Friday, May 3
Lynchburg, Va.
7:30 PM ET
Liberty University
at
The Hill City Twilight
Kyle Harkabus
Harkabus, Pitcher Set Program Records at The Hill City Twilight
5/3/2024 9:35:00 PM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Two Liberty men's middle-distance records went down within the span of an hour on Friday at The Hill City Twilight at Dr. Jack M. Toms Track. Kyle Harkabus clocked a Liberty and facility-record 1,500 time of 3:40.78 and Brendan Pitcher raced to a program-record 1:48.26 in the 800.
Harkabus got things started in a men's 1,500 race paced by former Oregon Duck greats Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare. The Liberty senior timed his kick perfectly, clocking 57.17 for the final lap and overtaking Virginia Tech's Ethan Coleman on the final straightaway for the win.
Harkabus' 3:40.78 effort shattered both the senior's previous best of 3:42.10 and a pair of records. He was part of the field when former teammate Ryan Drew set the Liberty men's 1,500 record of 3:41.26 at the 2022 Liberty Twilight Qualifier.
Harkabus was only five years old when the previous Dr. Jack M. Toms Track 1,500 standard of 3:41.58 was achieved by Jason Jabaut of Carrboro Athletics on May 18, 2007.
The native of Senoia, Ga., recorded his third 1,500 triumph in eight days, following victories at the Charlotte Invitational (April 26) and Liberty Twilight Qualifier (Wednesday). On Friday, he finally picked up an elusive qualifier for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
Pitcher will join Harkabus on the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round travel party after improving his personal best from 1:49.29 to 1:48.26. Like Harkabus, Pitcher closed quickly in a race paced by the duo of Hocker and Teare to pull out a tight battle for third place.
Pitcher eclipsed the Liberty standard of 1:48.70 set by Bradley Prentice at the 2018 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet at South Florida. The CUSA indoor 800 champion also overtook UTEP's Aron Tanui for the top spot on the CUSA outdoor performance list heading to next week's conference championship in El Paso.
On the women's side, Calli Doan clocked a season-best 1,500 time of 4:19.20 to place second in her race and move up to No. 2 in CUSA this year behind teammate Katelyn Locker (4:19.04).
Doan wrapped up an impressive week which began with a facility-record and personal-best 2:05.92 800 during Wednesday's Liberty Twilight Qualifier.
Future Lady Flame Allie Zealand passed Doan on the last lap to claim the women's 1,500 title, lowering her own facility record and personal best from 4:23.61 to 4:17.78. That ranks No. 2 nationally among high schoolers this season.
Competing unattached, the Lady Flames' Marie Hostetler followed in fourth place with a 1,500 personal best of 4:27.42.
Men's Event Winners
Kyle Harkabus – 1,500 – 3:40.78
Men's Record Breakers
Liberty Record – 800 – Brendan Pitcher – 1:48.26
Previous Record: 1:48.70 by Bradley Prentice at the 2018 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round in Tampa, Fla. (May 24, 2018)
Liberty Record – 1,500 – Kyle Harkabus – 3:40.78
Previous Record: 3:41.26 by Ryan Drew at the 2022 Liberty Twilight Qualifier (May 4, 2022)
Facility Record – 1,500 – Kyle Harkabus – 3:40.78
Previous Record: 3:41.58 by Jason Jabaut of Carrboro Athletics on May 18, 2007
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Kyle Harkabus – 1,500 – 3:40.78
Brendan Pitcher – 800 – 1:48.26
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
800 – No. 1 – Brendan Pitcher – 1:48.26
1,500 – No. 1 – Kyle Harkabus – 3:40.78
Up Next
Omari Lewis (men's 4 x 100) and Reese Webster (women's 4 x 100) will attempt to help Trinidad and Tobago qualify relay teams to this summer's Olympic Games in Paris, Saturday and Sunday at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas.
The rest of the Flames and Lady Flames will prepare for their inaugural appearance at the CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The meet is scheduled for May 10-12 at Kidd Field in El Paso, Texas.
