Tristian Merchant

Liberty Track Media Day on September 27th, 2023. (Photo by Cassidy Paxton)

Class:
Junior
Position:
Distance
Height:
5-10
Hometown:
Anchorage, Alaska
Prev School:
Anchorage Christian School (Northern Arizona)

TFRRS Profile
World Athletics Profile

All-CUSA Honors (1)
2024 Cross Country - 3rd

ASUN Individual Titles (1)

2023 Outdoor 10K

All-ASUN Honors (3)

2023 Indoor 3K - 3rd

2023 Indoor 5K - 2nd

2023 Outdoor 10K - 1st

2024 Outdoor Track & Field (Jr.)

Did not compete in any races and was redshirted

2023-24 Indoor Track & Field (Jr.)

Kept busy at the CUSA Championship, placing fourth in the 5K and fifth in both the mile and 3K
Opened his season with an 8:14.41 3K for second place (first collegiate) at the Virginia Tech Challenge, becoming CUSA Male Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 20

2023 Cross Country (R-So.)

Individual champion in the Eye Opener 8K, leading the Flames to a team title in his lone race of the season
Named Liberty’s first CUSA Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Sept. 5

2023 Outdoor Track & Field (So.)

Qualified for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet in both the 5K and 10K, placing 24^th in the 10K
His first-ever 10K resulted in an ASUN title in a meet-record 29:26.15 in Jacksonville (No. 6 in program history), and he took fourth in the 5K two days later.
Clocked a trio of sub-14:00 5Ks, topped by his 13:57.34 at the Wake Forest Invitational (No. 7 in program history)
Ran the Flames’ fastest steeplechase of the season with his 9:09.48 at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier
VaSID All-State second team selection (distance)

2022-23 Indoor Track & Field (So.)

Made the podium in both of his ASUN races, placing second in the 5K and third in the 3K
Opened his Liberty career with a then-ASUN all-time record 14:00.86 5K at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener (No. 4 in program history)
Also posted Liberty all-time top-10 performances in the 3K (8:04.97 at Bob Pollock Invitational, No. 5 in program history) and mile (4:05.12 at Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational, No. 6 in program history
VaSID All-State second team selection (distance)

2022 Cross Country (So.)

Did not compete in any races for Liberty and was redshirted
Competing unattached, came in 12^th at the Panorama Farms XC23 Invitational 8K in 23:33.8

Previous School

Attended Northern Arizona for one year (2021-22)
Freshman cross country season featured an 8K personal-best time of 24:11.8 at the Cowboy Jamboree and a 15^th-place finish at the Big Sky Championships
Fastest times on the track were 8:15.31 for 3K and 13:57.78 for 5K

Prep

Graduated from Anchorage Christian Schools
Captured three Alaska state cross country individual titles (2018, 2019 and 2020)
Placed 13^th at NXN Nationals in 2019
Swept the Alaska Division 2 800, 1,600 and 3,200 state championships as a senior in 2021
Top times were 4:13.32 (mile), 8:52.53 (3,200) and 14:41.32 (cross country 5K)

Personal

Son of Rob and Dodi Merchant
Birthday is Oct. 16
Interdisciplinary studies major

Student-Athlete Q&A
What made Liberty University the right place for you to attend college/compete at the collegiate level?
The Christian environment is what made it the right choice for me.

Is there anything special you do pregame or postgame and why?
I drink beet juice for the nitric oxide.