Friday, January 30
Lynchburg, Va.
11:00 AM ET
Liberty University
vs
Brant Tolsma Elite Invitational Sponsored by Beynon
All-American Allie Zealand clocked a record-breaking 4:28.89 mile on her home track on Friday.
Zealand’s 4:28.89 Mile Headlines Flames’ Fantastic Friday
1/31/2026 12:37:00 AM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty All-American Allie Zealand delivered a show-stopping 4:28.89 mile on Friday at the sixth annual Brant Tolsma Elite Invitational sponsored by Beynon, winning the race while breaking the Liberty, facility and meet records. Hers was one of many impressive performances by the host Flames at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex, including a total of six event victories, three program records, three meet records and a Liberty freshman standard.
Liberty's other first-place finishers included Rachel Hill (women's 800 open – 2:12.34), Katie Sigerud (women's 3K open – 9:34.74), the women's 4 x 400 relay quartet of Maddy Merritt, Mahogany Mobley, Patasha Bryan and Shelby Smith (3:41.83), Tahj Brown (men's 60 hurdles – 7.92) and Gilles Ouedraogo (men's triple jump – 51-8.25).
First-year Flames Michael Long (men's 800 – 1:48.82) and Ouedraogo joined Zealand in taking down program records.
Zealand, Ouedraogo and the women's 4 x 400 relay squad each established new records for the meet named for the Flames' former head coach.
Finally, Brown bettered the Liberty freshman record while winning the men's 60 hurdles title for the second week in a row.
Zealand's effort was one of many sterling distance performances on the day, which featured other notable winning times of 3:54.60 in the men's mile (Wake Forest's Paul Specht), 7:47.35 in the men's 3K (Virginia's Nathan Mountain) and 8:52.72 in the women's 3K (Northern Arizona's Hayley Burns).
Women's Recap
Running her first race in 55 days, Zealand showed no signs of rust. She pulled away from former high school rival Sadie Engelhardt of NC State to win by nearly four full seconds in 4:28.89, the NCAA's fourth fastest time of the season. The sophomore now ranks No. 4 nationally in two different events, also including her record-breaking 8:44.71 3K from Dec. 6 in Boston.
Zealand shattered a trio of records during just the second indoor home meet of her collegiate career, lopping eight seconds off the Liberty record (Calli Doan's 4:36.52 from 2023), seven seconds off the facility record (NC State's Bethany Michalak's 4:35.91 at last Saturday's Liberty Open) and 19 seconds off the meet record (William & Mary's Kyra Holland's 4:47.30 from 2025).
Fellow sophomore Rachel Hill recorded personal bests in the women's mile (4:50.94, No. 9 in program history) and open 800 (2:12.34), winning the latter by four seconds. Katie Sigerud also claimed victory in the open women's 3K with a personal-best 9:34.74 effort which moved her up to No. 8 all-time for the Lady Flames.
The Lady Flames' successful day of distance running also saw a trio of new sub-5:00 milers, including Mackenzie Babcock (4:54.60), Raini Mayo (4:56.23) and Sophia Park (4:57.13).
Merritt, Mobley, Bryan and Smith fashioned a dominating victory in the women's 4 x 400 relay in 3:41.83, becoming the third fastest grouping in program history. Mobley's sterling 54.19 split on the second leg gave Liberty the lead for good. The Lady Flames ended up defeating runner-up North Carolina by more than four seconds and dismantled the previous meet record (3:49.54 by Hampton in 2022).
For Bryan, it wrapped up a successful two days which began with a 3,999-point pentathlon on Thursday which earned second place in the competition and sits No. 2 on Liberty's all-time list.
Earlier in the day, Mobley (second place, 54.98) and Smith (fourth, 55.22) had won their respective heats of the women's 400 in the No. 5 and No. 8 times in program history, respectively. Smith challenged the Liberty freshman record of 55.10 set by Tanner Ealum in 2017.
