VaSID Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year Lance Bingham
Engle, Tate, Bingham Earn Top VaSID Indoor Track & Field Honors
7/2/2025 12:01:00 PM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty earned three of the top 2024-25 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) University Division Women's Indoor Track & Field All-State honors, including Field Athlete of the Year (Meredith Engle), Field Rookie of the Year (Bethany Tate) and Coach of the Year (Lance Bingham).
Engle (multis) was one of the Lady Flames' four first team all-state performers, joining Paola Bueno (throws), Allie Zealand (mid-distance) and the distance medley relay quartet of Kate Goodyear, Patasha Bryan, Jessica Palisca and Zealand.
Liberty also boasted a half-dozen second teamers, including Mia Bowers (jumps), Indea Cartwright (hurdles), Adelyn Fairley (distance), Goodyear (mid-distance), Tate (throws) and Reese Webster (sprints).
These 10 all-state performers, most of any Commonwealth school, helped the Lady Flames successfully defend their CUSA team title.
Capsules of each Liberty honoree are found below.
Lance Bingham (Coach of the Year)
Bingham, who guided the Lady Flames to their fourth consecutive indoor track & field team championship, shared the VaSID Coach of the Year honor with George Mason's Andrew Gerard. Bingham was voted CUSA Coach of the Year but reassigned the honor to former WKU head coach Brent Chumbley posthumously.
Meredith Engle (Field Athlete of the Year, 1st Team – Multis)
Engle became the Lady Flames' first-ever All-American in the pentathlon, earning second team accolades with her 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. The CUSA Women's Field Performer of the Meet broke the Liberty and meet records with her conference-winning pentathlon score of 4,196 points.
Bethany Tate (Field Rookie of the Year, 2nd Team – Throws)
Tate finished sixth in the CUSA women's shot put final, including first among freshmen. Her indoor-best shot put mark of 47-4.25 from the Brant Tolsma Invitational ranks No. 7 in program history.
Paola Bueno (1st Team – Throws)
Bueno's season-best 65-11.5 effort placed second in the CUSA women's weight throw final. It also ranked No. 53 nationally for the year.
Allie Zealand (1st Team – Mid-Distance)
Zealand was tabbed CUSA Women's Freshman of the Meet after winning the women's mile, placing fourth in the women's 3K and taking fifth in the women's 800. She set a pair of program records as a freshman, including the 3K (9:07.33 at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener) and distance medley relay (11:21.25 at the Penn State National Open).
Distance Medley Relay Team (1st Team)
The Lady Flames put together the two fastest distance medley relay quartets in program history during the 2024-25 campaign. Kate Goodyear, Patasha Bryan, Jessica Palisca and Allie Zealand teamed up to clock a program-record 11:21.25 at the Penn State National Open. Four weeks later, Goodyear, Maddy Merritt, Palisca and Marie Hostetler teamed up for an 11:26.93 effort which was good for third at the CUSA meet and No. 2 all-time for the Lady Flames.
Mia Bowers (2nd Team – Jumps)
Bowers capped off her indoor career by pole vaulting 13-3.5 for third place in the CUSA final. That clearance ranks No. 4 in program history. Bowers opened her season with a pole vault victory at The Burg Open, earning CUSA Women's Field Athlete of the Week recognition on Jan. 14.
Indea Cartwright (2nd Team – Hurdles)
Cartwright made it to the CUSA podium with a third-place finish in the women's 60 hurdles final in a season-best 8.28. She also claimed victory in the event at the Brant Tolsma Invitational.
Adelyn Fairley (2nd Team – Distance)
Fairley raced to CUSA titles in both the women's 3K and 5K. Her 15:58.74 5K effort at the season-opening Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener ranks No. 2 in program history.
Kate Goodyear (2nd Team – Mid-Distance)
Goodyear kept busy at the CUSA Championship, placing third in both the women's 800 and distance medley relay and taking seventh in the 4 x 400 relay. She led off for the Lady Flames' school record-setting distance medley relay quartet (11:21.25) at the Penn State National Open. Goodyear's 2:06.48 800 effort in the CUSA final sits No. 2 all-time at Liberty, while her personal-best 4:47.76 mile at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational is good for No. 5 in program history.
