Friday, October 16
Terre Haute, Ind.
10:00 AM ET
Liberty University
at
Under Armour Pre-National Invitational
Allie Zealand came in 15th at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, Friday morning.
Zealand Paces Flames at Pre-National Invite
10/16/2026 1:32:00 PM | Cross Country
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – All-American Allie Zealand placed 15th in the women's blue (seeded) 6K, headlining Liberty's performance at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational on Friday. The women's squad placed 25th, while the men's team came in 39th at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, site of the 2026 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
Zealand clocked 19:44.5, making her one of 25 women to break 20 minutes on a cool, breezy Indiana morning. The Lady Flames totaled 620 points to finish 25th of 43 women's teams. Up front, No. 2 BYU edged No. 1 NC State for the team victory, 84-88.
In the men's blue 8K, Andrew Schultz led the Flames with a 24:29.0 for 138th. Liberty came in 39th out of 44 men's squads with 1,038 points. No. 8 Syracuse topped No. 14 Villanova by a dozen points (115-127) to take home the men's team crown.
Race Reactions
Five Lady Flames will compete at Saturday's Roanoke XC Invitational. The women's 6K will begin at 10 a.m. at Green Hill Park in Salem, Va.
Zealand clocked 19:44.5, making her one of 25 women to break 20 minutes on a cool, breezy Indiana morning. The Lady Flames totaled 620 points to finish 25th of 43 women's teams. Up front, No. 2 BYU edged No. 1 NC State for the team victory, 84-88.
In the men's blue 8K, Andrew Schultz led the Flames with a 24:29.0 for 138th. Liberty came in 39th out of 44 men's squads with 1,038 points. No. 8 Syracuse topped No. 14 Villanova by a dozen points (115-127) to take home the men's team crown.
Race Reactions
- Zealand dipped under 20:00 in a cross country 6K for the first time this season and the fifth time in the junior's career.
- She posted her second straight lofty individual finish at Pre-Nationals, following a fifth-place showing at the 2025 Pre-National Invitational in Columbia, Mo.
- Ava Gordon stepped up with her best race of the season, finishing 89th of 322 in 20:50.7. She was joined in Liberty's top five by Mackenzie Babcock (167th, 21:20.2), Rachel Hill (179th, 21:25.4) and Ryann Aycock (187th, 21:28.2).
- Gordon (152nd place at 2K to 89th at the finish), Babcock (255th at 2K to 167th at the finish) and Aycock (259th at 2K to 187th at the finish) all steadily moved up through the field for the Lady Flames on Friday.
- Schultz (138th place of 339) served as the Flames' No. 1 runner for the third time in four races this season.
- Ethan Pedersen (199th, 24:45.6) and Malachi Burnett (225th, 24:53.2) also broke 25:00 for the Flames, with Burnett posting a new personal best for the 8K distance.
- Liberty's other eight men's competitors notched times between 25:04.1 and 25:36.6, including the Flames' trio who took part in the men's white (unseeded) 8K.
- Racing on his 24th birthday, Tristian Merchant crossed the line in 25:04.1 for 255th place in the blue race. Grattan O'Neill (270th, personal-best 25:11.5) closed out the Flames' scoring five.
- Both Flames freshmen entered in the men's white 8K came away with significant personal bests, including Eric Duncan (33rd place, 25:10.1) and William Zealand (57th, 25:24.3).
- For the first time since 2019, the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will take place in Terre Haute. The meet is slated for Nov. 21 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
Five Lady Flames will compete at Saturday's Roanoke XC Invitational. The women's 6K will begin at 10 a.m. at Green Hill Park in Salem, Va.
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