(L-R): Ava Gordon, Adelyn Fairley, Isabela Ross, Marie Hostetler, Catherine Farrell
Liberty Men’s & Women’s XC Picked 2nd in CUSA
8/29/2024 1:06:00 PM | Cross Country
LYNCHBURG, Va. – With the 2024 cross country season set to begin on Friday, the Liberty men's and women's squads have both been picked for second-place finishes in the Conference USA (CUSA) preseason coaches poll. Defending men's and women's team champion Middle Tennessee was tabbed to defend its CUSA titles.
It was a tight battle atop the men's poll, with Middle Tennessee edging the Flames by two points (78-76). The top two teams from the 2023 CUSA Championship combined to collect all 10 first-place votes, with six going to the Blue Raiders and four to the Flames.
On the women's side, Middle Tennessee finished four ahead of Liberty in both total points (77-73) and first-place votes (6-2). Conference newcomer Kennesaw State (third place) and UTEP (fourth) also earned one first-place nod apiece.
The Liberty men's cross country team will aim for its first conference title since claiming the 2013 Big South crown. The Flames have posted 10 straight runner-up finishes since then (four Big South, five ASUN, one CUSA).
The Flames bring back five of their eight All-CUSA runners from 2023, including Nicholas Kiprotich (seventh place), Nathan Moore (ninth), Kyle Harkabus (11th), Jack Cottrell (15th) and Will Jefferson (16th). Kiprotich went on to qualify for the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
Edwin Kiprop and Tristian Merchant, who have combined to win three conference titles on the track, also join the Liberty lineup this fall.
The Lady Flames, who defeated New Mexico State in a tiebreaker to claim 2023 CUSA runner-up honors, are in search of their first team title since winning the 2021 ASUN Championship.
All four Liberty women's All-CUSA performers from 2023 return, led by conference runner-up Adelyn Fairley. She is joined by Catherine Farrell (fifth place), Katrina Schlenker (12th) and Jessica Palisca (19th).
Other key returnees for the Lady Flames include 2022 ASUN Freshman of the Year Ava Gordon and three-time all-conference runner (including cross country and track) Marie Hostetler.
Isabela Ross will make her Liberty cross country debut this fall after posting back-to-back Sun Belt fifth-place finishes for Southern Miss in 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, Allie Zealand headlines the Lady Flames' freshman class. Her numerous cross country accolades include a 2023 Foot Locker national runner-up finish and a pair of appearances at the World Cross Country Championships (2023 and 2024) for the Team USA U20 squad.
The Flames and Lady Flames will open the 2024 campaign on Friday, playing host to the Liberty Challenge at their home course adjacent to the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. The meet, which will also feature runners from Lynchburg and Radford, will include a women's 4K at 6:30 p.m. and a men's 6K at 7:15.
The 2024 CUSA Cross Country Championships will take place on Nov. 2. Jacksonville State is set to host the meet at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala.
2024 CUSA Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1) Middle Tennessee (6 first-place votes) – 78 points
2) Liberty (4) – 76
3) UTEP – 59
4) New Mexico State – 50
5) Sam Houston – 49
6T) Jacksonville State – 37
6T) Kennesaw State – 37
8) Western Kentucky – 25
9) FIU – 24
10) Louisiana Tech – 15
2024 CUSA Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1) Middle Tennessee (6 first-place votes) – 77 points
2) Liberty (2) – 73
3) Kennesaw State (1) – 55
4) UTEP (1) – 54
5) FIU – 52
6) New Mexico State – 44
7) Jacksonville State – 37
8) Sam Houston – 28
9) Western Kentucky – 21
10) Louisiana Tech – 9
It was a tight battle atop the men's poll, with Middle Tennessee edging the Flames by two points (78-76). The top two teams from the 2023 CUSA Championship combined to collect all 10 first-place votes, with six going to the Blue Raiders and four to the Flames.
On the women's side, Middle Tennessee finished four ahead of Liberty in both total points (77-73) and first-place votes (6-2). Conference newcomer Kennesaw State (third place) and UTEP (fourth) also earned one first-place nod apiece.
The Liberty men's cross country team will aim for its first conference title since claiming the 2013 Big South crown. The Flames have posted 10 straight runner-up finishes since then (four Big South, five ASUN, one CUSA).
The Flames bring back five of their eight All-CUSA runners from 2023, including Nicholas Kiprotich (seventh place), Nathan Moore (ninth), Kyle Harkabus (11th), Jack Cottrell (15th) and Will Jefferson (16th). Kiprotich went on to qualify for the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
Edwin Kiprop and Tristian Merchant, who have combined to win three conference titles on the track, also join the Liberty lineup this fall.
The Lady Flames, who defeated New Mexico State in a tiebreaker to claim 2023 CUSA runner-up honors, are in search of their first team title since winning the 2021 ASUN Championship.
All four Liberty women's All-CUSA performers from 2023 return, led by conference runner-up Adelyn Fairley. She is joined by Catherine Farrell (fifth place), Katrina Schlenker (12th) and Jessica Palisca (19th).
Other key returnees for the Lady Flames include 2022 ASUN Freshman of the Year Ava Gordon and three-time all-conference runner (including cross country and track) Marie Hostetler.
Isabela Ross will make her Liberty cross country debut this fall after posting back-to-back Sun Belt fifth-place finishes for Southern Miss in 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, Allie Zealand headlines the Lady Flames' freshman class. Her numerous cross country accolades include a 2023 Foot Locker national runner-up finish and a pair of appearances at the World Cross Country Championships (2023 and 2024) for the Team USA U20 squad.
The Flames and Lady Flames will open the 2024 campaign on Friday, playing host to the Liberty Challenge at their home course adjacent to the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. The meet, which will also feature runners from Lynchburg and Radford, will include a women's 4K at 6:30 p.m. and a men's 6K at 7:15.
The 2024 CUSA Cross Country Championships will take place on Nov. 2. Jacksonville State is set to host the meet at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala.
2024 CUSA Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1) Middle Tennessee (6 first-place votes) – 78 points
2) Liberty (4) – 76
3) UTEP – 59
4) New Mexico State – 50
5) Sam Houston – 49
6T) Jacksonville State – 37
6T) Kennesaw State – 37
8) Western Kentucky – 25
9) FIU – 24
10) Louisiana Tech – 15
2024 CUSA Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1) Middle Tennessee (6 first-place votes) – 77 points
2) Liberty (2) – 73
3) Kennesaw State (1) – 55
4) UTEP (1) – 54
5) FIU – 52
6) New Mexico State – 44
7) Jacksonville State – 37
8) Sam Houston – 28
9) Western Kentucky – 21
10) Louisiana Tech – 9
Players Mentioned
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