Thursday, April 23
Philadelphia, Pa.
2:00 PM ET
Liberty University
at
Penn Relays
A veteran of the Penn Relays high school javelin competition, Isabella Frattura will make her debut in the college division on Saturday.
Photo by: Photo by Cat Wofford
Liberty to Close Out April at Penn Relays, Charlotte Invitational
4/22/2026 9:42:00 AM | Track and Field
LYNCHBURG, Va. – As the regular season winds down, Liberty will send some athletes north (130th Penn Relays, Thursday through Saturday) and another group south (Charlotte Invitational, Friday and Saturday) during April's final weekend.
This will mark the Flames' first Penn Relays appearance since 2023.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
The Penn Relays will air on FloTrack.
Live results will be available for both meets, courtesy of Flash Results (Penn Relays) and TimingInc (Charlotte Invitational).
Weather Report
Philadelphia's weather forecast calls for pleasant weather (sunny and highs in the 70s) on Thursday and Friday before rain and much cooler temperatures (high in the 50s) arrive for Saturday.
The weather is projected to be warm (mid-80s) throughout the Charlotte Invitational, but rain could begin Saturday afternoon.
Homecoming
Liberty's Penn Relays entries include three Pennsylvania natives (Lara DeFazio, Nathan Haas and Ben Shughart) and two New Jersey natives (Isabella Frattura and Sophia Park).
Freshman javelin throwers Haas (third place in 2025) and Frattura (sixth place in 2024 and ninth in 2025) each experienced Penn Relays success as high schoolers.
Past Success at Penn
Although this will mark only Liberty's second visit to the Penn Relays in the last 10 years, the Flames have enjoyed a long history of success at Franklin Field.
Five current program records were set at the Penn Relays, including the men's 4 x 200 (1:24.23 in 2001), men's 4 x mile (16:40.57 in 1998), men's shuttle hurdles (58.75 in 1999), women's distance medley relay (11:30.56 in 2008) and women's mile (4:37.53 by Heather Sagan in 2002). Now Liberty's women's distance coach, Sagan used that mile time to become the first collegiate athlete since 1987 to win the Olympic Development title.
First 5K
After posting the second-fastest 800 (2:04.17) and 1,500 (4:10.57) in program history at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Allie Zealand is set to race her first-ever track 5K on Thursday at the Penn Relays.
Liberty's cross country 5K record holder (15:54.7), Zealand could challenge the Lady Flames' outdoor 5K standard. Ednah Kurgat clocked a 15:48.63 at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 15, 2016, two months before she finished fourth in the NCAA 5K national final.
Run It Back
The Lady Flames' 4 x 400 relay quartet of Shelby Smith, Patasha Bryan, Maddy Merritt and Mahogany Mobley raced to a program-record time of 3:37.45 to close out the CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Two months later, the quartet is set to contest its first outdoor 4 x 400 on Saturday at the Charlotte Invitational.
Mobley (400 – 52.76) and Bryan (heptathlon – 5,567) have both broken program records in individual events this outdoor season.
Tanner Ealum, Ty'Asia Dansbury, Delaney McDowell and Cortney Dowling own the Liberty outdoor 4 x 400 standard at 3:33.20, the time they used to qualify for the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Record Breakers
Liberty has taken down program records in six different events during the first five weekends of the 2026 outdoor season, with freshman Isabella Frattura breaking the women's javelin mark twice.
Women's 400 – Mahogany Mobley – 52.76
Women's Javelin – Isabella Frattura – 166-1
Women's Heptathlon – Patasha Bryan – 5,567
Men's 800 – Michael Long – 1:48.22
Men's Long Jump – Markus White – 25-10.25
Men's Javelin – Ben Shughart – 253-11
CUSA's Best
The following Flames and Lady Flames rank No. 1 in Conference USA in their events at this 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.
Women's 1,500 – Allie Zealand – 4:10.57
Women's 5K – Ava Gordon – 16:18.99
Women's Steeplechase – Katrina Schlenker – 10:06.44
Women's Shot Put – Bethany Tate – 52-1
Women's Heptathlon – Patasha Bryan – 5,567
Men's 800 – Michael Long – 1:48.22
Men's Steeplechase – Dale Hall – 9:00.61
Men's Long Jump – Markus White – 25-10.25
Men's Shot Put – Christian Hicks – 57-11
Men's Discus – Christian Hicks – 194-7
Men's Hammer – Kellen Kimes – 221-8
Men's Javelin – Ben Shughart – 253-11
Men's Decathlon – Gabriel Willis – 7,341
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 Gonzalez – Women's Hammer
Mahogany Mobley – Women's 400
Katrina Schlenker – Women's Steeplechase
Bethany Tate – Women's Shot Put
Allie Zealand – Women's 800 & 1,500
Beau Backes – Men's Discus
Tahj Brown – Men's 110 Hurdles
Christian Hicks – Men's Discus
Chase Johnson – Men's Pole Vault
Kellen Kimes – Men's Hammer
Ben Shughart – Men's Javelin
Markus White – Men's Long Jump
Reagan Wise – Men's Pole Vault
Mapping Out the Multis
Heptathlon and decathlon are the two events which are not contested at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet. The nation's top 24 competitors in each event qualify directly to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, slated for June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore.
Although Liberty has a rich history of success in these two events, the Flames have not sent a heptathlete to the NCAA national meet since 2005 (Danielle McNaney) and have not qualified a decathlete since 2018 (Markus Ballengee).
At this point in the season, Patasha Bryan ranks among the top 24 nationally.