Paola Bueno was the women's weight throw runner-up with a season-best 64-2.25 heave. Meanwhile, Bethany Tate recorded an indoor shot put best (48-11.5) for the second week in a row to take fourth in her event.
Liberty notched podium finishes in three different jumping events, courtesy of Eva Whiteman (second in high jump, season-best 5-5.75), Lara DeFazio (third in long jump – 18-5) and Stephanie Robson (third in triple jump, 39-4.5).
Men's Recap
Ouedraogo could not have asked for a better beginning to his Liberty career. One week after winning his Flames debut with a program-record 51-7.75 triple jump at the Liberty Open, the reigning CUSA Men's Field Athlete of the Week was at it again.
He added a half inch to his own record with a 51-8.25 leap in round three. That won the competition by two and a half feet and broke the meet record of 50-0.5 established by Campbell's Charles McBride II in 2023.
Running his first 800 as a Flame, Long's 1:48.82 made him one of five men to dip under the previous meet record of 1:51.45. It also broke Ally Kipchirchir's program mark of 1:49.18 set in Clemson on Jan. 28, 2023.
Meanwhile, teammate Brendan Pitcher tallied a season-best 1:52.20 for the runner-up spot in the men's 800 open section.
Like Ouedraogo, Brown won his event for the second time in as many weeks to open his Liberty career. His winning 60 hurdles clocking of 7.92 edged his own Liberty freshman record (7.93) and claims sole possession of third place all-time for the Flames.
Kellen Kimes placed third (season-best 68-9.75) in a loaded men's weight throw competition where six men eclipsed the meet record of 65-3.25 set by former Flame John Hicks in 2024. Hicks' younger brother Christian reached a personal-best 63-4.75 on Friday for seventh in the event and seventh all-time at Liberty.
Redshirt freshman Jake Nicholson finished off the heptathlon with a flourish. His 1,000-meter clocking of 2:41.66 was the second fastest in facility history for a heptathlon. That pushed Nicholson's final score to 5,046, earning him third place in the two-day competition and making him Liberty's 13th all-time member of the 5,000-point club.
Additional Flames standouts included Patrick Adams III (fifth in men's 60 hurdles, 8.23), Todd Benhase (fourth in men's pole vault, 16-6), Simon Lamparelli (fifth in men's 400, 47.89), Andrew Schultz (third in men's 3K open, personal-best 8:17.81) and Trevor Veenstra (fourth in men's shot put, 58-0.25).
Women's Event Winners
Rachel Hill – 800 Open – 2:12.34
Katie Sigerud – 3K Open – 9:34.74
Allie Zealand – Mile Invite – 4:28.89
Maddy Merritt, Mahogany Mobley, Patasha Bryan, Shelby Smith – 4 x 400 Relay – 3:41.83
Men's Event Winners
Tahj Brown – 60 Hurdles – 7.92
Gilles Ouedraogo – Triple Jump – 51-8.25
Other Women's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Mackenzie Babcock – Mile Open – 4:54.60
2nd – Paola Bueno – Weight Throw – 64-2.25
2nd – Mahogany Mobley – 400 – 54.98
2nd – Eva Whiteman – High Jump – 5-5.75
3rd – Lara DeFazio – Long Jump – 18-5
3rd – Stephanie Robson – Triple Jump – 39-4.5
Other Men's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Brendan Pitcher – 800 Open – 1:52.20
3rd – Michael Long – 800 Invite – 1:48.82
3rd – Kellen Kimes – Weight Throw – 68-9.75
3rd – Jake Nicholson – Heptathlon – 5,046
3rd – Andrew Schultz – 3K Open – 8:17.81
Women's Record Breakers
Program Record – Allie Zealand – Mile – 4:28.89
Previous Record: 4:36.52 by Calli Doan in Boston on Feb. 10, 2023
Facility Record – Allie Zealand – Mile – 4:28.89
