[PAmedic]

new season, new thread!

2006-2007 Indoor Schedule

Dec 1, 3:45 PM Liberty Kickoff, Lynchburg, Va.
Dec 2, 9:00 AM Liberty Kickoff, Lynchburg, Va.

Jan 12, 5:00 PM at Virginia Tech Invitational, Blacksburg, Va.
Jan 13, 9:00 AM at Virginia Tech Invitational, Blacksburg, Va.
Jan 26, 2007 9:00 AM Liberty Fast Times, Lynchburg, Va.
Jan 27, 2007 9:00 AM Liberty Fast Times, Lynchburg, Va.

Feb 3, 2007 9:00 AM vs. VMI Winter Relays, Lexington, Va.
Feb 3, 2007 9:00 AM vs. New Balance Collegiate Invite, New York, N.Y.
Feb 9, 2007 4:00 PM Liberty Quad, Lynchburg, Va.
Feb 17, 2007 9:00 AM vs. Big South Indoor Track Championships, Clemson, S.C.
Feb 18, 2007 11:00 AM vs. Big South Indoor Track Championships, Clemson, S.C.

Mar 3, 2007 TBA vs. ECAC/IC4A Indoor Track Championships, Boston, Mass.
Mar 4, 2007 TBA vs. ECAC/IC4A Indoor Track Championships, Boston, Mass.

Mar 9, 2007 TBA vs. NCAA Division I Indoor Track Championships, Fayetteville, Ark.

***

2007 Outdoor Schedule

Mar 16, 2007 TBA vs. Coastal Carolina Invitational, Conway, S.C.
Mar 17, 2007 TBA vs. Coastal Carolina Invitational, Conway, S.C.
Mar 24, 2007 TBA vs. Lynchburg College Invitational, Lynchburg, Va.
Mar 31, 2007 11:00 AM ASICS Liberty Invitational & Multi, Lynchburg, Va.

Apr 7, 2007 TBA vs. Elite Athlete weekend ,TBA
Apr 14, 2007 11:00 AM vs. JMU Invitational, Harrisonburg, Va.
Apr 19, 2007 TBA Big South Outdoor Track Championships, Lynchburg, Va.
Apr 20, 2007 TBA Big South Outdoor Track Championships, Lynchburg, Va.
Apr 21, 2007 TBA Big South Outdoor Track Championships, Lynchburg, Va.
Apr 24, 2007 TBA vs. Penn Relays Multi, Philadelphia, Pa.
Apr 25, 2007 TBA vs. Penn Relays Multi, Philadelphia, Pa.
Apr 26, 2007 TBA vs. Penn Relays, Philadelphia, Pa.
Apr 27, 2007 TBA vs. Penn Relays, Philadelphia, Pa.
Apr 28, 2007 TBA vs. Penn Relays, Philadelphia, Pa.

May 4, 2007 3:00 PM Liberty Twilight Qualifier, Lynchburg, Va.
May 11, 2007 TBA vs. ECAC/IC4A Outdoor Track Championships, Princeton, N.J.
May 12, 2007 TBA vs. ECAC/IC4A Outdoor Track Championships, Princeton, N.J.
May 13, 2007 TBA vs. ECAC/IC4A Outdoor Track Championships, Princeton, N.J.
May 25, 2007 TBA vs. NCAA Division I East Region Outdoor Track Champ., Gainesville, Fla.
May 26, 2007 TBA vs. NCAA Division I East Region Outdoor Track Champ., Gainesville, Fla.

Jun 6, 2007 TBA vs. NCAA Division I Outdoor Track Championships, Sacramento, Calif.
Jun 7, 2007 TBA vs. NCAA Division I Outdoor Track Championships, Sacramento, Calif.
Jun 8, 2007 TBA vs. NCAA Division I Outdoor Track Championships, Sacramento, Calif.
Jun 9, 2007 TBA vs. NCAA Division I Outdoor Track Championships, Sacramento, Calif.
Jun 21, 2007 TBA vs. USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Indianapolis, Ind.
Jun 22, 2007 TBA vs. USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Indianapolis, Ind.
Jun 23, 2007 TBA vs. USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Indianapolis, Ind.
Jun 24, 2007 TBA vs. USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Indianapolis, Ind.

