Friday, August 30
Lynchburg, Va.
6:30 PM ET
Liberty University
vs
Liberty Challenge
Adelyn Fairley wins the Liberty Challenge women's 4K ahead of teammate Allie Zealand
Fairley, Kiprotich Pace Dominant Flames in Season-Opening Liberty Challenge
8/30/2024 9:45:00 PM | Cross Country
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The host Flames were impressive during Friday evening's season-opening Liberty Challenge at the Liberty Cross Country Course. Liberty seniors Adelyn Fairley (women's 4K) and Nicholas Kiprotich (men's 6K) swept the individual titles.
Fairley (14:42.8) and freshman teammate Allie Zealand (14:43.8) overtook Lynchburg's Kayla Werner near the end of the women's 4K race to record a 1-2 individual finish. In total, the Lady Flames grabbed seven of the top nine spots in the unscored competition against Lynchburg, the No. 5-ranked squad in NCAA Division III.
Kiprotich (19:04.8) led comfortably for much of the men's 6K before holding off teammate Tristian Merchant (19:06.1) late for first-place honors. Kyle Harkabus (third place, 19:29.9) and Nathan Moore (fourth, 19:45.2) made it a 1-2-3-4 Flames showing against Lynchburg, also ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Division III ranks on the men's side.
Race Reactions
The Flames and Lady Flames will not return to action until Sept. 20. That day, Liberty will compete in the Adidas XC Challenge at the WakeMed Cross Country Course in Cary, N.C.
Fairley (14:42.8) and freshman teammate Allie Zealand (14:43.8) overtook Lynchburg's Kayla Werner near the end of the women's 4K race to record a 1-2 individual finish. In total, the Lady Flames grabbed seven of the top nine spots in the unscored competition against Lynchburg, the No. 5-ranked squad in NCAA Division III.
Kiprotich (19:04.8) led comfortably for much of the men's 6K before holding off teammate Tristian Merchant (19:06.1) late for first-place honors. Kyle Harkabus (third place, 19:29.9) and Nathan Moore (fourth, 19:45.2) made it a 1-2-3-4 Flames showing against Lynchburg, also ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Division III ranks on the men's side.
Race Reactions
- Fairley began her final season of collegiate cross country the same way she started her freshman year, with a win at the Liberty Challenge. Her win in 2019 came by 68 seconds, while Friday's margin of victory was a single second.
- Friday's first-place finish was the sixth of Fairley's collegiate cross country career but her first since the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational on Sept. 10, 2021.
- Zealand, the daughter of women's distance coach Heather Zealand, made an impressive collegiate debut eight days before her 18th birthday on Sept. 7.
- Zealand was one of three first-year Lady Flames to place inside the top five, also including transfers Isabela Ross (Southern Miss) in fourth place (14:54.3) and Molly Lashley (Delaware) in fifth (14:55.0).
- 2022 ASUN Freshman of the Year Ava Gordon placed ninth in 15:26.4 in her first race back after missing the 2023 season due to injury.
- Kiprotich matched his victory from the Flames' most recent home meet (2022 Liberty Challenge), when he was competing unattached.
- Friday marked Kiprotich's second cross country triumph in a Liberty uniform but his first since the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational on Sept. 16, 2022.
- Kiprotich picked up where he left off from a 2023 season which saw him advance to the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
- Merchant performed well in his first cross country race in a year. He was the Eye Opener men's 8K individual champion on Sept. 1, 2023 before sitting out the remainder of the season due to injury.
- The only runner to prevent a perfect 1-2-3-4-5 performance by the Liberty men's squad was freshman Dale Hall, racing unattached. He outraced the Flames' Jack Cottrell to the line for fifth place, 19:46.3 to 19:48.9.
The Flames and Lady Flames will not return to action until Sept. 20. That day, Liberty will compete in the Adidas XC Challenge at the WakeMed Cross Country Course in Cary, N.C.
Players Mentioned
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