Previous Record: 4:35.91 by NC State's Bethany Michalak on Jan. 23, 2026
Meet Record – Allie Zealand – Mile – 4:28.89
Previous Record: 4:47.30 by William & Mary's Kyra Holland on Jan. 25, 2025
Meet Record – Merritt, Mobley, Bryan, Smith – 4 x 400 – 3:41.83
Previous Record: 3:49.54 by Hampton on Jan. 22, 2022
Men's Record Breakers
Program Record – Michael Long – 800 – 1:48.82
Previous Record: 1:49.18 by Ally Kipchirchir at Clemson on Jan. 28, 2023
Program Record – Gilles Ouedraogo – Triple Jump – 51-8.25
Previous Record: 51-7.75 by Ouedraogo on Jan. 23, 2026
Meet Record – Gilles Ouedraogo – Triple Jump – 51-8.25
Previous Record: 50-0.5 by Campbell's Charles McBride II on Jan. 21, 2023
Liberty Freshman Record – Tahj Brown – 60 Hurdles – 7.92
Previous Record: 7.93 by Brown on Jan. 23, 2026
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
No. 1 – Mile – Allie Zealand – 4:28.89
No. 3 – 4 x 400 – Merritt, Mobley, Bryan, Smith – 3:41.83
No. 4 – Shot Put – Bethany Tate – 48-11.5
No. 5 – 400 – Mahogany Mobley – 54.98
No. 8 – 400 – Shelby Smith – 55.22
No. 8 – 3K – Katie Sigerud – 9:34.74
No. 9 – Mile – Rachel Hill – 4:50.94
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
No. 1 – 800 – Michael Long – 1:48.82
No. 1 – Triple Jump – Gilles Ouedraogo – 51-8.25
No. 3 – 60 Hurdles – Tahj Brown – 7.92
No. 7 – Weight Throw – Christian Hicks – 63-4.75
Up Next
After taking next week off from competition, Liberty will split up between a pair of meets on Feb. 13 and 14.
A majority of the team will remain in Lynchburg for the 12th annual Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational. The meet will air on ESPN+.
Meanwhile, some Flames and Lady Flames will head to Clemson, S.C., for the Tiger Paw Invitational, set to air on ACC Network Extra.
Liberty's other first-place finishers included Rachel Hill (women's 800 open – 2:12.34), Katie Sigerud (women's 3K open – 9:34.74), the women's 4 x 400 relay quartet of Maddy Merritt, Mahogany Mobley, Patasha Bryan and Shelby Smith (3:41.83), Tahj Brown (men's 60 hurdles – 7.92) and Gilles Ouedraogo (men's triple jump – 51-8.25).
First-year Flames Michael Long (men's 800 – 1:48.82) and Ouedraogo joined Zealand in taking down program records.
Zealand, Ouedraogo and the women's 4 x 400 relay squad each established new records for the meet named for the Flames' former head coach.
Finally, Brown bettered the Liberty freshman record while winning the men's 60 hurdles title for the second week in a row.
Zealand's effort was one of many sterling distance performances on the day, which featured other notable winning times of 3:54.60 in the men's mile (Wake Forest's Paul Specht), 7:47.35 in the men's 3K (Virginia's Nathan Mountain) and 8:52.72 in the women's 3K (Northern Arizona's Hayley Burns).
Women's Recap
Running her first race in 55 days, Zealand showed no signs of rust. She pulled away from former high school rival Sadie Engelhardt of NC State to win by nearly four full seconds in 4:28.89, the NCAA's fourth fastest time of the season. The sophomore now ranks No. 4 nationally in two different events, also including her record-breaking 8:44.71 3K from Dec. 6 in Boston.
Zealand shattered a trio of records during just the second indoor home meet of her collegiate career, lopping eight seconds off the Liberty record (Calli Doan's 4:36.52 from 2023), seven seconds off the facility record (NC State's Bethany Michalak's 4:35.91 at last Saturday's Liberty Open) and 19 seconds off the meet record (William & Mary's Kyra Holland's 4:47.30 from 2025).