[PAmedic]

Liberty Set To Kick Off Track And Field Season

November 29, 2006
Lynchburg, Va.
To view the performance list, click HERE.

The Liberty men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams will open the 2006-07 season this weekend at the Liberty Kickoff. The two-day meet, featuring athletes from 12 universities, will begin at 3:45 p.m. on Friday and at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center.

A number of the Flames’ top athletes will compete against foes from Elon, James Madison, Lynchburg College, North Carolina A & T, Richmond, Roanoke, St. Augustine’s (NC), St. Paul’s, Virginia Tech, VMI and Washington & Lee. “We are looking forward to getting started,” Liberty Head Track and Field Coach Brant Tolsma observed. “We have been training all fall and this is our first opportunity to compete.”

On the men’s side, head coach Brant Tolsma picked out multi-event athletes Brandon Hoskins (Jr., Garden City, Texas) and Daniel Newell (So., Roanoke, Va.) as two faces to watch. Both Hoskins and Newell are aiming for national qualifying marks early in the season. Hoskins was an All-American in the heptathlon as a freshman in 2005.

Most of the Liberty men’s cross country runners will sit the meet out, but middle-distance standout Travis Campbell (Sr., Candler, N.C.) will compete after redshirting last season.

Junior Clendon Henderson (Meadow, Texas) highlights the men’s throwing corps. “We’re expecting good things from him this season,” stated Tolsma.

Arlene Zelinskas (Sr., Dayton, Ohio) will look to pick up where she left off last season. The multi-event performer was the named the Women’s Outstanding Track Performer at the 2006 Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships after winning the pentathlon and the 60-meter hurdles.

The Lady Flames’ top two cross country runners during the recently-completed season, Carol Jefferson (Jr., Schwenksville, Pa.) and Piper Newby (Jr., Hayden Lake, Idaho), will both be in action in Saturday’s distance events.

The first four events of the men’s heptathlon are slated for Friday, beginning with the 60-meter dash at 3:45 p.m. All other events will be contested on Saturday. The full meet schedule may be found below.

This is the first of three home meets on the Liberty indoor track and field season schedule and marks the Flames’ lone competition of the fall semester. Admission is free to the Liberty Kickoff.

[PAmedic]

in case anyone is attending- here's the time schedule for the Liberty Kickoff:

Time Schedule

Friday, Dec. 1
3:45 p.m. - Men’s Heptathlon 60-Meter Dash
4:30 p.m. - Men’s Heptathlon Long Jump
5:45 p.m. - Men’s Heptathlon Shot Put
6:45 p.m. - Men’s Heptathlon High Jump

Saturday, Dec. 2
Field Events
9 a.m. - Men’s Weight Throw
9:30 a.m. - Women’s Triple Jump, Men’s Long Jump
10 a.m. - Women’s Weight Throw, Women’s Pole Vault
11:40 a.m. - Women’s Pentathlon High Jump
12:30 p.m. - Men’s Shot Put, Men’s Heptathlon Pole Vault
1:30 p.m. - Women’s Long Jump, Men’s Triple Jump, Women’s High Jump
2 p.m. - Women’s Shot Put, Women’s Pentathlon Shot Put, Men’s Pole Vault
3:15 p.m. – Women’s Pentathlon Long Jump
3:30 p.m. - Men’s High Jump

