Friday, January 9
Lynchburg, Va.
10:00 AM ET
Liberty University
at
The Burg Open
Jacob Tarkington won the men's 800 in a Liberty freshman record time of 1:50.76.
2 Freshman Records Headline 12-Win Friday for the Flames
1/9/2026 5:14:00 PM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty's Chase Johnson (16-11 men's pole vault) and Jacob Tarkington (1:50.76 men's 800) each set program freshman records while winning their respective events during Friday's The Burg Open. Meanwhile, Patasha Bryan (women's 60 hurdles, 4 x 400 relay and long jump) recorded three of the Flames' 12 event victories at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
Liberty's other first-place finishes during the meet hosted by the University of Lynchburg went to Hunter Bleam (men's shot put), Jack Cottrell (men's mile), Joshua Smith (men's triple jump), the men's 4 x 400 quartet of Samuel O'Regan, Gabriel Willis, Bleam and Jake Nicholson, Rachel Hill (women's mile), Katie Urbine (women's pole vault), Eva Whiteman (women's high jump) and the women's 4 x 400 squad of Alivia Rivera-Norman, Bryan, Paige Greenhagel and Adelle Schlotterback.
Men's Recap
After matching teammate Todd Benhase's Liberty freshman record with a 16-6.75 clearance during his collegiate debut at the Liberty Kickoff, Johnson claimed the mark to himself on Friday. The Texas native made it over 16-7.25 on his first attempt and then sailed over a lifetime-best 16-11 on his third try to win the competition and move up to No. 5 in program history.
Reagan Wise (season-best 16-7.25, second place) and Benhase (15-5.5, third place) made it a podium sweep for the Flames.
Tarkington (1:50.76) led another 1-2-3 Liberty sweep, as he was followed across the men's 800 finish line by teammates Dale Hall (1:53.16) and Brendan Pitcher (1:56.71).
Tarkington saved his fastest lap (27.11) for last, taking down Pitcher's freshman standard of 1:50.94 which was good enough to win the 2023 ASUN title. Tarkington now ranks No. 2 behind Ally Kipchirchir in program history after his first collegiate 800 race.
Liberty also claimed victory in Friday's other men's mid-distance event, thanks to Cottrell's 4:13.22 mile.
Smith has now won back-to-back men's triple jump competitions to open his senior season. His 48-10.25 effort won Friday's event by nearly seven feet, a month removed from the Georgia native's program-record 51-3.5 leap at the Liberty Kickoff.
Bleam was the most successful of Liberty's men's multi-event athletes on the day, winning the shot put (44-8.75), clocking the fastest leg (51.49) on the winning 4 x 400 squad (3:28.71) and high jumping 6-4 for fifth place.
Women's Recap
Bryan was victorious in the day's first women's race (60 hurdles – 9.17) and the final women's race (4 x 400 relay – 3:58.02), breaking things open with a 56.84 second leg split. In between, she long jumped 18-1.75 to edge teammate Paige Greenhagel (17-10.25) for top honors.
Whiteman has now won the women's high jump at all three editions of The Burg Open, topping out at 5-4.25 on Friday.
Urbine equaled her pole vault season best of 12-9.5 to share the victory with Danica McCarron of Pole Vault Carolina.
Mark Fairley was recently hired as Taylor University's men's and women's cross country head coach, and the women's runners he formerly coached at Liberty gave him a nice send-off on Friday. His charges went 1-2-3-4-5 in the women's mile and 2-3-5-6-8 in the women's 800.
Hill led the way in both events, successfully defending her 2025 The Burg Open women's mile crown in a personal-best 4:57.16 and placing second in the 800 in 2:16.75.
Men's Event Winners
Hunter Bleam - Shot Put - 44-8.75
Jack Cottrell – Mile – 4:13.22
Chase Johnson – Pole Vault – 16-11
Joshua Smith – Triple Jump – 48-10.25
Jacob Tarkington – 800 – 1:50.76
Samuel O'Regan, Gabriel Willis, Hunter Bleam, Jake Nicholson – 4 x 400 Relay – 3:28.71
Women's Event Winners
Patasha Bryan – 60 Hurdles – 9.17
Patasha Bryan – Long Jump – 18-1.75
Rachel Hill – Mile – 4:57.16
Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 12-9.5
Eva Whiteman – High Jump – 5-4.25
Alivia Rivera-Norman, Patasha Bryan, Paige Greenhagel, Adelle Schlotterback – 4 x 400 Relay – 3:58.02
Men's Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – Chase Johnson – Pole Vault – 16-11
Previous Record: 16-6.75 by Johnson (Liberty Kickoff on Dec. 5, 2025) and Todd Benhase (CUSA Championship on Feb. 28, 2025)
Liberty Freshman Record – Jacob Tarkington – 800 – 1:50.76
Previous Record: 1:50.94 by Brendan Pitcher (ASUN Championship on Feb. 25, 2023)
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
No. 2 – 800 – Jacob Tarkington – 1:50.76
No. 5 – Pole Vault – Chase Johnson – 16-11
Tie for No. 7 – Pole Vault – Reagan Wise – 16-7.25
Up Next
Liberty will take to the road for the Virginia Tech Invitational. The two-day event is slated for Jan. 16-17 at Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va.
