Friday, September 4
Spartanburg, S.C.
7:00 PM ET
Liberty University
at
Eye Opener
Ethan Pedersen (130) and Andrew Schultz (131) were two of Liberty's top performers during Friday's Eye Opener.
Liberty Men’s XC Opens Season with Runner-Up Finish, Lady Flames Take 3rd
9/4/2026 9:28:00 PM | Cross Country
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Liberty men's and women's cross country squads utilized a pack running strategy for much of the Eye Opener, Friday evening at Milliken Research Park in Spartanburg, S.C. Their efforts resulted in a runner-up finish for the Flames and a third-place showing for the Lady Flames to kick off the 2026 season.
Liberty's five men's scorers crossed the 8K finish line within a 7.5-second span, paced by Andrew Schultz in 21st place. As a result, the Flames totaled 92 points to finish second behind Clemson (17) among the 13-team men's field.
All-American Allie Zealand began her junior season with a ninth-place showing in 18:00.1 during the women's 5K. Her efforts helped the two-time defending CUSA champion Lady Flames take third of 13 women's squads with 90 points. No. 16 South Carolina took home the team championship trophy with a final score of 26.
Race Reactions
For the third consecutive season, the Flames and Lady Flames will compete in the adidas XC Challenge, Sept. 18 in Cary, N.C. The men's 6K is slated for 5:15 p.m., while the women's 5K will begin at 5:55 at the WakeMed Cross Country Course.
Liberty's five men's scorers crossed the 8K finish line within a 7.5-second span, paced by Andrew Schultz in 21st place. As a result, the Flames totaled 92 points to finish second behind Clemson (17) among the 13-team men's field.
All-American Allie Zealand began her junior season with a ninth-place showing in 18:00.1 during the women's 5K. Her efforts helped the two-time defending CUSA champion Lady Flames take third of 13 women's squads with 90 points. No. 16 South Carolina took home the team championship trophy with a final score of 26.
Race Reactions
- Liberty's near blanket finish at the front of its men's pack consisted of Schultz (21st, 26:29.1), Malachi Burnett (22nd, 26:29.3), Eric Duncan (23rd, 26:31.4), Ethan Pedersen (25th, 26:36.4) and Eli Julian (26th, 26:36.6).
- True freshmen Burnett and Duncan paced six Flames making their Liberty men's cross country debuts on Friday. The list also included freshman William Zealand (32nd, 26:47.0), junior Bode Erickson (36th, 26:48.4), freshman Michael Fritz (38th, 26:50.4) and sophomore Grattan O'Neill (50th, 27:12.1).
- Pedersen was the only holdover from Liberty's men's squad that captured the team title in its most recent visit to the Eye Opener (2023). He opened his collegiate career with a 15th-place individual showing that day.
- Coming off a season which saw her claim the CUSA individual crown and place 21st at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, Zealand displayed her finishing kick on Friday. She covered the fifth and final kilometer in 3:15.3, the fastest split among the 138 women's finishers. As a result, Zealand crossed the line ninth for her 10th top-10 finish in 14 career cross country races as a Lady Flame.
- Liberty's next three women's finishers were all returning All-CUSA performers from 2025, in Rachel Hill (18th, 18:55.8), Ryann Aycock (19th, 18:58.0) and Kate Loescher (21st, 19:06.4).
- Fifth-year Ava Gordon rounded out the Lady Flames' scorers in 27th place (19:20.1), contesting her first race since a dramatic 5K victory at the 2026 CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May.
- Freshman Kaila Atteberry (76th, 20:55.5) was the only Lady Flame to make her collegiate debut on Friday.
- The start of the meet was delayed 30 minutes due to hot weather (high in the low-90s) in Spartanburg on Friday.
- Liberty will return to the Milliken Research Park on Nov. 13 for the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships.
For the third consecutive season, the Flames and Lady Flames will compete in the adidas XC Challenge, Sept. 18 in Cary, N.C. The men's 6K is slated for 5:15 p.m., while the women's 5K will begin at 5:55 at the WakeMed Cross Country Course.
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