Friday, October 2
Bethlehem, Pa.
9:30 AM ET
Liberty University
at
Paul Short Run
Freshman Michael Fritz will get to race in his home state of Pennsylvania at Friday's Paul Short Run.
Liberty XC Headed to 52nd Paul Short Run
9/30/2026 9:16:00 AM | Cross Country
LYNCHBURG, Va. – For the first time since 2017, Liberty will send its full men's and women's teams to the 52nd Paul Short Run. The historic event is scheduled for Friday at the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course in Bethlehem, Pa.
Liberty has runners entered in each of the day's first four races, including the men's open 8K at 9:30 a.m., the women's open 6K at 10:15, the men's gold 8K at 11 and the women's gold 6K at 11:45.
Ranked No. 13 in the Southeast Region, the Flames are one of 19 regionally ranked teams in the men's gold 8K. Meanwhile, the Lady Flames (No. 14 in the Southeast Region) are part of a women's gold 6K field featuring 21 regionally ranked squads spanning six different regions.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results will be provided by Leone Timing.
Weather Report
Although Bethlehem is expecting warmer than usual temperatures on Friday (high in the mid-80s), it will mark Liberty's coolest race of the season to date. Rain is possible as the day progresses.
Looking Back
Liberty has enjoyed an impressive history of success at the Paul Short Run, especially on the men's side.
The last five times the Liberty men's squad has raced in Bethlehem (2004, 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2023), its top men's individual competitor has finished inside the top five and later advanced to that year's NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. The list includes Josh McDougal – 2004 champion, Sam Chelanga – 2008 champion and 2010 champion, Azaria Kirwa – 2017 runner-up and Nicholas Kiprotich – 2023 fourth place. Kiprotich led the Flames to a fourth-place team finish, Liberty's best-ever showing in the Paul Short Run men's gold race.
The Lady Flames' best Paul Short performance came in 2000. Then a junior, current women's coach Heather (Sagan) Zealand placed 10th individually and helped Liberty come in sixth in the final team standings. Those mark the Lady Flames' top team and individual placements all-time in the women's seeded race in Bethlehem.
Schultz Stepping Forward
Junior Andrew Schultz has served as Liberty's No. 1 men's runner at each of this season's first two meets. He placed 21st at the Eye Opener on Sept. 4 and took 18th at the adidas XC Challenge on Sept. 18.
Schultz has now paced the Flames in three of the last four races dating back to last season. The stretch began with his impressive sixth-place finish at the 2025 CUSA Cross Country Championships.
10th Top 10
All-American Allie Zealand began her junior season with a ninth-place finish in the Eye Opener women's 5K, Sept. 4 in Spartanburg, S.C. It marked her 10th top-10 finish in 14 career cross country races as a Lady Flame.
Zealand has crossed the line inside the top 10 in seven of her last eight races on the grass, with the lone exception being her 21st-place effort at the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
Her mother (Heather Zealand – 10th place in 2000) is the only Lady Flame ever to cross the finish line inside the top 10 of the Paul Short Run's seeded women's race.
Familiar Venue for Freshmen
Two of Liberty's freshmen grew up within two hours of Bethlehem, including Michael Fritz (Benton, Pa.) and Kaila Atteberry (Lititz, Pa.) Both of them are familiar with the Paul Short Run.
Fritz clocked a personal-best 15:05 to place third in the high school boys' gold 5K last season as a senior at Benton Area High School.
Racing at the Paul Short Run for the fourth year in a row in 2025, Atteberry came in 48th in the high school girls' gold 5K with a 19:21.3. Her effort helped Manheim Township High School place third of 31 teams on the day.
Up Next
Liberty will wrap up the regular season in two weeks, sending runners to a pair of meets.
The Flames will get the weekend started at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, Oct. 16 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind.
Liberty will also have runners in action at the Roanoke XC Invitational, scheduled for Oct. 17 at Green Hill Park in Salem, Va.
Liberty has runners entered in each of the day's first four races, including the men's open 8K at 9:30 a.m., the women's open 6K at 10:15, the men's gold 8K at 11 and the women's gold 6K at 11:45.
Ranked No. 13 in the Southeast Region, the Flames are one of 19 regionally ranked teams in the men's gold 8K. Meanwhile, the Lady Flames (No. 14 in the Southeast Region) are part of a women's gold 6K field featuring 21 regionally ranked squads spanning six different regions.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results will be provided by Leone Timing.
Weather Report
Although Bethlehem is expecting warmer than usual temperatures on Friday (high in the mid-80s), it will mark Liberty's coolest race of the season to date. Rain is possible as the day progresses.
Looking Back
Liberty has enjoyed an impressive history of success at the Paul Short Run, especially on the men's side.
The last five times the Liberty men's squad has raced in Bethlehem (2004, 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2023), its top men's individual competitor has finished inside the top five and later advanced to that year's NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. The list includes Josh McDougal – 2004 champion, Sam Chelanga – 2008 champion and 2010 champion, Azaria Kirwa – 2017 runner-up and Nicholas Kiprotich – 2023 fourth place. Kiprotich led the Flames to a fourth-place team finish, Liberty's best-ever showing in the Paul Short Run men's gold race.
The Lady Flames' best Paul Short performance came in 2000. Then a junior, current women's coach Heather (Sagan) Zealand placed 10th individually and helped Liberty come in sixth in the final team standings. Those mark the Lady Flames' top team and individual placements all-time in the women's seeded race in Bethlehem.
Schultz Stepping Forward
Junior Andrew Schultz has served as Liberty's No. 1 men's runner at each of this season's first two meets. He placed 21st at the Eye Opener on Sept. 4 and took 18th at the adidas XC Challenge on Sept. 18.
Schultz has now paced the Flames in three of the last four races dating back to last season. The stretch began with his impressive sixth-place finish at the 2025 CUSA Cross Country Championships.
10th Top 10
All-American Allie Zealand began her junior season with a ninth-place finish in the Eye Opener women's 5K, Sept. 4 in Spartanburg, S.C. It marked her 10th top-10 finish in 14 career cross country races as a Lady Flame.
Zealand has crossed the line inside the top 10 in seven of her last eight races on the grass, with the lone exception being her 21st-place effort at the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
Her mother (Heather Zealand – 10th place in 2000) is the only Lady Flame ever to cross the finish line inside the top 10 of the Paul Short Run's seeded women's race.
Familiar Venue for Freshmen
Two of Liberty's freshmen grew up within two hours of Bethlehem, including Michael Fritz (Benton, Pa.) and Kaila Atteberry (Lititz, Pa.) Both of them are familiar with the Paul Short Run.
Fritz clocked a personal-best 15:05 to place third in the high school boys' gold 5K last season as a senior at Benton Area High School.
Racing at the Paul Short Run for the fourth year in a row in 2025, Atteberry came in 48th in the high school girls' gold 5K with a 19:21.3. Her effort helped Manheim Township High School place third of 31 teams on the day.
Up Next
Liberty will wrap up the regular season in two weeks, sending runners to a pair of meets.
The Flames will get the weekend started at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, Oct. 16 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind.
Liberty will also have runners in action at the Roanoke XC Invitational, scheduled for Oct. 17 at Green Hill Park in Salem, Va.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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