday, December 12
Coach Zealand & Ryann Aycock Give An Update On The Cross Country Season
Wednesday, September 17