Friday, September 20
Cary, N.C.
5:15 PM ET
Liberty University
at
adidas XC Challenge
The Liberty men's squad won the adidas XC Challenge team title on Friday.
Liberty Men Claim adidas XC Challenge Team Title
9/20/2024 8:28:00 PM | Cross Country
CARY, N.C. – Competing in its first scored meet of the 2024 season, the Liberty men's squad claimed the team title at Friday's adidas XC Challenge. Meanwhile, the Lady Flames posted a third-place finish at the WakeMed Cross Country Course.
Nicholas Kiprotich, Edwin Kiprop and Tristian Merchant placed 6-7-8 individually in the men's 6K, helping the Flames record a five-point victory (46-51) over meet host NC State atop the 14-team men's field.
Allie Zealand came in seventh in the women's 5K, pacing four Lady Flames inside the top 14. Liberty totaled 67 points, trailing only No. 1 NC State (34) and Clemson (51) among the 14 women's teams.
Race Reactions
The adidas XC Challenge will mark Liberty's lone September meet. The team will split up between two competitions the first weekend of October, including the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational (Oct. 4 in South Bend, Ind.) and the Paul Short Run (Oct. 5 in Bethlehem, Pa.)
Nicholas Kiprotich, Edwin Kiprop and Tristian Merchant placed 6-7-8 individually in the men's 6K, helping the Flames record a five-point victory (46-51) over meet host NC State atop the 14-team men's field.
Allie Zealand came in seventh in the women's 5K, pacing four Lady Flames inside the top 14. Liberty totaled 67 points, trailing only No. 1 NC State (34) and Clemson (51) among the 14 women's teams.
Race Reactions
- The Liberty men's squad recorded its first team victory since the 2023 season opener (Eye Opener in Spartanburg, S.C. on Sept. 1). The Flames have now won their first team-scored competition of the season for three years running (also 2022 Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational).
- Kiprotich (17:57.7) paced the Flames for the second straight meet to begin his senior season, following his individual victory at the Liberty Challenge.
- Kiprop (17:59.7) recorded a stellar collegiate cross country debut, finishing as the top attached freshman in the field.
- Merchant (18:00.6) moved up nine places over the final 2K, helping Liberty overtake NC State late in the men's team standings.
- Dale Hall (22nd place, 18:27.3), Andrew Schultz (34th, 18:45.0) and Sean Aiken (38th, 18:50.2) joined Kiprop in making their Liberty cross country debuts on Friday. Hall placed fourth among attached freshmen.
- Zealand (16:59.4) served as the Lady Flames' No. 1 finisher for the first time in her young collegiate career. She was the second-fastest women's freshman on the day and became the fifth Lady Flame ever to break 17:00 in a cross country 5K.
- The Lady Flames' other top-14 finishers included Adelyn Fairley (ninth place, 17:04.6), Isabela Ross (12th, 17:15.5) and Ava Gordon (14th, 17:20.0). Ross now ranks No. 9 on Liberty's all-time list.
- Competing in her home city of Cary, Ryann Aycock was the Lady Flames' No. 5 runner in her first collegiate cross country race, crossing the line 28th in a personal-best 17:46.3.
- Molly Lashley (34th place, 17:52.6) dipped under 18:00 for the first time in cross country.
The adidas XC Challenge will mark Liberty's lone September meet. The team will split up between two competitions the first weekend of October, including the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational (Oct. 4 in South Bend, Ind.) and the Paul Short Run (Oct. 5 in Bethlehem, Pa.)
Players Mentioned
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