Friday, April 3
Gainesville, Fla.
11:00 AM ET
Liberty University
at
Florida Relays
Markus White is set to long jump and triple jump in Gainesville.
Florida Relays Next Up for Flames
4/1/2026 1:34:00 PM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty track & field will open the month of April by traveling to the Florida Relays for the third year in a row. The high-level competition is slated for Friday and Saturday at Percy Beard Track in Gainesville, Fla.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results will be available throughout the meet, courtesy of PrimeTime Timing.
Weather Report
Gainesville's weather forecast for Friday and Saturday features considerable sunshine both days with highs in the mid to upper 80s.
Ouedraogo's Outdoor Opener
First-year Flame Gilles Ouedraogo is slated to make his outdoor debut this weekend, competing in the men's triple jump's invitational section.
During his first indoor campaign at Liberty, the Burkina Faso native earned second team All-America distinction with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. He also pushed the program record to 53-1 while winning the CUSA title.
In Gainesville, Ouedraogo will go head to head with Oklahoma State's Kevin Kemboi, who finished one spot behind him at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Clarence Powell's Liberty outdoor record of 52-1.25 from the 2010 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet will certainly be on watch, Saturday afternoon.
Accepting the Invitation
Joining Ouedraogo in competing in their events' invitational sections are Christian Hicks (men's discus) and Markus White (men's long jump).
Both Hicks and White finished off indoor track & field season in impressive fashion. Hicks heaved the shot put a personal-best 59-3 to win the CUSA title, while White long jumped a program-record 25-6.25 and captured the CUSA crown during his last two indoor competitions.
Fantastic Freshmen
Liberty set program freshman records in eight different events during the indoor season, including the women's 300 (Shelby Smith – 39.25), women's 400 (Shelby Smith – 54.84), women's 800 (Eden Alexander – 2:07.70), women's 60 hurdles (Alivia Rivera-Norman – 8.42), women's long jump (Lara DeFazio – 19-5.25), men's 800 (Jacob Tarkington – 1:50.76), men's 60 hurdles (Tahj Brown – 7.70) and men's pole vault (Chase Johnson – 16-11).
One outdoor freshman mark has already gone down this year, thanks to Isabella Frattura's program-record 163-4 javelin effort at the Virginia Opener on March 21.
A number of other freshmen competing in Gainesville could threaten the standards in their events at some point this season.
Shelby Smith – Women's 400 (Existing Record: 54.33 by Tanner Ealum in 2017)
Alivia Rivera-Norman – Women's 100 Hurdles (Existing Record: 13.72 by Jada Thomas in 2019)
Alivia Rivera-Norman – Women's 400 Hurdles (Existing Record: 1:00.57 by Ansley Gebben in 2013)
Lara DeFazio – Women's Long Jump (Existing Record: 19-9.5 by Makenzy Mizera in 2019)
Mackenzie Boggess – Women's Triple Jump (Existing Record: 41-2.25 by Makenzy Mizera in 2019)
Tahj Brown – Men's 110 Hurdles (Existing Record: 13.93 by Jovaine Atkinson in 2017)
Chase Johnson – Men's Pole Vault (Existing Record: 16-7.5 by Anders Janes in 2019)
Record Breakers
Liberty wasted no time in breaking its first program records of the 2026 outdoor season, taking down both the women's javelin (Isabella Frattura – 163-4) and men's javelin (Ben Shughart – 253-11) at the Virginia Opener, March 21 in Charlottesville, Va.
Frattura's mark came during the freshman's first collegiate competition, while Shughart's performance came in his first meet since the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Shughart currently ranks No. 2 in both the NCAA and United States for 2026 and sits No. 23 in the world.
Liberty broke two program records at the Florida Relays a year ago, including the women's hammer (Paola Bueno – 212-8) and women's 4 x 100 relay (Indea Cartwright, Reese Webster, Mahogany Mobley and Akilah Lewis – 44.61).
CUSA's Best
The following Flames and Lady Flames rank No. 1 in Conference USA in their events at this early stage of the 2026 outdoor track & field season. The 2026 CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place at Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium, May 14-16 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Men's Steeplechase – Dale Hall – 9:20.73
Men's 5K – Jack Cottrell – 14:18.44
Men's Shot Put – Christian Hicks – 56-6.5
Men's Javelin – Ben Shughart – 253-11
Pack Your Bags for Lexington
The 2026 NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet will be contested at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Facility, May 27-30 in Lexington, Ky. The following Flames and Lady Flames appear to be qualified for the meet, based upon historical results.
Isabella Frattura – Women's Javelin
Sophie Gonazlez – Women's Hammer
Katrina Schlenker – Women's Steeplechase
Ben Shughart – Men's Javelin
Reagan Wise – Men's Pole Vault
Up Next
Liberty's decathletes and heptathletes will fly to Azusa, Calif., for the Bryan Clay Multis, April 9-10. The rest of the team will head across town to the University of Lynchburg to compete in the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic, April 10-11.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results will be available throughout the meet, courtesy of PrimeTime Timing.