Harkabus got things started in a men's 1,500 race paced by former Oregon Duck greats Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare. The Liberty senior timed his kick perfectly, clocking 57.17 for the final lap and overtaking Virginia Tech's Ethan Coleman on the final straightaway for the win.
Watch the conclusion of Kyle Harkabus' 1,500-meter race at tonight's The Hill City Twilight as he comes from behind to win in a Liberty and facility-record time of 3:40.78! pic.twitter.com/84Pb5uXiOA
— Liberty XC & TF (@Liberty_XCTF) May 4, 2024
Harkabus' 3:40.78 effort shattered both the senior's previous best of 3:42.10 and a pair of records. He was part of the field when former teammate Ryan Drew set the Liberty men's 1,500 record of 3:41.26 at the 2022 Liberty Twilight Qualifier.
Harkabus was only five years old when the previous Dr. Jack M. Toms Track 1,500 standard of 3:41.58 was achieved by Jason Jabaut of Carrboro Athletics on May 18, 2007.
The native of Senoia, Ga., recorded his third 1,500 triumph in eight days, following victories at the Charlotte Invitational (April 26) and Liberty Twilight Qualifier (Wednesday). On Friday, he finally picked up an elusive qualifier for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.
Pitcher will join Harkabus on the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round travel party after improving his personal best from 1:49.29 to 1:48.26. Like Harkabus, Pitcher closed quickly in a race paced by the duo of Hocker and Teare to pull out a tight battle for third place.
Pitcher eclipsed the Liberty standard of 1:48.70 set by Bradley Prentice at the 2018 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet at South Florida. The CUSA indoor 800 champion also overtook UTEP's Aron Tanui for the top spot on the CUSA outdoor performance list heading to next week's conference championship in El Paso.
On the women's side, Calli Doan clocked a season-best 1,500 time of 4:19.20 to place second in her race and move up to No. 2 in CUSA this year behind teammate Katelyn Locker (4:19.04).
Doan wrapped up an impressive week which began with a facility-record and personal-best 2:05.92 800 during Wednesday's Liberty Twilight Qualifier.
Future Lady Flame Allie Zealand passed Doan on the last lap to claim the women's 1,500 title, lowering her own facility record and personal best from 4:23.61 to 4:17.78. That ranks No. 2 nationally among high schoolers this season.
Competing unattached, the Lady Flames' Marie Hostetler followed in fourth place with a 1,500 personal best of 4:27.42.
Men's Event Winners
Kyle Harkabus – 1,500 – 3:40.78
Men's Record Breakers
Liberty Record – 800 – Brendan Pitcher – 1:48.26
Previous Record: 1:48.70 by Bradley Prentice at the 2018 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round in Tampa, Fla. (May 24, 2018)
Liberty Record – 1,500 – Kyle Harkabus – 3:40.78
Previous Record: 3:41.26 by Ryan Drew at the 2022 Liberty Twilight Qualifier (May 4, 2022)
Facility Record – 1,500 – Kyle Harkabus – 3:40.78
Previous Record: 3:41.58 by Jason Jabaut of Carrboro Athletics on May 18, 2007
New Men's NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifiers
Kyle Harkabus – 1,500 – 3:40.78
Brendan Pitcher – 800 – 1:48.26
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
800 – No. 1 – Brendan Pitcher – 1:48.26
1,500 – No. 1 – Kyle Harkabus – 3:40.78
Up Next
Omari Lewis (men's 4 x 100) and Reese Webster (women's 4 x 100) will attempt to help Trinidad and Tobago qualify relay teams to this summer's Olympic Games in Paris, Saturday and Sunday at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas.
The rest of the Flames and Lady Flames will prepare for their inaugural appearance at the CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The meet is scheduled for May 10-12 at Kidd Field in El Paso, Texas.
Players Mentioned
Distance
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Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
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Mid-distance
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Sprints
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Mid-distance
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Sprints
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