Reese Webster (2nd Team – Sprints)
Webster was the CUSA runner-up at both 60 and 200 meters. Her 23.11 clocking in the CUSA 200 final both lowered her own program record and ranked No. 27 nationally. Webster also set a Liberty record with a 7.30 in the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational 60 semifinals.
Engle (multis) was one of the Lady Flames' four first team all-state performers, joining Paola Bueno (throws), Allie Zealand (mid-distance) and the distance medley relay quartet of Kate Goodyear, Patasha Bryan, Jessica Palisca and Zealand.
Liberty also boasted a half-dozen second teamers, including Mia Bowers (jumps), Indea Cartwright (hurdles), Adelyn Fairley (distance), Goodyear (mid-distance), Tate (throws) and Reese Webster (sprints).
These 10 all-state performers, most of any Commonwealth school, helped the Lady Flames successfully defend their CUSA team title.
Capsules of each Liberty honoree are found below.
Lance Bingham (Coach of the Year)
Bingham, who guided the Lady Flames to their fourth consecutive indoor track & field team championship, shared the VaSID Coach of the Year honor with George Mason's Andrew Gerard. Bingham was voted CUSA Coach of the Year but reassigned the honor to former WKU head coach Brent Chumbley posthumously.
Meredith Engle (Field Athlete of the Year, 1st Team – Multis)
Engle became the Lady Flames' first-ever All-American in the pentathlon, earning second team accolades with her 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. The CUSA Women's Field Performer of the Meet broke the Liberty and meet records with her conference-winning pentathlon score of 4,196 points.
Bethany Tate (Field Rookie of the Year, 2nd Team – Throws)
Tate finished sixth in the CUSA women's shot put final, including first among freshmen. Her indoor-best shot put mark of 47-4.25 from the Brant Tolsma Invitational ranks No. 7 in program history.
Paola Bueno (1st Team – Throws)
Bueno's season-best 65-11.5 effort placed second in the CUSA women's weight throw final. It also ranked No. 53 nationally for the year.
Allie Zealand (1st Team – Mid-Distance)
Zealand was tabbed CUSA Women's Freshman of the Meet after winning the women's mile, placing fourth in the women's 3K and taking fifth in the women's 800. She set a pair of program records as a freshman, including the 3K (9:07.33 at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener) and distance medley relay (11:21.25 at the Penn State National Open).
Distance Medley Relay Team (1st Team)
The Lady Flames put together the two fastest distance medley relay quartets in program history during the 2024-25 campaign. Kate Goodyear, Patasha Bryan, Jessica Palisca and Allie Zealand teamed up to clock a program-record 11:21.25 at the Penn State National Open. Four weeks later, Goodyear, Maddy Merritt, Palisca and Marie Hostetler teamed up for an 11:26.93 effort which was good for third at the CUSA meet and No. 2 all-time for the Lady Flames.
Mia Bowers (2nd Team – Jumps)
Bowers capped off her indoor career by pole vaulting 13-3.5 for third place in the CUSA final. That clearance ranks No. 4 in program history. Bowers opened her season with a pole vault victory at The Burg Open, earning CUSA Women's Field Athlete of the Week recognition on Jan. 14.
Indea Cartwright (2nd Team – Hurdles)
Cartwright made it to the CUSA podium with a third-place finish in the women's 60 hurdles final in a season-best 8.28. She also claimed victory in the event at the Brant Tolsma Invitational.
Adelyn Fairley (2nd Team – Distance)
Fairley raced to CUSA titles in both the women's 3K and 5K. Her 15:58.74 5K effort at the season-opening Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener ranks No. 2 in program history.
Kate Goodyear (2nd Team – Mid-Distance)
Goodyear kept busy at the CUSA Championship, placing third in both the women's 800 and distance medley relay and taking seventh in the 4 x 400 relay. She led off for the Lady Flames' school record-setting distance medley relay quartet (11:21.25) at the Penn State National Open. Goodyear's 2:06.48 800 effort in the CUSA final sits No. 2 all-time at Liberty, while her personal-best 4:47.76 mile at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational is good for No. 5 in program history.
Reese Webster (2nd Team – Sprints)
Webster was the CUSA runner-up at both 60 and 200 meters. Her 23.11 clocking in the CUSA 200 final both lowered her own program record and ranked No. 27 nationally. Webster also set a Liberty record with a 7.30 in the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational 60 semifinals.
Players Mentioned
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Hammer
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
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