Running Events
11 a.m. – Women’s Pentathlon 60-Meter Hurdles
11:05 a.m. – Women’s 60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
11:15 a.m. – Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
11:25 a.m. – Men’s Heptathlon 60-Meter Hurdles
11:30 a.m. – Men’s 60-Meter Dash (Prelims)
11:45 a.m. – Women’s 60-Meter Dash (Prelims)
Noon – Men’s 5K (Slow section)
12:20 p.m. – Women’s 5K (Slow section)
12:45 p.m. – Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles (Final)
1 p.m. – Women’s 60-Meter Hurdles (Final)
1:10 p.m. – Men’s 60-Meter Dash (Final)
1:15 p.m. – Women’s 60-Meter Dash (Final)
1:20 p.m. – Men’s Mile Run
1:30 p.m. – Women’s Mile Run
1:55 p.m. – Men’s 400-Meter Dash, Women’s 400-Meter Dash
2:45 p.m. – Men’s 800-Meter Run, Women’s 800-Meter Run
3:25 p.m. – Men’s 200-Meter Dash, Women’s 200-Meter Dash
4:15 p.m. – Men’s 5K (Fast section)
4:35 p.m. – Women’s 5K (Fast section)
5 p.m. – Men’s 4 x 400 Relay
5:25 p.m. – Women’s 4 x 400 Relay
Men’s Heptathlon 1,000-Meter Run and Women’s Pentathlon 800-Meter Run (To be determined)

[redheadrunner]

Newell, Zelinskas Sweep Heptathlon, Pentathlon At Liberty Kickoff

December 2, 2006
Lynchburg, Va.

Liberty’s Daniel Newell led from start to finish in the heptathlon and the Lady Flames’ Arlene Zelinskas did the same in the pentathlon, highlighting the home team’s performances at the Liberty Kickoff Invitational. Liberty won six events in all at the season lid-lifter contested at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center.

Newell (So., Roanoke, Va.) held off a strong second-day challenge by Virginia’s David Lewis to capture the heptathlon title with 5,020 points. That score qualifies him for the IC4A Championships.

The pentathlon was not decided until the final straightaway of the 800 meters, as Zelinskas (Sr., Dayton, Ohio) fended off Bonnie Meekins of William & Mary to win the event title by a slim seven points. Zelinskas tallied a personal-best 3,764 points, netting her a spot in the Eastern College Athletic Confernce (ECAC) Championships.

One Liberty school record fell on Saturday, thanks to senior Caitlyn Sutterfield (Murfreesboro, Tenn.). Sutterfield eclipsed her own shot put record with a 43-10.5 effort. She finished third in a deep shot put field.

The Flames and Lady Flames also excelled in the mid-distance events, taking first place in the men’s 400, 800 and 4 x 400 relay events as well as the women’s 800.

Philip Leineweber (So., New Freedom, Pa.) ran away with the men’s 400-meter title, clocking a 49.10 to win by 1.5 seconds. Meanwhile, Travis Campbell (Sr., Candler, N.C.) cruised to victory in the men’s 800, crossing the line in 1:56.73.

Leineweber and Campbell were joined by Tim O’Donnell (So., Hurst, Texas) and Javan Carter (So., Harrisburg, Pa.) on the victorious 4 x 400 relay squad. The unit’s final time was 3:21.70. O’Donnell also competed in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing as the runner-up in 8.40 seconds.

Jaime Watson (So., Ravenna, Mich.) covered 800 meters in 2:21.78 to win the event by nearly four full seconds.

Piper Newby (Jr., Hayden Lake, Idaho), coming off a breakout cross country season, demolished her personal-best 5K time, ending up with a 17:28.39 which left her in second place and was an ECAC qualifier.

Matthew Parker (So., Rome, N.Y.) and Clendon Henderson (Jr., Meadow, Texas) were the Flames’ final two runners-up. Parker leaped 6-8.75 to place second in the high jump and Henderson heaved the shot put a personal-best 55-5.75.

Three Tolsma Indoor Track Center records were eclipsed during the meet. Kwonya Ferguson of St. Augustine’s (NC) College broke the facility triple jump mark with a 42-5.25. Justin Clickett, competing unattached, threw the shot put 62-11.25. Brian Mondschein, also unattached, won the evening’s final event, the men’s pole vault, in a record 17-4.5.

