Thursday, May 29
Jacksonville, Fla.
8:00 AM ET
Liberty University
at
NCAA Division I East First Rounds
Coach Luke Johnson and Paola Bueno celebrate another NCAA national qualification in the women's hammer.
Bueno Earns Return Trip to Eugene in Women’s Hammer
5/29/2025 10:59:00 PM | Track and Field
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – All-American Paola Bueno established the tone for Liberty's successful Thursday at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet by qualifying to Eugene in the women's hammer for the second consecutive season. Bueno set the first of the Lady Flames' three school records on the day, while Reese Webster (100) and Allie Zealand (1,500) advanced to the quarterfinal round of their respective events.
The other Liberty school record setters were seniors Kate Goodyear (women's 800 – 2:03.99) and Adelyn Fairley (women's 10K – 33:25.95), with the latter bookending the Lady Flames' day of competition with record-breaking efforts.
For the second day in a row, Liberty excelled in the opening event (women's hammer). Bueno's first attempt flew 214-10, eclipsing her own program record of 212-8 from the Florida Relays on April 4. That would have been sufficient to qualify to Eugene, but Bueno improved her record one more time for good measure, reaching 215-7 on her third and final attempt.
Bueno ended up fifth in the competition and posted the eighth best mark among the 24 women's hammer Eugene qualifiers between the two regions on Thursday. The junior from Mexico, who placed 11th in Eugene a year ago for second team All-America honors, will make her return to Hayward Field on June 12 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
For the second year in a row, Liberty will take both a men's (Kellen Kimes) and women's hammer thrower (Bueno) to Eugene. As was the case in 2024, Bueno will be joined in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships women's hammer competition by another CUSA participant. Kennesaw State's Kali Terza also advanced to the national meet from Jacksonville on Thursday.
Zealand got the running events off to a strong start for the Lady Flames. She clocked a 64.63-second final lap, earning the fifth and final automatic qualifier from her heat to Saturday's quarterfinals. Zealand's 4:14.87 effort marked the third time she has come within a second of the program record (4:14.71) this season.
Zealand is the first Lady Flame to reach the women's 1,500 quarterfinals in meet history. She will be one of two freshmen to toe the starting line for this event on Saturday, joining Virginia's Stella Kermes.
Eighteen women's 100 runners set either a season best or a personal best on Thursday. Webster (season-best 11.26) and Akilah Lewis (season-best 11.43) were included among that list, with Webster moving on to Saturday's quarterfinal round. Webster's time was the fastest wind-legal women's 100 effort in program history, eclipsing Isis Brooks' 11.29 performance from the 2023 NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet, which was also contested in Jacksonville.
Goodyear just missed a quarterfinal berth by two places and three hundredths of a second in the women's 800. However, she was able to close out her collegiate career with one last program record. Goodyear's 2:03.99 effort took down her own 2:04.36 from the CUSA final on May 18.
In the final event of the night, Fairley made a valiant attempt at national qualification in the women's 10K. She stuck with the lead pack through 5K in 16:37 before ending up 16th overall in 33:25.95.
That bettered Fairley's own 10K standard of 33:29.29 from last month's Bryan Clay Invitational. It marked the third time Fairley has broken the 10K record during her career and her second top 20 finish in the women's 10K at this meet. She previously came in 14th at the 2022 NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet. Fairley will return to the track for the 5K on Saturday to take another shot at Eugene qualification.
Making her third consecutive NCAA Division I East First Rounds appearance in the women's javelin, Addilae Watts threw 151-7 to finish 24th.
Women's NCAA Division I National Qualifiers
Paola Bueno – Hammer – 215-7
Women's Qualifiers to Saturday's Quarterfinal Round
Reese Webster – 100 – 11.26
Allie Zealand – 1,500 – 4:14.87
Women's Record Breakers
Liberty Record – Paola Bueno – Hammer – 215-7
Previous Record: 212-8 by Bueno at the Florida Relays on April 4
Liberty Record – Kate Goodyear – 800 – 2:03.99
Previous Record: 2:04.36 by Goodyear at the CUSA Championship on May 18
Liberty Record – Adelyn Fairley – 10K – 33:25.95
Previous Record: 33:29.29 by Fairley at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 16
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
No. 1 – Hammer – Paola Bueno – 215-7
No. 1 – 10K – Adelyn Fairley – 33:25.95
No. 1 – 800 – Kate Goodyear – 2:03.99
No. 3 – 100 – Akilah Lewis – 11.43
Up Next
The men's discus duo of Beau Backes and Christian Hicks will get Liberty's Friday started, with the event slated for 1 p.m.