Liberty's other first-place finishes during the meet hosted by the University of Lynchburg went to Hunter Bleam (men's shot put), Jack Cottrell (men's mile), Joshua Smith (men's triple jump), the men's 4 x 400 quartet of Samuel O'Regan, Gabriel Willis, Bleam and Jake Nicholson, Rachel Hill (women's mile), Katie Urbine (women's pole vault), Eva Whiteman (women's high jump) and the women's 4 x 400 squad of Alivia Rivera-Norman, Bryan, Paige Greenhagel and Adelle Schlotterback.
Men's Recap
After matching teammate Todd Benhase's Liberty freshman record with a 16-6.75 clearance during his collegiate debut at the Liberty Kickoff, Johnson claimed the mark to himself on Friday. The Texas native made it over 16-7.25 on his first attempt and then sailed over a lifetime-best 16-11 on his third try to win the competition and move up to No. 5 in program history.
Reagan Wise (season-best 16-7.25, second place) and Benhase (15-5.5, third place) made it a podium sweep for the Flames.
Tarkington (1:50.76) led another 1-2-3 Liberty sweep, as he was followed across the men's 800 finish line by teammates Dale Hall (1:53.16) and Brendan Pitcher (1:56.71).
Tarkington saved his fastest lap (27.11) for last, taking down Pitcher's freshman standard of 1:50.94 which was good enough to win the 2023 ASUN title. Tarkington now ranks No. 2 behind Ally Kipchirchir in program history after his first collegiate 800 race.
Liberty also claimed victory in Friday's other men's mid-distance event, thanks to Cottrell's 4:13.22 mile.
Smith has now won back-to-back men's triple jump competitions to open his senior season. His 48-10.25 effort won Friday's event by nearly seven feet, a month removed from the Georgia native's program-record 51-3.5 leap at the Liberty Kickoff.
Bleam was the most successful of Liberty's men's multi-event athletes on the day, winning the shot put (44-8.75), clocking the fastest leg (51.49) on the winning 4 x 400 squad (3:28.71) and high jumping 6-4 for fifth place.
Women's Recap
Bryan was victorious in the day's first women's race (60 hurdles – 9.17) and the final women's race (4 x 400 relay – 3:58.02), breaking things open with a 56.84 second leg split. In between, she long jumped 18-1.75 to edge teammate Paige Greenhagel (17-10.25) for top honors.
Whiteman has now won the women's high jump at all three editions of The Burg Open, topping out at 5-4.25 on Friday.
Urbine equaled her pole vault season best of 12-9.5 to share the victory with Danica McCarron of Pole Vault Carolina.
Mark Fairley was recently hired as Taylor University's men's and women's cross country head coach, and the women's runners he formerly coached at Liberty gave him a nice send-off on Friday. His charges went 1-2-3-4-5 in the women's mile and 2-3-5-6-8 in the women's 800.
Hill led the way in both events, successfully defending her 2025 The Burg Open women's mile crown in a personal-best 4:57.16 and placing second in the 800 in 2:16.75.
Men's Event Winners
Hunter Bleam - Shot Put - 44-8.75
Jack Cottrell – Mile – 4:13.22
Chase Johnson – Pole Vault – 16-11
Joshua Smith – Triple Jump – 48-10.25
Jacob Tarkington – 800 – 1:50.76
Samuel O'Regan, Gabriel Willis, Hunter Bleam, Jake Nicholson – 4 x 400 Relay – 3:28.71
Women's Event Winners
Patasha Bryan – 60 Hurdles – 9.17
Patasha Bryan – Long Jump – 18-1.75
Rachel Hill – Mile – 4:57.16
Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 12-9.5
Eva Whiteman – High Jump – 5-4.25
Alivia Rivera-Norman, Patasha Bryan, Paige Greenhagel, Adelle Schlotterback – 4 x 400 Relay – 3:58.02
Men's Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – Chase Johnson – Pole Vault – 16-11
Previous Record: 16-6.75 by Johnson (Liberty Kickoff on Dec. 5, 2025) and Todd Benhase (CUSA Championship on Feb. 28, 2025)
Liberty Freshman Record – Jacob Tarkington – 800 – 1:50.76
Previous Record: 1:50.94 by Brendan Pitcher (ASUN Championship on Feb. 25, 2023)
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Men's Top 10 List
No. 2 – 800 – Jacob Tarkington – 1:50.76
No. 5 – Pole Vault – Chase Johnson – 16-11
Tie for No. 7 – Pole Vault – Reagan Wise – 16-7.25
Up Next
Liberty will take to the road for the Virginia Tech Invitational. The two-day event is slated for Jan. 16-17 at Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Va.
Players Mentioned
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
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