Fellow sophomore Rachel Hill recorded personal bests in the women's mile (4:50.94, No. 9 in program history) and open 800 (2:12.34), winning the latter by four seconds. Katie Sigerud also claimed victory in the open women's 3K with a personal-best 9:34.74 effort which moved her up to No. 8 all-time for the Lady Flames.
The Lady Flames' successful day of distance running also saw a trio of new sub-5:00 milers, including Mackenzie Babcock (4:54.60), Raini Mayo (4:56.23) and Sophia Park (4:57.13).
Merritt, Mobley, Bryan and Smith fashioned a dominating victory in the women's 4 x 400 relay in 3:41.83, becoming the third fastest grouping in program history. Mobley's sterling 54.19 split on the second leg gave Liberty the lead for good. The Lady Flames ended up defeating runner-up North Carolina by more than four seconds and dismantled the previous meet record (3:49.54 by Hampton in 2022).
For Bryan, it wrapped up a successful two days which began with a 3,999-point pentathlon on Thursday which earned second place in the competition and sits No. 2 on Liberty's all-time list.
Earlier in the day, Mobley (second place, 54.98) and Smith (fourth, 55.22) had won their respective heats of the women's 400 in the No. 5 and No. 8 times in program history, respectively. Smith challenged the Liberty freshman record of 55.10 set by Tanner Ealum in 2017.
Paola Bueno was the women's weight throw runner-up with a season-best 64-2.25 heave. Meanwhile, Bethany Tate recorded an indoor shot put best (48-11.5) for the second week in a row to take fourth in her event.
Liberty notched podium finishes in three different jumping events, courtesy of Eva Whiteman (second in high jump, season-best 5-5.75), Lara DeFazio (third in long jump – 18-5) and Stephanie Robson (third in triple jump, 39-4.5).
Men's Recap
Ouedraogo could not have asked for a better beginning to his Liberty career. One week after winning his Flames debut with a program-record 51-7.75 triple jump at the Liberty Open, the reigning CUSA Men's Field Athlete of the Week was at it again.
He added a half inch to his own record with a 51-8.25 leap in round three. That won the competition by two and a half feet and broke the meet record of 50-0.5 established by Campbell's Charles McBride II in 2023.
Running his first 800 as a Flame, Long's 1:48.82 made him one of five men to dip under the previous meet record of 1:51.45. It also broke Ally Kipchirchir's program mark of 1:49.18 set in Clemson on Jan. 28, 2023.
Meanwhile, teammate Brendan Pitcher tallied a season-best 1:52.20 for the runner-up spot in the men's 800 open section.
Like Ouedraogo, Brown won his event for the second time in as many weeks to open his Liberty career. His winning 60 hurdles clocking of 7.92 edged his own Liberty freshman record (7.93) and claims sole possession of third place all-time for the Flames.
Kellen Kimes placed third (season-best 68-9.75) in a loaded men's weight throw competition where six men eclipsed the meet record of 65-3.25 set by former Flame John Hicks in 2024. Hicks' younger brother Christian reached a personal-best 63-4.75 on Friday for seventh in the event and seventh all-time at Liberty.
Redshirt freshman Jake Nicholson finished off the heptathlon with a flourish. His 1,000-meter clocking of 2:41.66 was the second fastest in facility history for a heptathlon. That pushed Nicholson's final score to 5,046, earning him third place in the two-day competition and making him Liberty's 13th all-time member of the 5,000-point club.
Additional Flames standouts included Patrick Adams III (fifth in men's 60 hurdles, 8.23), Todd Benhase (fourth in men's pole vault, 16-6), Simon Lamparelli (fifth in men's 400, 47.89), Andrew Schultz (third in men's 3K open, personal-best 8:17.81) and Trevor Veenstra (fourth in men's shot put, 58-0.25).
