Friday, April 18
Charlottesville, Va.
2:30 PM ET
Liberty University
at
Virginia Challenge
Sophia Park
Park, Ross Win Distance Races at Virginia Challenge
4/19/2025 1:19:00 AM | Track and Field
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – While their teammates were busy running fast 1,500 times in California, another portion of the Liberty women's distance squad excelled at the Virginia Challenge on Friday. Sophia Park (open women's steeplechase) and Isabela Ross (women's 10K) won events, while Raini Mayo broke her own Liberty freshman record for the steeplechase.
Women's Day 1 Recap
Park (11:00.18) edged Mayo (11:00.47) at the finish line as Liberty went 1-2 in the open women's steeplechase. Park now ranks No. 10 in program history, while Mayo lowered her Liberty freshman standard from the 11:01.60 she had posted at the Colonial Relays two weeks prior.
A day after celebrating her 21st birthday, Ross clocked 35:40.61 to win the 10K by 45 seconds and grab the No. 9 spot all-time for the Lady Flames. Molly Lashley added a third-place finish with a 36:32.46 in her first 10K at Liberty.
All five Lady Flames who contested the 5K Friday night came away with new personal bests, including Ryann Aycock (17:07.33), Reagan Underwood (17:22.91), Rachel Hill (17:30.88), Emily Atha (18:06.69) and Emma Unger (18:16.41). Underwood got the extra satisfaction of defeating twin sister Bryn Underwood of American head-to-head in her race.
Akilah Lewis raced to a fourth-place finish in the women's 100 final, posting a time of 11.54. Teammate Reese Webster sped to a season-best 11.40 in the prelims but did not contest the final.
Lady Flames recorded three season-best marks in the vertical jumps, including a 5-5 high jump by Eva Whiteman, a 12-7.5 pole vault by Mia Bowers and a 12-3.5 pole vault clearance by Emory Pafford, who tied for fifth place in the event's open section.
Men's Day 1 Recap
Josh Blalock nearly made it back-to-back victories in the men's 400 hurdles, but came in second in the open section in 53.25. Jacob Torres chipped in a sixth-place finish with a 53.80 clocking.
Competing in a Liberty uniform for the first time, Markus White long jumped 24-6.25 for seventh place. It was the top long jump mark by a Flame since 2022.
Sean Aiken dropped his steeplechase personal best to 9:18.00, while Ethan Pederson came in 10th in his track 10K debut in a time of 31:20.96.
All four of Liberty's men's 100 entrants ran well but could not achieve the 10.37 it took to make the final on a breezy afternoon. Revell Webster and Troy McKnight ran matching 10.42s, Eddy Vu equaled his season best of 10.48 and Elijah Sherard clocked 10.54 in his first collegiate 100 race.
Women's Day 1 Event Winners
Sophia Park – Steeplechase – 11:00.18
Isabela Ross – 10K – 35:40.61
Other Women's Day 1 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Raini Mayo – Steeplechase – 11:00.47
3rd – Molly Lashley – 10K – 36:32.46
Men's Day 1 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Josh Blalock – 400 Hurdles – 53.25
Women's Day 1 Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – Raini Mayo – Steeplechase – 11:00.47
Previous Record: 11:01.60 by Mayo at the Colonial Relays on April 4
Day 1 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
10K – No. 9 – Isabela Ross – 35:40.61
Steeplechase – No. 10 – Sophia Park – 11:00.18
Up Next
The Flames will wrap up a busy week of competition on Saturday with a pair of meets in California (Beach Invitational and Mt. SAC Relays) and two more in Virginia (Virginia Challenge and WildCat Invitational).
Women's Day 1 Recap
Park (11:00.18) edged Mayo (11:00.47) at the finish line as Liberty went 1-2 in the open women's steeplechase. Park now ranks No. 10 in program history, while Mayo lowered her Liberty freshman standard from the 11:01.60 she had posted at the Colonial Relays two weeks prior.
A day after celebrating her 21st birthday, Ross clocked 35:40.61 to win the 10K by 45 seconds and grab the No. 9 spot all-time for the Lady Flames. Molly Lashley added a third-place finish with a 36:32.46 in her first 10K at Liberty.
All five Lady Flames who contested the 5K Friday night came away with new personal bests, including Ryann Aycock (17:07.33), Reagan Underwood (17:22.91), Rachel Hill (17:30.88), Emily Atha (18:06.69) and Emma Unger (18:16.41). Underwood got the extra satisfaction of defeating twin sister Bryn Underwood of American head-to-head in her race.
Akilah Lewis raced to a fourth-place finish in the women's 100 final, posting a time of 11.54. Teammate Reese Webster sped to a season-best 11.40 in the prelims but did not contest the final.
Lady Flames recorded three season-best marks in the vertical jumps, including a 5-5 high jump by Eva Whiteman, a 12-7.5 pole vault by Mia Bowers and a 12-3.5 pole vault clearance by Emory Pafford, who tied for fifth place in the event's open section.
Men's Day 1 Recap
Josh Blalock nearly made it back-to-back victories in the men's 400 hurdles, but came in second in the open section in 53.25. Jacob Torres chipped in a sixth-place finish with a 53.80 clocking.
Competing in a Liberty uniform for the first time, Markus White long jumped 24-6.25 for seventh place. It was the top long jump mark by a Flame since 2022.
Sean Aiken dropped his steeplechase personal best to 9:18.00, while Ethan Pederson came in 10th in his track 10K debut in a time of 31:20.96.
All four of Liberty's men's 100 entrants ran well but could not achieve the 10.37 it took to make the final on a breezy afternoon. Revell Webster and Troy McKnight ran matching 10.42s, Eddy Vu equaled his season best of 10.48 and Elijah Sherard clocked 10.54 in his first collegiate 100 race.
Women's Day 1 Event Winners
Sophia Park – Steeplechase – 11:00.18
Isabela Ross – 10K – 35:40.61
Other Women's Day 1 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Raini Mayo – Steeplechase – 11:00.47
3rd – Molly Lashley – 10K – 36:32.46
Men's Day 1 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Josh Blalock – 400 Hurdles – 53.25
Women's Day 1 Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – Raini Mayo – Steeplechase – 11:00.47
Previous Record: 11:01.60 by Mayo at the Colonial Relays on April 4
Day 1 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
10K – No. 9 – Isabela Ross – 35:40.61
Steeplechase – No. 10 – Sophia Park – 11:00.18
Up Next
The Flames will wrap up a busy week of competition on Saturday with a pair of meets in California (Beach Invitational and Mt. SAC Relays) and two more in Virginia (Virginia Challenge and WildCat Invitational).
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
High Jump
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