Friday, January 17
Blacksburg, Va.
4:00 PM ET
Liberty University
at
Virginia Tech Invitational
Kacy Cox
Liberty Track Headed to VT for 1st Road Meet of Season
1/15/2025 10:23:00 AM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Following a pair of meets at its home facility, Liberty will hit the road for the first time during the 2024-25 indoor track & field season. The Flames and Lady Flames are set to compete in the Virginia Tech Invitational, Friday and Saturday at Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va.
The meet is slated to begin Friday at 3:30 p.m. with the unseeded women's pole vault. Saturday's schedule will get started with both the women's high jump and seeded women's pole vault at 11 a.m.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results will be available, courtesy of Flash Results.
Record Breakers Return to Action
Lady Flames Meredith Engle (pentathlon – 3,989) and Allie Zealand (women's 3K – 9:07.33) will both compete this week for the first time since breaking school records in December.
Engle is entered in the women's 60 hurdles and high jump, while Zealand will take on both the 1,000 and mile.
Fabulous Freshmen
Freshmen have starred for the Flames during the first part of the indoor season. Most recently, Todd Benhase (Men's Field Athlete of the Week), Elijah Sherard (Men's Freshman of the Week) and Rachel Hill (Women's Freshman of the Week) all earned CUSA weekly awards on Tuesday.
Benhase tied the Liberty freshman record for the men's pole vault with his personal-best 16-4.75 clearance at The Burg Open.
Allie Zealand's 9:07.33 3K at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener took down both the program and freshman records. She will now take aim at the freshman standards for the 1,000 (2:51.47 by Anna Van Wyk in 2017) and mile (4:49.71 by Jessica Palisca in 2023).
Looking Back at Last Year
A few Flames will look to repeat their impressive performances from last year's Virginia Tech Invitational.
Katie Urbine set a Liberty freshman record with her 13-0.25 pole vault clearance, going over 13 feet for the first time in her collegiate career.
Adelyn Fairley (women's 3K) and Kyle Harkabus (men's mile) will attempt to defend their titles from the 2023 Virginia Tech Invite.
Conference USA Contenders
Liberty's second season as a Conference USA member will culminate with the 2025 CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Feb. 28-March 1 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. Through the early stages of the season, Liberty ranks No. 1 in the following events:
Women's 800 – Rachel Hill – 2:17.65
Women's 3K – Allie Zealand – 9:07.33
Women's 5K – Adelyn Fairley – 15:58.74
Women's Pole Vault – Mia Bowers – 12-11.75
Pentathlon – Meredith Engle – 3,989
Men's Mile – Dale Hall – 4:12.18
Men's High Jump – Gabriel Willis – 6-8
Men's Pole Vault – Todd Benhase – 16-4.75
Heptathlon – Gabriel Willis – 4,977
Among the Nation's Elite
At season's end, the nation's top 16 performers in each event will qualify to the 2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet is scheduled for March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Va.
The following Flames currently rank among the top 16 in their respective events:
No. 3 – Meredith Engle – Pentathlon – 3,989
No. 11 – Patasha Bryan – Pentathlon – 3,762
No. 14 – Allie Zealand – Women's 3K – 9:07.33
Up Next
Liberty will return home for the fifth annual Brant Tolsma Invitational. Events are slated for Jan. 23, 24 and 25 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
The meet is slated to begin Friday at 3:30 p.m. with the unseeded women's pole vault. Saturday's schedule will get started with both the women's high jump and seeded women's pole vault at 11 a.m.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results will be available, courtesy of Flash Results.
Record Breakers Return to Action
Lady Flames Meredith Engle (pentathlon – 3,989) and Allie Zealand (women's 3K – 9:07.33) will both compete this week for the first time since breaking school records in December.
Engle is entered in the women's 60 hurdles and high jump, while Zealand will take on both the 1,000 and mile.
Fabulous Freshmen
Freshmen have starred for the Flames during the first part of the indoor season. Most recently, Todd Benhase (Men's Field Athlete of the Week), Elijah Sherard (Men's Freshman of the Week) and Rachel Hill (Women's Freshman of the Week) all earned CUSA weekly awards on Tuesday.
Benhase tied the Liberty freshman record for the men's pole vault with his personal-best 16-4.75 clearance at The Burg Open.
Allie Zealand's 9:07.33 3K at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener took down both the program and freshman records. She will now take aim at the freshman standards for the 1,000 (2:51.47 by Anna Van Wyk in 2017) and mile (4:49.71 by Jessica Palisca in 2023).
Looking Back at Last Year
A few Flames will look to repeat their impressive performances from last year's Virginia Tech Invitational.
Katie Urbine set a Liberty freshman record with her 13-0.25 pole vault clearance, going over 13 feet for the first time in her collegiate career.
Adelyn Fairley (women's 3K) and Kyle Harkabus (men's mile) will attempt to defend their titles from the 2023 Virginia Tech Invite.
Conference USA Contenders
Liberty's second season as a Conference USA member will culminate with the 2025 CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Feb. 28-March 1 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex. Through the early stages of the season, Liberty ranks No. 1 in the following events:
Women's 800 – Rachel Hill – 2:17.65
Women's 3K – Allie Zealand – 9:07.33
Women's 5K – Adelyn Fairley – 15:58.74
Women's Pole Vault – Mia Bowers – 12-11.75
Pentathlon – Meredith Engle – 3,989
Men's Mile – Dale Hall – 4:12.18
Men's High Jump – Gabriel Willis – 6-8
Men's Pole Vault – Todd Benhase – 16-4.75
Heptathlon – Gabriel Willis – 4,977
Among the Nation's Elite
At season's end, the nation's top 16 performers in each event will qualify to the 2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet is scheduled for March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Va.
The following Flames currently rank among the top 16 in their respective events:
No. 3 – Meredith Engle – Pentathlon – 3,989
No. 11 – Patasha Bryan – Pentathlon – 3,762
No. 14 – Allie Zealand – Women's 3K – 9:07.33
Up Next
Liberty will return home for the fifth annual Brant Tolsma Invitational. Events are slated for Jan. 23, 24 and 25 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
Players Mentioned
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Distance
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