Women's Event Winners
Rachel Hill – 800 Open – 2:12.34
Katie Sigerud – 3K Open – 9:34.74
Allie Zealand – Mile Invite – 4:28.89
Maddy Merritt, Mahogany Mobley, Patasha Bryan, Shelby Smith – 4 x 400 Relay – 3:41.83
Men's Event Winners
Tahj Brown – 60 Hurdles – 7.92
Gilles Ouedraogo – Triple Jump – 51-8.25
Other Women's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Mackenzie Babcock – Mile Open – 4:54.60
2nd – Paola Bueno – Weight Throw – 64-2.25
2nd – Mahogany Mobley – 400 – 54.98
2nd – Eva Whiteman – High Jump – 5-5.75
3rd – Lara DeFazio – Long Jump – 18-5
3rd – Stephanie Robson – Triple Jump – 39-4.5
Other Men's Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Brendan Pitcher – 800 Open – 1:52.20
3rd – Michael Long – 800 Invite – 1:48.82
3rd – Kellen Kimes – Weight Throw – 68-9.75
3rd – Jake Nicholson – Heptathlon – 5,046
3rd – Andrew Schultz – 3K Open – 8:17.81
Women's Record Breakers
Program Record – Allie Zealand – Mile – 4:28.89
Previous Record: 4:36.52 by Calli Doan in Boston on Feb. 10, 2023
Facility Record – Allie Zealand – Mile – 4:28.89
Previous Record: 4:35.91 by NC State's Bethany Michalak on Jan. 23, 2026
Meet Record – Allie Zealand – Mile – 4:28.89
Previous Record: 4:47.30 by William & Mary's Kyra Holland on Jan. 25, 2025
Meet Record – Merritt, Mobley, Bryan, Smith – 4 x 400 – 3:41.83
Previous Record: 3:49.54 by Hampton on Jan. 22, 2022
Men's Record Breakers
Program Record – Michael Long – 800 – 1:48.82
Previous Record: 1:49.18 by Ally Kipchirchir at Clemson on Jan. 28, 2023
Program Record – Gilles Ouedraogo – Triple Jump – 51-8.25
Previous Record: 51-7.75 by Ouedraogo on Jan. 23, 2026
Meet Record – Gilles Ouedraogo – Triple Jump – 51-8.25
Previous Record: 50-0.5 by Campbell's Charles McBride II on Jan. 21, 2023
Liberty Freshman Record – Tahj Brown – 60 Hurdles – 7.92
Previous Record: 7.93 by Brown on Jan. 23, 2026
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
No. 1 – Mile – Allie Zealand – 4:28.89
No. 3 – 4 x 400 – Merritt, Mobley, Bryan, Smith – 3:41.83
No. 4 – Shot Put – Bethany Tate – 48-11.5
No. 5 – 400 – Mahogany Mobley – 54.98
No. 8 – 400 – Shelby Smith – 55.22
No. 8 – 3K – Katie Sigerud – 9:34.74
No. 9 – Mile – Rachel Hill – 4:50.94
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
No. 1 – 800 – Michael Long – 1:48.82
No. 1 – Triple Jump – Gilles Ouedraogo – 51-8.25
No. 3 – 60 Hurdles – Tahj Brown – 7.92
No. 7 – Weight Throw – Christian Hicks – 63-4.75
Up Next
After taking next week off from competition, Liberty will split up between a pair of meets on Feb. 13 and 14.
A majority of the team will remain in Lynchburg for the 12th annual Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational. The meet will air on ESPN+.
Meanwhile, some Flames and Lady Flames will head to Clemson, S.C., for the Tiger Paw Invitational, set to air on ACC Network Extra.
Players Mentioned
Hurdles
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Distance
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Pole Vault
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Hurdles
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Heptathlon
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Hammer
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Jumps
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Throws
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Mid-distance
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Throws
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Sprints
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Mid-Distance
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Distance
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Sprints
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Sprints
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Decathlon
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Distance
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Mid-distance
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Jumps
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Distance
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Mid-distance
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Sprints
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Throws
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Throws
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High Jump
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Mid-Distance
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Wednesday, September 17