Liberty will not return to action until it travels to Blacksburg for the Virginia Tech Invitational Jan. 12-13.

Men’s Heptathlon Final Scores
1) Daniel Newell, Liberty – 5,020
2) David Lewis, Virginia – 4,926
3) Clarence Murray, Liberty – 4,490
4) Martin Ross, William & Mary – 4,481
5) Dustin Wright, Unattached – 4,389
6) Doug Zimmer, William & Mary – 4,371
7) Joel Beck, Liberty – 4,005
8 ) Matt Tarr, Liberty – 3,790
Brandon Hoskins, Liberty – DNF

Women’s Pentathlon Final Scores
1) Arlene Zelinskas, Liberty – 3,764
2) Bonnie Meekins, William & Mary – 3,757
3) Brenna Blevins, William & Mary – 3,587
4) Mattie Bethea, N.C. State – 3,343
5) Christine Nicewonger, James Madison – 3,327
6) Laila Thomas, N.C. State – 3,263
7) Christie Black, N.C. State – 3,068
8 ) Marie Williams, Liberty – 3,058
9) Kayla Lawson, N.C. State – 3,020
10) Jen Ward, Liberty – 2,996
11) Jessica Nauta, James Madison – 2,753

[PAmedic]

WOW- congrats to ALL involved in a very nice effort.

looking forward to some great things this indoor season.

[bigsmooth]

newell graduated from my old high school. congrats to him and the entire track team!

[PAmedic]

McDougal, Hoskins and McNaney Ranked Among Nation's Best in 2006

January 8, 2007
Lynchburg, Va.

Liberty juniors Josh McDougal and Brandon Hoskins and 2005 Liberty graduate, Danielle McNaney each ranked among the top 40 United States athletes in their respective events during 2006, as published in the January 2007 issue of Track & Field News. McDougal was listed in a trio of distance races.

McDougal, a seven-time All-American, finished the year as the 15th-fastest American in the 3,000 meters, was 27th in the 10,000 meters and was listed 37th in the mile. Hoskins and McNaney were both ranked in multi events, as Hoskins was the United States’ 17th-best decathlete and McNaney was 10th in the heptathlon.

McDougal’s lofty ranking in the 3,000 meters came on the strength of his 7:53.16 clocking on March 4, which allowed him to run away with a first-place finish in the event at the IC4A Indoor Track and Field Championships. Bernard Lagat was the top American at 7:34.41.

McDougal posted a 28:49.79 for 10,000 meters at the Virginia Invitational on April 14, establishing a school record in the process. Abdi Abdirahman ranked first among Americans with a 27:22.81 effort in the 10K.

McDougal ranked 37th in the mile after nearly joining the sub-4:00 mile club on Feb. 18 at the Liberty Last Chance Meet at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center. The native of Peru, N.Y., ran a 4:01.63 at the event. Lagat was the United States’ best at 3:51.53.

Hoskins’ best score in the decathlon during 2006 was 7,529, a figure he tallied on March 31 and April 1 at the Asics Liberty Collegiate Invitational to win the event at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex. America’s Bryan Clay was the yearly world leader with a score of 8,677.

McNaney recorded a heptathlon score of 5,673 on June 23-24 at the AT&T United States Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis. The mark was good enough for sixth place. Gi-Gi Johnson, the United States champion, notched the top heptathlon score of any American last year, 6,183.

[redheadrunner]

The Big South, as of this past weekend (Jan. 19-20), already has four athletes who have run sub 1:55! Considering last year's indoor conference 800 Meter race was won in a low 1:54, this news is very interesting. Could the Big South be a new and upcoming powerhouse in the Mid-distance races?

