Saturday, November 22
Columbia, Mo.
10:20 AM ET/9:20 AM CT
Liberty University
at
NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
Allie Zealand earned her first All-America honor on Saturday. (Photo by Ricky Bassman)
Zealand Earns 1st All-America Honor with 21st-Place NCAA XC Finish
11/22/2025 11:59:00 AM | Cross Country
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Liberty sophomore Allie Zealand became an All-American for the first time Saturday morning, thanks to her 21st-place individual finish at the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Zealand covered the Gans Creek Cross Country Course's women's 6K route in a program-record 19:06.8.
Zealand took down the Liberty 6K record for the third time this season to cross the finish line well inside the top 40 finishers who earn All-American distinction. The native of Forest, Va., was 21st of 262 women's runners in her NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships debut, including sixth among sophomores.
Zealand becomes the third Lady Flame ever to collect NCAA Division I All-America honors in cross country, joining Ednah Kurgat (12th place in 2015) and Calli Doan (28th in 2021).
Prior to this season, the Liberty 6K standard stood at 19:50.6 from Doan's All-America performance at the 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla. Zealand lowered it to 19:40.4 during her first visit to the Gans Creek Cross Country Course (Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 17), 19:14.3 at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships eight days ago and 19:06.8 on Saturday.
The only CUSA runner to compete in Columbia on Saturday, Zealand put an exclamation point on a sensational sophomore season. She recorded six top-five finishes, headlined by the CUSA individual title and her second career all-region performance (fifth place in the Southeast Region). Zealand also lowered the Liberty women's cross country 5K record to 15:54.7 at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 3.
Up Next
With the 2025 cross country season now complete, Liberty will quickly turn its attention to the 2025-26 indoor track & field campaign. The Flames and Lady Flames will get things started by hosting the Liberty Kickoff, Dec. 4-5 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
Zealand took down the Liberty 6K record for the third time this season to cross the finish line well inside the top 40 finishers who earn All-American distinction. The native of Forest, Va., was 21st of 262 women's runners in her NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships debut, including sixth among sophomores.
Zealand becomes the third Lady Flame ever to collect NCAA Division I All-America honors in cross country, joining Ednah Kurgat (12th place in 2015) and Calli Doan (28th in 2021).
Prior to this season, the Liberty 6K standard stood at 19:50.6 from Doan's All-America performance at the 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla. Zealand lowered it to 19:40.4 during her first visit to the Gans Creek Cross Country Course (Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 17), 19:14.3 at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships eight days ago and 19:06.8 on Saturday.
The only CUSA runner to compete in Columbia on Saturday, Zealand put an exclamation point on a sensational sophomore season. She recorded six top-five finishes, headlined by the CUSA individual title and her second career all-region performance (fifth place in the Southeast Region). Zealand also lowered the Liberty women's cross country 5K record to 15:54.7 at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 3.
Up Next
With the 2025 cross country season now complete, Liberty will quickly turn its attention to the 2025-26 indoor track & field campaign. The Flames and Lady Flames will get things started by hosting the Liberty Kickoff, Dec. 4-5 at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
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