Seniors Doan, Mizera Move On to Eugene

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A pair of Liberty sixth-year seniors overcame improbable circumstances to extend their collegiate careers during the final day of the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet, Saturday at the UK Track & Field Complex. Calli Doan qualified to Eugene despite falling with just over a lap remaining in the steeplechase, while Makenzy Mizera made it in the triple jump after entering as the East Region's No. 41 seed.

Doan and Mizera, both of whom missed nearly the entire indoor season due to injury, become Liberty's fifth and sixth qualifiers to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. They will be joined on the plane to Eugene, Ore., by Paola Bueno (women's hammer), Katie Urbine (women's pole vault), John Hicks (men's hammer) and Ben Shughart (men's javelin), who punched their tickets during the first three days of competition in Lexington. All except Doan will be making their NCAA national meet debuts.

Four marks the second-most women's athletes Liberty has ever sent to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, trailing only the five Lady Flames who competed in Austin, Texas in 2019.

Doan, who placed 11^th in the 2023 NCAA women's steeplechase national final, successfully overcame a fall at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet for the second year in a row. This year's spill came over the last hurdle before Doan began her final lap.

Although effectively eliminated from a top-three finish in her heat at that point, Doan rallied to close with her fastest lap of the day, 78.08 seconds. That made the Apex, N.C., native's final time a season-best 10:03.25, good for fourth place in the heat and second among the three time qualifiers punching their tickets to Eugene.

The CUSA steeplechase champion will now chase her third career All-America honor (previously 2021 cross country and 2023 steeplechase). Doan's semifinal race at Hayward Field is slated for 9:02 p.m. Eastern on June 6, live on ESPN2.

Mizera came into her second NCAA Division I East First Rounds appearance (also 2021) as the No. 41 seed with a season-best triple jump mark of 41-6 from the Virginia Grand Prix on April 12.

The native of Maryville, Mo., blasted out to 42-0.75 in round two and 42-4.25 on her third and final attempt, her best distance in three years. That was good for first place at the midway mark of the competition. After waiting more than an hour for the remaining two flights to be completed, Mizera ended up in 10^th place among the event's dozen Eugene qualifiers. She was not the only unlikely triple jump qualifier, as No. 39 seed Jada Joseph from Brown also moved on.

Mizera will become the first Lady Flame ever to triple jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, beginning at 5:50 p.m. Eastern on the meet's final day, June 8.

Competing in her second event in three days (also women's hammer), Megan Mann closed out her collegiate career during Saturday afternoon's women's discus. She reached 160-11 for her top effort since the season opener at High Point two months earlier. That mark was good for 35^th place in the event.

Women's NCAA Division I National Qualifiers
Calli Doan – Steeplechase – 10:03.25
Makenzy Mizera – Triple Jump – 42-4.25

Up Next
The 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., will begin on June 5. John Hicks will be first up for the Flames, taking part in that day's men's hammer competition at 5 p.m. Eastern.

Schedule

Seniors Doan, Mizera Move On to Eugene

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paola Bueno

Calli Doan

John Hicks

Megan Mann

Makenzy Mizera

Ben Shughart

Katie Urbine