800 Meter Rankings Posted from Direct Athletics:
1 Leineweber, Phil SO Liberty 1:54.20 Va. Tech. Invitational 01/13/07 01/13/07
2 Hudgins, Brandon SO Winthrop 1:54.37 Virginia Tech Invite 01/13/07 01/15/07
3 Campbell, Travis SR Liberty 1:54.63 Va. Tech. Invitational 01/13/07 01/13/07
4 Cowart-Mikels, Donnie SO Va. Military Institute 1:54.94 Great Dane Classic 01/19/07

[PAmedic]

impressive.

nice find, RHR- keep 'em coming- good to have help over here.

[Sly Fox]

Zelinskas sets LU, Big South pentathon records

From staff reports
Lynchburg News & Advance
January 27, 2007

Liberty University senior Arlene Zelinskas shattered a pair of school and Big South Conference records on her way to capturing the pentathlon title on day one of the On Track Open on Friday at LU's Tolsma Indoor Track Center.

Zelinskas was one of two event champions for the Flames, joining freshman Josh Edmonds, who was first in the 5,000 meters.

Zelinskas got off to a fast start in her first of five events, the 60 hurdles. Her time of 8.55 seconds eclipsed her Liberty and Big South event records and put her in the lead for good.

The senior bolstered her point total with personal-best marks in both jumps. She cleared 5-8.5 in the high jump and recorded an 18-5.75 mark in the long jump on her way to a final score of 3,882. Zelinskas finished 169 points ahead of South Carolina's Kettiany Clarke.

Zelinskas' overall point total broke Danielle McNaney's Liberty and Big South record of 3,822. It also moves her into third place on the NCAA Division I national qualifying list.

Edmonds trailed Methodist's Husein Nasiro Sigo for nearly all of the 5,000, before making the pass for first place during the race's closing stages. He won in a meet-record time of 15:12.16.

Liberty's Reyna Quiroz made a late charge at Emily Hellmuth of James Madison in the women's 5,000 before claiming second in 8:22.32.

Second day action will commence at 8:30 a.m. today with the men's weight throw. The day's initial running event will be the women's 60 hurdles, slated for 11 a.m.

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... 9148&path=

[Sly Fox]

McDougal Clocks Nation’s Second-Best 3K Time, Highlighting On Track Open Action

January 27, 2007
Lynchburg, Va.


Josh McDougal races to the nation's second-best 3K time

Liberty junior Josh McDougal recorded the second-best 3,000-meter time in the nation, 7:58.2, and was one of five athletes to set a Tolsma Indoor Track Center record during the second and final day of competition at the On Track Open on Saturday.

McDougal (Peru, N.Y.), making his indoor track season debut, contributed one of Liberty’s eight event wins on the day. He was aiming for an automatic qualifying time to the NCAA national meet, but finished less than three seconds off the necessary mark. McDougal was still able to eclipse his own track record and finish 25 seconds ahead of the runner-up, brother Jordan McDougal (So., Peru, N.Y.).

Senior Caitlyn Sutterfield (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) did some record setting as well, eclipsing her own Liberty mark in the weight throw, finishing third in the event with a best heave of 54-0.5.

In addition to McDougal, four Liberty male athletes and a relay squad finished first. The relay unit was the Flames’ 4 x 400 relay team of Josh Gilreath (Jr., Reidsville, N.C.), Tim O’Donnell (So., Hurst, Texas), Travis Campbell (Sr., Candler, N.C.) and Philip Leineweber (So., New Freedom, Pa.), who broke the tape in a season-best time of 3:18.41.

For Campbell and O’Donnell, it was their second victory of the day. Campbell had earlier captured the 1,000-meter title in 2:31.44, while O’Donnell took first in the 400 with a 50.78 clocking.

Jon Hart (Jr., Wyomissing, Pa.) won the day’s initial event, the men’s weight throw. His top effort was 59-5. Clarence Murray (Jr., Birdsboro, Pa.) was the lone heptathlete to complete the seven-event, two-day competition. His winning score was 4,445.