Weather Report
Gainesville's weather forecast for Friday and Saturday features considerable sunshine both days with highs in the mid to upper 80s.
Ouedraogo's Outdoor Opener
First-year Flame Gilles Ouedraogo is slated to make his outdoor debut this weekend, competing in the men's triple jump's invitational section.
During his first indoor campaign at Liberty, the Burkina Faso native earned second team All-America distinction with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. He also pushed the program record to 53-1 while winning the CUSA title.
In Gainesville, Ouedraogo will go head to head with Oklahoma State's Kevin Kemboi, who finished one spot behind him at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Clarence Powell's Liberty outdoor record of 52-1.25 from the 2010 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet will certainly be on watch, Saturday afternoon.
Accepting the Invitation
Joining Ouedraogo in competing in their events' invitational sections are Christian Hicks (men's discus) and Markus White (men's long jump).
Both Hicks and White finished off indoor track & field season in impressive fashion. Hicks heaved the shot put a personal-best 59-3 to win the CUSA title, while White long jumped a program-record 25-6.25 and captured the CUSA crown during his last two indoor competitions.
Fantastic Freshmen
Liberty set program freshman records in eight different events during the indoor season, including the women's 300 (Shelby Smith – 39.25), women's 400 (Shelby Smith – 54.84), women's 800 (Eden Alexander – 2:07.70), women's 60 hurdles (Alivia Rivera-Norman – 8.42), women's long jump (Lara DeFazio – 19-5.25), men's 800 (Jacob Tarkington – 1:50.76), men's 60 hurdles (Tahj Brown – 7.70) and men's pole vault (Chase Johnson – 16-11).
One outdoor freshman mark has already gone down this year, thanks to Isabella Frattura's program-record 163-4 javelin effort at the Virginia Opener on March 21.
A number of other freshmen competing in Gainesville could threaten the standards in their events at some point this season.
Shelby Smith – Women's 400 (Existing Record: 54.33 by Tanner Ealum in 2017)
Alivia Rivera-Norman – Women's 100 Hurdles (Existing Record: 13.72 by Jada Thomas in 2019)
Alivia Rivera-Norman – Women's 400 Hurdles (Existing Record: 1:00.57 by Ansley Gebben in 2013)
Lara DeFazio – Women's Long Jump (Existing Record: 19-9.5 by Makenzy Mizera in 2019)
Mackenzie Boggess – Women's Triple Jump (Existing Record: 41-2.25 by Makenzy Mizera in 2019)
Tahj Brown – Men's 110 Hurdles (Existing Record: 13.93 by Jovaine Atkinson in 2017)
Chase Johnson – Men's Pole Vault (Existing Record: 16-7.5 by Anders Janes in 2019)
Record Breakers
Liberty wasted no time in breaking its first program records of the 2026 outdoor season, taking down both the women's javelin (Isabella Frattura – 163-4) and men's javelin (Ben Shughart – 253-11) at the Virginia Opener, March 21 in Charlottesville, Va.
Frattura's mark came during the freshman's first collegiate competition, while Shughart's performance came in his first meet since the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Shughart currently ranks No. 2 in both the NCAA and United States for 2026 and sits No. 23 in the world.
Liberty broke two program records at the Florida Relays a year ago, including the women's hammer (Paola Bueno – 212-8) and women's 4 x 100 relay (Indea Cartwright, Reese Webster, Mahogany Mobley and Akilah Lewis – 44.61).
CUSA's Best
The following Flames and Lady Flames rank No. 1 in Conference USA in their events at this early stage of the 2026 outdoor track & field season. The 2026 CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place at Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium, May 14-16 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Men's Steeplechase – Dale Hall – 9:20.73
Men's 5K – Jack Cottrell – 14:18.44
Men's Shot Put – Christian Hicks – 56-6.5
Men's Javelin – Ben Shughart – 253-11
Pack Your Bags for Lexington
The 2026 NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet will be contested at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Facility, May 27-30 in Lexington, Ky. The following Flames and Lady Flames appear to be qualified for the meet, based upon historical results.
Isabella Frattura – Women's Javelin
Sophie Gonazlez – Women's Hammer
Katrina Schlenker – Women's Steeplechase
Ben Shughart – Men's Javelin
Reagan Wise – Men's Pole Vault
Up Next
Liberty's decathletes and heptathletes will fly to Azusa, Calif., for the Bryan Clay Multis, April 9-10. The rest of the team will head across town to the University of Lynchburg to compete in the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic, April 10-11.
Players Mentioned
Mid-Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Hammer
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
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