The other Liberty school record setters were seniors Kate Goodyear (women's 800 – 2:03.99) and Adelyn Fairley (women's 10K – 33:25.95), with the latter bookending the Lady Flames' day of competition with record-breaking efforts.
For the second day in a row, Liberty excelled in the opening event (women's hammer). Bueno's first attempt flew 214-10, eclipsing her own program record of 212-8 from the Florida Relays on April 4. That would have been sufficient to qualify to Eugene, but Bueno improved her record one more time for good measure, reaching 215-7 on her third and final attempt.
Bueno ended up fifth in the competition and posted the eighth best mark among the 24 women's hammer Eugene qualifiers between the two regions on Thursday. The junior from Mexico, who placed 11th in Eugene a year ago for second team All-America honors, will make her return to Hayward Field on June 12 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
For the second year in a row, Liberty will take both a men's (Kellen Kimes) and women's hammer thrower (Bueno) to Eugene. As was the case in 2024, Bueno will be joined in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships women's hammer competition by another CUSA participant. Kennesaw State's Kali Terza also advanced to the national meet from Jacksonville on Thursday.
Zealand got the running events off to a strong start for the Lady Flames. She clocked a 64.63-second final lap, earning the fifth and final automatic qualifier from her heat to Saturday's quarterfinals. Zealand's 4:14.87 effort marked the third time she has come within a second of the program record (4:14.71) this season.
Zealand is the first Lady Flame to reach the women's 1,500 quarterfinals in meet history. She will be one of two freshmen to toe the starting line for this event on Saturday, joining Virginia's Stella Kermes.
Eighteen women's 100 runners set either a season best or a personal best on Thursday. Webster (season-best 11.26) and Akilah Lewis (season-best 11.43) were included among that list, with Webster moving on to Saturday's quarterfinal round. Webster's time was the fastest wind-legal women's 100 effort in program history, eclipsing Isis Brooks' 11.29 performance from the 2023 NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet, which was also contested in Jacksonville.
Goodyear just missed a quarterfinal berth by two places and three hundredths of a second in the women's 800. However, she was able to close out her collegiate career with one last program record. Goodyear's 2:03.99 effort took down her own 2:04.36 from the CUSA final on May 18.
In the final event of the night, Fairley made a valiant attempt at national qualification in the women's 10K. She stuck with the lead pack through 5K in 16:37 before ending up 16th overall in 33:25.95.
That bettered Fairley's own 10K standard of 33:29.29 from last month's Bryan Clay Invitational. It marked the third time Fairley has broken the 10K record during her career and her second top 20 finish in the women's 10K at this meet. She previously came in 14th at the 2022 NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet. Fairley will return to the track for the 5K on Saturday to take another shot at Eugene qualification.
Making her third consecutive NCAA Division I East First Rounds appearance in the women's javelin, Addilae Watts threw 151-7 to finish 24th.
Women's NCAA Division I National Qualifiers
Paola Bueno – Hammer – 215-7
Women's Qualifiers to Saturday's Quarterfinal Round
Reese Webster – 100 – 11.26
Allie Zealand – 1,500 – 4:14.87
Women's Record Breakers
Liberty Record – Paola Bueno – Hammer – 215-7
Previous Record: 212-8 by Bueno at the Florida Relays on April 4
Liberty Record – Kate Goodyear – 800 – 2:03.99
Previous Record: 2:04.36 by Goodyear at the CUSA Championship on May 18
Liberty Record – Adelyn Fairley – 10K – 33:25.95
Previous Record: 33:29.29 by Fairley at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 16
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
No. 1 – Hammer – Paola Bueno – 215-7
No. 1 – 10K – Adelyn Fairley – 33:25.95
No. 1 – 800 – Kate Goodyear – 2:03.99
No. 3 – 100 – Akilah Lewis – 11.43
Up Next
The men's discus duo of Beau Backes and Christian Hicks will get Liberty's Friday started, with the event slated for 1 p.m.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track and Field
Hammer
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
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Throws
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Sprints
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Javelin
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Sprints
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Distance
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