No. 23 – Patasha Bryan – Heptathlon – 5,567
Up Next
Liberty will prepare for its final multiple meet weekend of the season, including The Hill City Twilight (May 1 at the University of Lynchburg) and Duke Twilight (May 3 in Durham, N.C.).
This will mark the Flames' first Penn Relays appearance since 2023.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
The Penn Relays will air on FloTrack.
Live results will be available for both meets, courtesy of Flash Results (Penn Relays) and TimingInc (Charlotte Invitational).
Weather Report
Philadelphia's weather forecast calls for pleasant weather (sunny and highs in the 70s) on Thursday and Friday before rain and much cooler temperatures (high in the 50s) arrive for Saturday.
The weather is projected to be warm (mid-80s) throughout the Charlotte Invitational, but rain could begin Saturday afternoon.
Homecoming
Liberty's Penn Relays entries include three Pennsylvania natives (Lara DeFazio, Nathan Haas and Ben Shughart) and two New Jersey natives (Isabella Frattura and Sophia Park).
Freshman javelin throwers Haas (third place in 2025) and Frattura (sixth place in 2024 and ninth in 2025) each experienced Penn Relays success as high schoolers.
Past Success at Penn
Although this will mark only Liberty's second visit to the Penn Relays in the last 10 years, the Flames have enjoyed a long history of success at Franklin Field.
Five current program records were set at the Penn Relays, including the men's 4 x 200 (1:24.23 in 2001), men's 4 x mile (16:40.57 in 1998), men's shuttle hurdles (58.75 in 1999), women's distance medley relay (11:30.56 in 2008) and women's mile (4:37.53 by Heather Sagan in 2002). Now Liberty's women's distance coach, Sagan used that mile time to become the first collegiate athlete since 1987 to win the Olympic Development title.
First 5K
After posting the second-fastest 800 (2:04.17) and 1,500 (4:10.57) in program history at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Allie Zealand is set to race her first-ever track 5K on Thursday at the Penn Relays.
Liberty's cross country 5K record holder (15:54.7), Zealand could challenge the Lady Flames' outdoor 5K standard. Ednah Kurgat clocked a 15:48.63 at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 15, 2016, two months before she finished fourth in the NCAA 5K national final.
Run It Back
The Lady Flames' 4 x 400 relay quartet of Shelby Smith, Patasha Bryan, Maddy Merritt and Mahogany Mobley raced to a program-record time of 3:37.45 to close out the CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Two months later, the quartet is set to contest its first outdoor 4 x 400 on Saturday at the Charlotte Invitational.
Mobley (400 – 52.76) and Bryan (heptathlon – 5,567) have both broken program records in individual events this outdoor season.
Tanner Ealum, Ty'Asia Dansbury, Delaney McDowell and Cortney Dowling own the Liberty outdoor 4 x 400 standard at 3:33.20, the time they used to qualify for the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Record Breakers
Liberty has taken down program records in six different events during the first five weekends of the 2026 outdoor season, with freshman Isabella Frattura breaking the women's javelin mark twice.
Women's 400 – Mahogany Mobley – 52.76
Women's Javelin – Isabella Frattura – 166-1
Women's Heptathlon – Patasha Bryan – 5,567
Men's 800 – Michael Long – 1:48.22
Men's Long Jump – Markus White – 25-10.25
Men's Javelin – Ben Shughart – 253-11
CUSA's Best
The following Flames and Lady Flames rank No. 1 in Conference USA in their events at this 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.
Women's 1,500 – Allie Zealand – 4:10.57
Women's 5K – Ava Gordon – 16:18.99
Women's Steeplechase – Katrina Schlenker – 10:06.44
Women's Shot Put – Bethany Tate – 52-1
Women's Heptathlon – Patasha Bryan – 5,567
Men's 800 – Michael Long – 1:48.22
Men's Steeplechase – Dale Hall – 9:00.61
Men's Long Jump – Markus White – 25-10.25
Men's Shot Put – Christian Hicks – 57-11
Men's Discus – Christian Hicks – 194-7
Men's Hammer – Kellen Kimes – 221-8
Men's Javelin – Ben Shughart – 253-11
Men's Decathlon – Gabriel Willis – 7,341
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 Gonzalez – Women's Hammer
Mahogany Mobley – Women's 400
Katrina Schlenker – Women's Steeplechase
Bethany Tate – Women's Shot Put
Allie Zealand – Women's 800 & 1,500
Beau Backes – Men's Discus
Tahj Brown – Men's 110 Hurdles
Christian Hicks – Men's Discus
Chase Johnson – Men's Pole Vault
Kellen Kimes – Men's Hammer
Ben Shughart – Men's Javelin
Markus White – Men's Long Jump
Reagan Wise – Men's Pole Vault
Mapping Out the Multis
Heptathlon and decathlon are the two events which are not contested at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet. The nation's top 24 competitors in each event qualify directly to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, slated for June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore.
Although Liberty has a rich history of success in these two events, the Flames have not sent a heptathlete to the NCAA national meet since 2005 (Danielle McNaney) and have not qualified a decathlete since 2018 (Markus Ballengee).
At this point in the season, Patasha Bryan ranks among the top 24 nationally.
No. 23 – Patasha Bryan – Heptathlon – 5,567
Up Next
Liberty will prepare for its final multiple meet weekend of the season, including The Hill City Twilight (May 1 at the University of Lynchburg) and Duke Twilight (May 3 in Durham, N.C.).
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Hammer
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Mid-distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
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