Friday, September 19
Cary, N.C.
5:15 PM ET
Liberty University
at
adidas XC Challenge
Andrew Schultz (No. 8) helped the Flames finish as the men's team runner-up with a 19th-place individual showing.
Liberty Men’s XC Takes 2nd, Women 4th at adidas XC Challenge
9/19/2025 8:02:00 PM | Cross Country
CARY, N.C. – Facing their toughest competition of the young season and some hot weather at the WakeMed Soccer Park Friday afternoon, both Liberty teams delivered with strong performances. The men's squad took runner-up honors at the adidas XC Challenge, while the Lady Flames came in fourth.
No. 19 North Carolina prevented the Liberty men's team from defending its adidas XC Challenge title from 2024, posting a perfect score of 15. But the Flames' 67 points outdistanced everyone else among the 14-team field, including host NC State. Liberty was paced by top-20 showings by Nicholas Kiprotich (13th place, 6K time of 18:18.1), Edwin Kiprop (14th, 18:20.3) and Andrew Schultz (19th, 18:43.1).
Paced by Allie Zealand's fifth-place individual showing (5K personal-best 16:36.1), the Lady Flames tallied 102 points for fourth of 14 women's squads. Liberty trailed only No. 3 NC State (38 points), No. 15 North Carolina (62) and South Carolina (63).
Race Reactions
Liberty will split its squad between two different meets on Oct. 3. A majority of the runners will compete in the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind. The remainder of the Flames will head to Kernersville, N.C., for the Spartan Classic.
No. 19 North Carolina prevented the Liberty men's team from defending its adidas XC Challenge title from 2024, posting a perfect score of 15. But the Flames' 67 points outdistanced everyone else among the 14-team field, including host NC State. Liberty was paced by top-20 showings by Nicholas Kiprotich (13th place, 6K time of 18:18.1), Edwin Kiprop (14th, 18:20.3) and Andrew Schultz (19th, 18:43.1).
Paced by Allie Zealand's fifth-place individual showing (5K personal-best 16:36.1), the Lady Flames tallied 102 points for fourth of 14 women's squads. Liberty trailed only No. 3 NC State (38 points), No. 15 North Carolina (62) and South Carolina (63).
Race Reactions
- Kiprotich led the Flames at the adidas XC Challenge for the second year in a row, following his sixth-place effort in 2024.
- Schultz improved from 34th overall (No. 8 Liberty runner) during the 2024 adidas XC Challenge as a freshman to 19th overall (No. 3 Liberty runner) on Friday.
- Zane Lindquist (57th place to 44th) and Ethan Stansbury (58th place to 46th) were the Flames' top movers during the race's final 2K.
- Freshman Caden Ellis celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday by making his debut in a Flames uniform. He clocked 20:11.2 for 77th place of 155 men's finishers.
- Just as she did as a freshman at the 2024 adidas XC Challenge, Zealand paced the Lady Flames. She went from seventh place in 16:59.4 a year ago to fifth place in 16:36.1 Friday.
- Jessica Palisca continued a strong start to her senior season, finishing second to Zealand among the Lady Flames for the second consecutive race. She slashed her 5K best from 17:51.6 to 17:12.3 for 19th in the race and 10th in program history.
- Katie Sigerud (27th place, 17:28.0) put her name into the sub-17:30 club for the first time, joining teammates Zealand, Palisca, Ava Gordon, Isabela Ross, Katrina Schlenker and Molly Lashley among the 17 Lady Flames who have dipped under 17:30 in program history.
- Freshman Mackenzie Babcock (32nd, 17:38.6) and Ryann Aycock (34th, 17:39.5) rounded out the Lady Flames' top five, with Aycock setting a personal best in her hometown of Cary for the second straight season.
- Sophomores Rachel Hill (37th, 17:49.7), Raini Mayo (52nd, 18:05.2) and Anna Fletcher (59th, 18:11.0) also achieved significant cross country 5K personal bests on Friday.
Liberty will split its squad between two different meets on Oct. 3. A majority of the runners will compete in the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind. The remainder of the Flames will head to Kernersville, N.C., for the Spartan Classic.
Players Mentioned
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