(L-R): Patasha Bryan, Adelle Schlotterback, Jake Nicholson and Gabriel Willis
Liberty Earns 4 CUSA Track & Field Weekly Honors
4/14/2026 2:00:00 PM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – After posting impressive marks at two different meets, a quartet of Liberty track & field athletes have earned CUSA weekly honors. The Flames' award winners include Patasha Bryan (Women's Field Athlete of the Week), Adelle Schlotterback (Women's Freshman of the Week), Gabriel Willis (Men's Field Athlete of the Week) and Jake Nicholson (Men's Freshman of the Week).
A redshirt senior from Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., Bryan earns this recognition for the second time in her career (also Feb. 3). She scored 5,567 points in the Bryan Clay Multis heptathlon, breaking Danielle McNaney's program record of 5,504 that had stood for 21 years. Bryan currently ranks No. 17 nationally with the highest score by a CUSA heptathlete since 2017.
During the competition, Bryan high jumped a personal-best 5-7.25, a mark which ranks No. 5 in CUSA this season. She also clocked a personal-best 2:14.05 800, the fastest time by a heptathlete in Liberty history.
Schlotterback, who hails from Fort Wayne, Ind., raced to victory in the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic women's 400 hurdles. Her time of 1:01.89 set a new personal best by two seconds and ranks No. 5 in CUSA this year (second to teammate Alivia Rivera-Norman among freshmen).
A redshirt senior from Carrollton, Texas, Willis is now a two-time CUSA Men's Field Athlete of the Week (also Feb. 4, 2025) and becomes the third different Flame to win this honor in the last four weeks. He tallied a personal-best 7,341 points during the Bryan Clay Multis decathlon, a mark which sits No. 19 nationally this season and is No. 10 in program history. Willis' score was the best by a CUSA decathlete since 2023.
Within his decathlon, Willis high jumped 6-8.25 (No. 3 in CUSA this year) and long jumped 23-4.5 (tied for No. 7 in CUSA). He also set personal bests in all four running events, including the 100 (10.78), 400 (50.47), 110 hurdles (14.59) and 1,500 (4:55.08).
Making a successful decathlon debut at the Bryan Clay Multis, Nicholson joined the 7,000-point club (7,082). The redshirt freshman from Lubbock, Texas ranks No. 37 nationally this season, including fourth among freshmen. Nicholson sits No. 2 in CUSA behind Willis after becoming the first Flames freshman since Brandon Hoskins in 2005 to fashion a 7,000-point decathlon.
Liberty is preparing for one of its busiest weeks of the season, sending athletes to three different meets. The Flames are set to compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational (Thursday-Saturday in Azusa, Calif.), Virginia Challenge (Thursday-Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.) and WildCat Invitational (Friday-Saturday in Lynchburg, Va.).
A redshirt senior from Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., Bryan earns this recognition for the second time in her career (also Feb. 3). She scored 5,567 points in the Bryan Clay Multis heptathlon, breaking Danielle McNaney's program record of 5,504 that had stood for 21 years. Bryan currently ranks No. 17 nationally with the highest score by a CUSA heptathlete since 2017.
During the competition, Bryan high jumped a personal-best 5-7.25, a mark which ranks No. 5 in CUSA this season. She also clocked a personal-best 2:14.05 800, the fastest time by a heptathlete in Liberty history.
Schlotterback, who hails from Fort Wayne, Ind., raced to victory in the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic women's 400 hurdles. Her time of 1:01.89 set a new personal best by two seconds and ranks No. 5 in CUSA this year (second to teammate Alivia Rivera-Norman among freshmen).
A redshirt senior from Carrollton, Texas, Willis is now a two-time CUSA Men's Field Athlete of the Week (also Feb. 4, 2025) and becomes the third different Flame to win this honor in the last four weeks. He tallied a personal-best 7,341 points during the Bryan Clay Multis decathlon, a mark which sits No. 19 nationally this season and is No. 10 in program history. Willis' score was the best by a CUSA decathlete since 2023.
Within his decathlon, Willis high jumped 6-8.25 (No. 3 in CUSA this year) and long jumped 23-4.5 (tied for No. 7 in CUSA). He also set personal bests in all four running events, including the 100 (10.78), 400 (50.47), 110 hurdles (14.59) and 1,500 (4:55.08).
Making a successful decathlon debut at the Bryan Clay Multis, Nicholson joined the 7,000-point club (7,082). The redshirt freshman from Lubbock, Texas ranks No. 37 nationally this season, including fourth among freshmen. Nicholson sits No. 2 in CUSA behind Willis after becoming the first Flames freshman since Brandon Hoskins in 2005 to fashion a 7,000-point decathlon.
Liberty is preparing for one of its busiest weeks of the season, sending athletes to three different meets. The Flames are set to compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational (Thursday-Saturday in Azusa, Calif.), Virginia Challenge (Thursday-Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.) and WildCat Invitational (Friday-Saturday in Lynchburg, Va.).
Players Mentioned
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
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