On the women’s side, Andrea Beckles (So., Lynchburg, Va.) sped to victory in the women’s 60-meter dash, the first women’s running event final of the afternoon, in 7.77 seconds. Liberty’s women then closed the day with another victory, copping the 4 x 400 meter relay title with a 4:01.79 effort.

Other facility records established on Saturday included those for the men’s high jump (John Hubbard, Unattached, 7-0.5), the women’s 200-meter dash (Melissa Council, Wake Forest, 24.98) and the women’s shot put (Brittany Pryor, Virginia Tech, 53-4.5). Greg Cryer, competing unattached, matched the Tolsma Indoor Track Center mark in the men’s long jump, as he leapt 24-9.75.

The Liberty athletes will be divided between two events this coming weekend. Approximately 10 Flames and Lady Flames will travel to New York City for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, to be contested Friday and Saturday. The remainder of the Liberty team will compete in the VMI Relays on Saturday.

http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm? ... 0&TeamID=3

[01LUGrad]

Big ups to Josh for breaking his own school record in the 5k this weekend in Washington. 13:52 ain't too shabby.
I did have a question for those in the know. LU's Philip Leineweber set the facility record in the 400 with a time of 48.84 on Sat. Congrats to him, but 48.84??! That's not exactly facility record stuff. I coached an 8th grader last year who ran 48.00 outdoor.

[PAmedic]

we've missed quite a bit of news concerning these guys/gals lately

there was a nice piece on Zelinksas the other week. I'll see if I can find it- a shame to overlook the fine effort being put forth by these teams.

Sorry!

[PAmedic]

catching up a bit here:

http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID= ... 1&TeamID=3

Liberty Wins Nine Events at VMI Winter Relays

February 3, 2007
Lexington, Va.
» Box Score

Liberty took home nine event titles from Saturday’s VMI Winter Relays at Cormack Field House. Among the Flames’ highlights was a 1-2-3 finish in the men’s shot put by Andy Bartels, Brandon Hoskins and Steve Barrett.

The Lady Flames recorded a half dozen first-place finishes, including a trio of running events. Brittany Heath (Fr., Freeport, Grand Bahamas) raced to the 400-meter title in a time of 1:05.00. Rebekah Ricksecker (So., Laurel, Del.) and Ashley Teer (Fr., British Columbia) took the top two places in the 800-meter run. Ricksecker’s winning time was 2:24.28. Finally, the Lady Flames won the 4 x 400-meter relay in 4:12.89. The relay team members included Tra' Screen (So., Lynchburg, Va.), Jennifer Ward (Jr., Martinsville, Va.), Sheronica Henton (Fr., Raeford, N.C.) and Marie Williams (Jr., Tampa, Fla.).

In the women’s field events, Caitlyn Sutterfield (Sr., Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Lacey Cunningham (Fr., Spring Hill, Kan.) were the shot put champion and runner-up. Sutterfield threw the shot 40-0.75. Emily Funderburke (So., Fredericksburg, Va.) finished first in the pole vault with a 9-5.75 clearance and Williams took the long jump with a leap of 16-10.75.

All three Liberty men who won their events did so in field events. Bartels (So., Grantham, Pa.) threw 45-3.75 to win the shot put, with Hoskins (Jr., Garden City, Texas) and Barrett (Jr., Thornton, W.Va.) following less than a foot behind.

Clendon Henderson (Jr., Meadow, Texas) enabled the Liberty men to sweep the throwing events, winning the weight throw with a season-best mark of 54-6.75. Donald Manns (Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.) took the triple jump crown, in just his second meet for the Flames. His winning jump was 44-6.75.

Liberty will return home on Friday for its final tune-up before the Feb. 17-18 Big South Championships. North Carolina A&T, Radford, Richmond, VCU and VMI will also compete in the meet at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center.

[PAmedic]

Here's the article on Arlene:

http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID= ... 8&TeamID=3

Zelinskas Ties for Second in New Balance High Jump

February 2, 2007
New York, N.Y.

