Liberty Twilight Qualifier Slated for Wednesday
5/4/2021 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Meet Schedule
Live Results
Heat Sheets
Performance List
Lynchburg Weather
Liberty will close out the regular-season portion of its 2021 outdoor track & field schedule with its first home meet in two years. The Liberty Twilight Qualifier is set for Wednesday at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex.
The meet will begin with the women's discus at 11:30 a.m. Running events will commence at 2 p.m. with the men's 100 prelims. Senior Day will take place on the track at 5:15 p.m.
Liberty will welcome competitors from 20 different colleges and universities to Lynchburg, headlined by Virginia Tech and Charlotte. A number of talented post-collegiate competitors will also take part in the meet during this Olympic year.
2021 Spring Sports Admissions/Tickets
Due to COVID-19 and state regulations, capacity at all Liberty Athletics events is under a limited capacity of 250 patrons or 30 percent capacity, whichever is less based on social distancing protocols, per Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's current Phase 3 guidelines. With those guidelines in place, admission to each event has been adjusted per sport. For more information regarding availability, please click here.
How to Follow the Flames and Lady Flames
Live results will be available throughout the Liberty Twilight Qualifier, courtesy of Blue Ridge Timing.
Weather Report
Wednesday's weather forecast in Lynchburg calls for a high in the low-80s with a mixture of clouds and sunshine. There is a slight chance of rain or a thunderstorm with winds out of the west at 10-20 mph.
Salute to Seniors
At 5:15 p.m., prior to the evening session of running events, Liberty will recognize 16 graduating seniors who are in their final season of competition with the Flames.
These include Lady Flames Brittany Carnathan, Ty'Asia Dansbury, Jamie Gray, Nikayla Hoyte, Madison MacPherson, Rachel Milnes, Adrianna Mitchell, Jaelyn Morgan, Alexis Rolan and Heidi Tillman along with Flames Samuel Arter, Jovaine Atkinson, Jeremy Davis, Lane Hluch, Elijah Pierson and Bradley Prentice.
It's Been a While
Wednesday's meet will mark the Flames' first home outdoor meet at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex in two years. Liberty's last home event was the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 1, 2019.
The home team won 11 events that day, including victories by current Flames Mackenzie Hainley (women's javelin), Chelsea Igberaese (women's discus), Makenzy Mizera (women's long jump and triple jump), Jeremy Davis (men's long jump) and Kyle Mitchell (men's shot put).
Five to Watch
The following are five of the top events to keep an eye on Wednesday, organized in chronological order.
Noon – Men's Shot Put – The men's shot put is the Flames' strongest event this season, with three Flames ranked among the nation's top 50 competitors. Kyle Mitchell is ranked No. 14 with his program-record mark of 64-3 from last weekend's UNF Invitational. Jose Ballivian (No. 40, 61-3) and Warren Barrett (No. 47, 60-6.5) join Mitchell within the top 50. All three are scheduled to throw on Wednesday, putting the facility record (Ryan Smith's winning mark of 60-6 from the 2013 Big South meet) in serious jeopardy. High Point record holder Chris Van Niekerk (58-6) is also entered.
1 p.m. – Women's Pole Vault – Liberty's women's pole vaulters all fared well at Saturday's Virginia Grand Prix, including a season-best 13-0.75 for Taylen Langin, a personal-best 12-0.75 for Naomi Armstrong, a season-best 12-0.75 for Rachel Milnes and a personal-best 11-7 for Marisa Bermudez. All four will look to continue that momentum into Wednesday's meet, with Langin aiming to improve her chances at NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round qualification. The field also features NCAA indoor All-American Sydney Horn of High Point (14-5.5 personal best) and the facility record holder at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex (Alina McDonald – 14-5.5). The outdoor facility standard of 14-3.25 could be challenged.
2 p.m. (Prelims)/2:55 p.m. (Final) – Men's 100 – Liberty's Diamantae Griffin broke the long-standing program record with a 10.19 clocking at the Texas Relays earlier this season. He will run the 100 on Wednesday along with teammate Christian Lyon, who has clocked a wind-aided 10.00 in the past but is still in search of his first fast 100 time as a Flame. Griffin and Lyon will be part of a field including past Olympians Ramon Gittens (Barbados) and Brandon Jones (Belize) along with 2019 World Championships participant Guy Maganga Gorra (Gabon).
