Adelyn Fairley (left) and Meredith Engle (right) each made their fourth USTFCCCA All-Academic Team appearance for the Lady Flames.
15 Flames, Both Liberty Squads Earn USTFCCCA Academic Awards
7/21/2025 2:21:00 PM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The 2024-25 Liberty men's and women's track & field squads were each honored as U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Teams. Meanwhile, 15 individual Flames and Lady Flames garnered USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition of their own.
The Lady Flames posted a 3.54 team GPA, while the men's squad recorded a 3.36 team GPA.
Ten women's athletes earned this honor, including Patasha Bryan, Paola Bueno, Meredith Engle, Adelyn Fairley, Kate Goodyear, Marie Hostetler, Akilah Lewis, Katrina Schlenker, Addilae Watts and Allie Zealand.
Meanwhile, Beau Backes, Christian Hicks, Kellen Kimes, Omari Lewis and Joshua Smith represented the Flames on the men's All-Academic Team.
Engle and Fairley became the sixth and seventh Liberty track & field athletes ever to make four USTFCCCA All-Academic Team appearances as Flames.
First-year Lady Flame Akilah Lewis collected her fifth USTFCCCA All-Academic honor overall, following three at Minnesota (2021, 2022 and 2023) and one at Ole Miss (2024).
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team individually, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have met at least one of the following athletic standards. For the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or in the national top 48 in a relay event. For the outdoor season, a student athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including the NCAA Division I East First Rounds).
Liberty's 2025 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Members
Patasha Bryan (Heptathlon, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.80
Major: Sport Management
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Paola Bueno (Throws, Nayarit, Mexico)
Cumulative GPA: 3.89
Major: Finance
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Meredith Engle (Heptathlon, Dillsburg, Pa.)
Cumulative GPA: 4.0
Major: Cybersecurity (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Adelyn Fairley (Distance, Mears, Mich.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.54
Major: Visual Communication Design (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Kate Goodyear (Mid-Distance, Elizabethtown, Pa.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.87
Major: Nutrition (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2024, 2025
Marie Hostetler (Distance, Wellman, Iowa)
Cumulative GPA: 3.83
Major: Interior Design
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2021, 2025
Akilah Lewis (Sprints, Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago)
Cumulative GPA: 3.53
Major: MBA (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2021 (at Minnesota), 2022 (at Minnesota), 2023 (at Minnesota), 2024 (at Ole Miss), 2025
Katrina Schlenker (Distance, Batavia, Ill.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.92
Major: Commercial Aeronautics
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2025
Addilae Watts (Javelin, New Castle, Pa.)
Cumulative GPA: 4.0
Major: Business Administration and Data Analytics
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023 (at Youngstown State), 2024, 2025
Allie Zealand (Mid-Distance, Forest, Va.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.75
Major: Undecided
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2025
Beau Backes (Throws, Lindstrom, Minn.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.56
Major: Biology (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2022, 2024, 2025
Christian Hicks (Throws, Romney, W.Va.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.56
Major: MBA (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Kellen Kimes (Throws, Ludington, Mich.)
Cumulative GPA: 4.0
Major: Biomedical Sciences
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2024, 2025
Omari Lewis (Sprints, Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago)
Cumulative GPA: 3.49
Major: Economics
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Joshua Smith (Jumps, South Fulton, Ga.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.67
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
The Lady Flames posted a 3.54 team GPA, while the men's squad recorded a 3.36 team GPA.
Ten women's athletes earned this honor, including Patasha Bryan, Paola Bueno, Meredith Engle, Adelyn Fairley, Kate Goodyear, Marie Hostetler, Akilah Lewis, Katrina Schlenker, Addilae Watts and Allie Zealand.
Meanwhile, Beau Backes, Christian Hicks, Kellen Kimes, Omari Lewis and Joshua Smith represented the Flames on the men's All-Academic Team.
Engle and Fairley became the sixth and seventh Liberty track & field athletes ever to make four USTFCCCA All-Academic Team appearances as Flames.
First-year Lady Flame Akilah Lewis collected her fifth USTFCCCA All-Academic honor overall, following three at Minnesota (2021, 2022 and 2023) and one at Ole Miss (2024).
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team individually, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have met at least one of the following athletic standards. For the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or in the national top 48 in a relay event. For the outdoor season, a student athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including the NCAA Division I East First Rounds).
Liberty's 2025 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Members
Patasha Bryan (Heptathlon, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.80
Major: Sport Management
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Paola Bueno (Throws, Nayarit, Mexico)
Cumulative GPA: 3.89
Major: Finance
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Meredith Engle (Heptathlon, Dillsburg, Pa.)
Cumulative GPA: 4.0
Major: Cybersecurity (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Adelyn Fairley (Distance, Mears, Mich.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.54
Major: Visual Communication Design (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Kate Goodyear (Mid-Distance, Elizabethtown, Pa.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.87
Major: Nutrition (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2024, 2025
Marie Hostetler (Distance, Wellman, Iowa)
Cumulative GPA: 3.83
Major: Interior Design
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2021, 2025
Akilah Lewis (Sprints, Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago)
Cumulative GPA: 3.53
Major: MBA (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2021 (at Minnesota), 2022 (at Minnesota), 2023 (at Minnesota), 2024 (at Ole Miss), 2025
Katrina Schlenker (Distance, Batavia, Ill.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.92
Major: Commercial Aeronautics
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2025
Addilae Watts (Javelin, New Castle, Pa.)
Cumulative GPA: 4.0
Major: Business Administration and Data Analytics
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023 (at Youngstown State), 2024, 2025
Allie Zealand (Mid-Distance, Forest, Va.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.75
Major: Undecided
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2025
Beau Backes (Throws, Lindstrom, Minn.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.56
Major: Biology (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2022, 2024, 2025
Christian Hicks (Throws, Romney, W.Va.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.56
Major: MBA (Graduate)
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Kellen Kimes (Throws, Ludington, Mich.)
Cumulative GPA: 4.0
Major: Biomedical Sciences
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2024, 2025
Omari Lewis (Sprints, Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago)
Cumulative GPA: 3.49
Major: Economics
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Joshua Smith (Jumps, South Fulton, Ga.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.67
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Appearances for Track & Field: 2023, 2024, 2025
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Hammer
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
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