Thursday, May 28
Lexington, Ky.
10:00 AM ET
Liberty University
at
NCAA Division I East First Rounds
Bethany Tate and Coach Luke Johnson celebrate Tate's program-record 54-0.5 shot put.
Tate, Zealand Star on Day 2 in Lexington
5/28/2026 9:23:00 PM | Track and Field
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Bethany Tate's 54-0.5 effort shattered the Liberty women's shot put record, while All-American Allie Zealand advanced to the women's 1,500 quarterfinals on Thursday, the opening day of women's competition at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet.
Tate enjoyed a memorable NCAA Division I East First Rounds debut. The sophomore arrived in Lexington with a 52-1 shot put personal best before exploding out to 53-0.25 in round one. That landed just one centimeter shy of Naomi Mojica's program record (53-0.75) from 2021.
On Tate's next attempt, she stretched the tape all the way to 54-0.5, adding another foot to her personal best and shattering Mojica's mark. That effort had Tate sitting in second place halfway through the competition.
Although Tate ended up three spots away from qualifying to Eugene in 15th place, it was a noteworthy finish for the event's No. 32 seed. It also marked the best-ever NCAA Division I East First Rounds placement by a Liberty women's shot putter, topping Chelsea Igberaese's 19th-place showing in 2021.
Zealand took the first step toward returning to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the women's 1,500 for the second year in a row. The sophomore ran a 4:11.19 for third place in her first round heat, automatically qualifying for Saturday's quarterfinal round.
One of 11 runners to clock sub-4:12 1,500s in Lexington Thursday evening, Zealand will be back for the quarterfinals Saturday at 5:15 p.m.
Sophie Gonzalez got the Lady Flames' day started in the women's hammer. The first-year Lady Flame reached 193-3 for 26th place, improving considerably from her 47th-place showing at this meet as a Wake Forest freshman in 2023.
Program record holder Isabella Frattura closed out her impressive freshman campaign with a 28th-place effort in the women's javelin. Her top throw measured 153-3.
Fellow freshman Alivia Rivera-Norman clocked 14.12 to place seventh in her women's 100 hurdles first round heat and 42nd overall.
Mahogany Mobley closed out her career with a 54.07 400, good for eighth in her heat and 44th overall in the one-lap event. The race brought Mobley's career full circle, as she began her collegiate tenure at Kentucky. Mobley finishes her time as a Lady Flame owning four program records, including the indoor 300 (38.67), indoor 4 x 400 relay (3:37.45), outdoor 400 (52.76) and outdoor 4 x 100 relay (44.49).
Women's Qualifiers to Saturday's Quarterfinal Round
Allie Zealand – 1,500 – 4:11.19
Women's Record Breakers
Liberty Record – Bethany Tate – Shot Put – 54-0.5
Previous Record: 53-0.75 by Naomi Mojica at the Aggie Invitational in Greensboro, N.C., on April 10, 2021
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
Shot Put – No. 1 – Bethany Tate – 54-0.5
Up Next
The men's portion of the meet will conclude on Friday. The discus trio of Beau Backes, Christian Hicks and Trevor Veenstra will get things going at 1 p.m. The men's triple jump (Gilles Ouedraogo) is set for 6 p.m., while Tahj Brown will compete in the men's 110 hurdles quarterfinals at 6:15.
Tate enjoyed a memorable NCAA Division I East First Rounds debut. The sophomore arrived in Lexington with a 52-1 shot put personal best before exploding out to 53-0.25 in round one. That landed just one centimeter shy of Naomi Mojica's program record (53-0.75) from 2021.
On Tate's next attempt, she stretched the tape all the way to 54-0.5, adding another foot to her personal best and shattering Mojica's mark. That effort had Tate sitting in second place halfway through the competition.
Although Tate ended up three spots away from qualifying to Eugene in 15th place, it was a noteworthy finish for the event's No. 32 seed. It also marked the best-ever NCAA Division I East First Rounds placement by a Liberty women's shot putter, topping Chelsea Igberaese's 19th-place showing in 2021.
Zealand took the first step toward returning to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the women's 1,500 for the second year in a row. The sophomore ran a 4:11.19 for third place in her first round heat, automatically qualifying for Saturday's quarterfinal round.
One of 11 runners to clock sub-4:12 1,500s in Lexington Thursday evening, Zealand will be back for the quarterfinals Saturday at 5:15 p.m.
Sophie Gonzalez got the Lady Flames' day started in the women's hammer. The first-year Lady Flame reached 193-3 for 26th place, improving considerably from her 47th-place showing at this meet as a Wake Forest freshman in 2023.
Program record holder Isabella Frattura closed out her impressive freshman campaign with a 28th-place effort in the women's javelin. Her top throw measured 153-3.
Fellow freshman Alivia Rivera-Norman clocked 14.12 to place seventh in her women's 100 hurdles first round heat and 42nd overall.
Mahogany Mobley closed out her career with a 54.07 400, good for eighth in her heat and 44th overall in the one-lap event. The race brought Mobley's career full circle, as she began her collegiate tenure at Kentucky. Mobley finishes her time as a Lady Flame owning four program records, including the indoor 300 (38.67), indoor 4 x 400 relay (3:37.45), outdoor 400 (52.76) and outdoor 4 x 100 relay (44.49).
Women's Qualifiers to Saturday's Quarterfinal Round
Allie Zealand – 1,500 – 4:11.19
Women's Record Breakers
Liberty Record – Bethany Tate – Shot Put – 54-0.5
Previous Record: 53-0.75 by Naomi Mojica at the Aggie Invitational in Greensboro, N.C., on April 10, 2021
Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
Shot Put – No. 1 – Bethany Tate – 54-0.5
Up Next
The men's portion of the meet will conclude on Friday. The discus trio of Beau Backes, Christian Hicks and Trevor Veenstra will get things going at 1 p.m. The men's triple jump (Gilles Ouedraogo) is set for 6 p.m., while Tahj Brown will compete in the men's 110 hurdles quarterfinals at 6:15.
Players Mentioned
Throws
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Hurdles
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Javelin
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Hammer
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Throws
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Sprints
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Jumps
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Hurdles
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Throws
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Throws
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Mid-Distance
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