Liberty senior Arlene Zelinskas tied for second in the high jump and advanced to the 60-meter hurdle consolation final, highlighting Friday’s action at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, contested at New York’s historic Armory Track.

Nine Liberty men’s and women’s track and field athletes are in Manhattan this weekend to compete against some of the nation’s top collegiate performers. Zelinskas (Dayton, Ohio) more than held her own on the opening day of action. She cleared 5-6.25 in her first event of the day, the college high jump, and was one of eight competitors to clear the same height. Event winner Tiara Swanigan of Florida State also leapt 5-6.25, but took first place on misses.

In the 60-meter hurdles, Zelinskas sped to an 8.64 clocking in the prelims. Her effort was the 13th-fastest of the day and earned her a spot in Saturday’s consolation final.

Juniors Carol Jefferson (Schwenksville, Pa.) and Piper Newby (Hayden Lake, Idaho) both dipped under the 18-minute mark in the 5,000 meters, placing 11th and 14th, respectively in the championship section. Jefferson’s time of 17:26.45 was a season-best performance and is the fastest time in the Big South Conference so far this year.

Philip Leineweber (So., New Freedom, Pa.) starred for the Flames men’s team on Friday, winning his heat of the 400-meter dash in a season-best 48.55 seconds. His effort, which was good for 25th place overall, marks the second-fastest time in the Big South this season.

The second and final day of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational will open with the women’s weight throw at 8:45 a.m. Saturday morning.

[PAmedic]

Zelinskas Breaks Record, Hart Places Third at New Balance Collegiate Invitational
http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID= ... 0&TeamID=3

February 3, 2007
New York, N.Y.
» Box Score

For the second-straight weekend, Liberty senior Arlene Zelinskas eclipsed her own program and Big South Conference record in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking an 8.54 on Saturday at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at New York’s Armory Track. Jon Hart also stood out for the Flames, finishing third in the men’s weight throw.

Zelinskas’ (Dayton, Ohio) record-breaking effort was good for fourth place in the consolation final of the event and 11th overall. She had posted a time of 8.55 in the event during the On Track Open pentathlon, Jan. 26 at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center. The senior wrapped up a stellar weekend, which saw her tie for second place in the high jump on Friday.

Hart (Jr., Wyomissing, Pa.) used a season-best 61-8.5 effort in the weight throw to capture third place in the event. Not only was it his best mark, but it represents the top throw in the Big South Conference this season.

Liberty will return home on Friday for its final tune-up before the Feb. 17-18 Big South Championships. North Carolina A&T, Radford, Richmond, VCU and VMI will also compete in the meet at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center.

[PAmedic]

Congrats to Jon Hart!

Hart Receives Big South Indoor Track Athlete of the Week Award

http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID= ... 1&TeamID=3

Jon Hart is the conference's top-ranked weight thrower.

February 7, 2007
Lynchburg, Va.
For the second-consecutive week, a junior on the Liberty men’s track and field team has been named Big South Conference Choice Hotels Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week. This time, the honoree is Jon Hart, who finished third in the weight throw at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational last Saturday.

Hart’s (Wyomissing, Pa.) selection follows that of Josh McDougal (Jr., Peru, N.Y.) from Jan. 31. Hart finished third out of 34 competitors in the weight throw at the famous Armory Track in New York City. His best mark of the day, 61-8.5, marked the top weight throw by a Big South Conference athlete this season. Only one other Flame, Dan Royal, has ever gone over 60 feet in the event.

Hart and his teammates will compete at home for the final time during the indoor season Friday evening, as the Flames host the Liberty Quad at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center. The men’s weight throw will be the meet’s opening event, scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.

[PAmedic]

great weekend for the Flames!