8 p.m. – Men's 1,500 fast section – Liberty's Ryan Drew will look to improve upon his 1,500 personal best of 3:51.18, four days after blazing a personal-best 5K time of 13:53.30 at Saturday's Virginia Grand Prix. He will square off a deep, talented field including the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex 1,500 record holder (Willy Fink – 3:41.97), the Liberty Indoor Track Complex mile record holder (Jacob Dumford – 4:01.50) and Liberty's 1,500 record holder (2018 graduate Colin Schultz – 3:43.58). Virginia Tech has also entered a talented contingent, including Diego Zarate (3:41.18 best) and Antonio Lopez Segura, who ran a 4:01.26 mile on Saturday.
8:05 p.m – Women's 1,500 fast section – Liberty's Adelyn Ackley and Calli Doan will step down in distance after enjoying success in longer races this year. Ackley has clocked an ASUN all-time record 16:10.19 in the 5K, while Doan has lowered Liberty's steeplechase record to 10:10.23. This will mark Ackley's first collegiate 1,500, while Doan will run her first 1,500 since winning the 2019 ASUN title as a freshman. Virginia Tech's Tasmin Fanning has owned the facility record of 4:18.36 since 2008. That mark could be challenged by a number of Hokies, past and present. Former Hokies All-American Rachel Pocratsky owns a personal best of 4:10.03. The Hokies will also enter a runners ranked among the top 60 nationally this season in Sarah Edwards (4:15.36) and Lindsey Butler (4:17.63).
Atop the ASUN
With the ASUN Outdoor Track & Field Championships set for next weekend (May 14-15), Liberty ranks No. 1 in the conference in the following events:
Women's 5K – Adelyn Ackley – 16:10.19
Women's 4 x 100 Relay – 46.04
Women's Pole Vault – Taylen Langin – 13-0.75
Women's Shot Put – Naomi Mojica – 53-0.75
Women's Discus – Chelsea Igberaese – 175-5
Women's Hammer – Chelsea Igberaese – 203-1
Women's Javelin – Kali Grayson – 158-6
Men's 100 – Diamantae Griffin – 10.19
Men's 200 – Diamantae Griffin – 20.83
Men's 5K – Ryan Drew – 13:53.30
Men's 400 Hurdles – Felix Lawrence – 52.11
Men's Steeplechase – Felix Kandie – 8:46.35
Men's High Jump – Quinten Clay – 6-11.5
Men's Long Jump – Quinten Clay – 24-11
Men's Hammer – John Hicks – 204-1
Men's Javelin – Samuel Arter – 216-6
Punching Preliminary Round Tickets
The 2021 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet will be contested May 27-29 in Jacksonville, Fla. The East Region's top 48 performers in each event will compete at the meet, with the 12 best finishers advancing to the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Here are Liberty's potential NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round qualifiers at this point of the season. The Flames and Lady Flames have two final chances to post qualifying marks, including the Liberty Twilight Qualifier and the ASUN Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Likely Qualifiers
Adelyn Ackley (Women's 5K – 16:10.19)
Calli Doan (Women's Steeplechase – 10:10.23)
Kali Grayson (Women's Javelin – 158-6)
Chelsea Igberaese (Women's Discus – 175-5 and Women's Hammer – 203-1)
Makenzy Mizera (Women's Triple Jump – 41-8)
Naomi Mojica (Women's Shot Put – 53-0.75)
Noel Palmer (Women's 10K – 34:48.51)
Samuel Arter (Men's Javelin – 216-6)
Jovaine Atkinson (Men's 110 Hurdles – 13.92)
Jose Ballivian (Men's Shot Put – 61-3)
Warren Barrett (Men's Shot Put – 60-6.5)
Quinten Clay (Men's Long Jump – 24-11 and Men's High Jump – 6-11.5)
Ryan Drew (Men's 5K – 13:53.30)
Diamantae Griffin (Men's 100 – 10.19 and Men's 200 – 20.83)
John Hicks (Men's Hammer – 204-1)
Felix Kandie (Men's Steeplechase – 8:46.35)
Ally Kipchirchir (Men's 800 – 1:49.67)
Felix Lawrence (Men's 400 Hurdles – 52.11)
Kyle Mitchell (Men's Shot Put – 64-3)
On the Bubble
Mackenzie Hainley (Women's Javelin – 154-5)
Taylen Langin (Women's Pole Vault – 13-0.75)
Jose Ballivian (Men's Discus – 174-4)
Jeremy Davis (Men's Long Jump – 24-5.5)
Up Next
The Flames and Lady Flames will turn their attention to the postseason, beginning with the ASUN Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Liberty will attempt to defend its men's and women's team titles from 2019 at the two-day meet, slated for May 14 & 15 at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