Beckles, Hart and Leineweber Set Records at Liberty Quad

http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID= ... 6&TeamID=3

February 9, 2007
Lynchburg, Va.
» Box Score

Liberty athletes set a trio of records at Friday evening’s Liberty Quad at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center in the Flames’ final tune-up for next weekend’s Big South Championships. Andrea Beckles (60-meter dash) and Jon Hart (weight throw) broke program records, and Philip Leineweber eclipsed the facility record at 400 meters.

Hart (Jr., Wyomissing, Pa.) got the meet off to a good start for the home team, breaking Dan Royal’s school record in the weight throw on his second effort of the competition, a mark of 64-7.75. Hart held on to win the event by 1.75 inches over Radford’s Jeremiah Spence, and both conference competitors provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Incidentally, Royal saw his weight record go down firsthand, as the Liberty alumnus placed third at 63-7.5. Hart was not finished, as the reigning Big South Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week also won the shot put, with a top throw of 49-4.25.

Leineweber (So., New Freedom, Pa.) was Liberty’s only other event champion on the men’s side, blazing to a 48.84 clocking in the 400 and winning the race by nearly a full second. His time cut two-tenths of a second off the previous facility record, set in 2006 by Charleston Southern’s Michael Rhue, who is currently the Big South’s top-ranked 400-meter runner this season.

Leineweber came back to place third in the 200 in a season-best 22.35 seconds, giving the sophomore the fifth-fastest time in the conference this season.

Matt Parker (So., Rome, N.Y.) was another Liberty athlete who performed well in multiple events on Friday, taking second place in both the high jump and the 60-meter hurdles. His best high jump clearance, 6-9, equaled the top mark by a conference performer this season.

In women’s action, Christina Henry and Mynique Robinson had co-held the program 60-meter dash record before Beckles (So., Lynchburg, Va.) crossed the line in 7.69 seconds in her heat. Richmond’s Jasmine Major edged Beckles in the heat, but the local product came back to win the final, clocking a 7.70. Beckles has now won the 60-meter dash at two-consecutive home meets, also doing so at the On Track Open on Jan. 27.

Reyna Quiroz (Sr., Canyonville, Ore.) broke the tape first in the 3,000 meters, with a winning time of 10:25.15. Emily Funderburke (So., Fredericksburg, Va.) was Liberty’s final event champion, capturing first place in the pole vault, with a season-best height of 10-0.

Multi-event athlete Arlene Zelinskas (Sr., Dayton, Ohio) competed in three open events and the 4 x 400 relay on Friday and came away with three runner-up finishes. Zelinskas placed second in the 60-meter hurdles, the high jump and the long jump.

Liberty will now prepare for the Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be hosted by Clemson, Feb. 17-18. The Flames’ men’s team will be in search of its 10th-consecutive indoor conference championship. Liberty has won the men’s team title every year since the Big South sponsored its first indoor track and field championship meet in 1998.

[PAmedic]

(details on the post by 01LUGrad)

McDougal Breaks School 5K Record in Seattle

http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID= ... 0&TeamID=3

February 10, 2007
Seattle, Wash.
After two Liberty school records went down Friday during the Liberty Quad, a third was bettered Saturday afternoon at the Washington Husky Invitational. Junior Josh McDougal ran the fastest 5,000-meter time ever by a Flame athlete, indoors or outdoors, running a personal-best 13:52.13.

McDougal’s (Peru, N.Y.) effort placed ninth in a field of some of the nation’s top collegiate distance runners and earned him provisional qualification for the NCAA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Championships. Wisconsin’s Chris Solinsky won the race with a world-leading time of 13:30.74.

Jordan McDougal (So., Peru, N.Y.) also ran the 5K in Seattle, finishing 16th in the fast heat with an official time of 14:32.35. The brothers, who combined to win all three distance events at last season’s Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships, will attempt to do so once again at this year’s conference meet, to be held at Clemson Feb. 17-18.

[01LUGrad]

Liberty Men’s Track Captures 10th-Straight Big South Indoor Title; Lady Flames Finish Second

Josh McDougal won the mile on Sunday and was named the Big South Men's Outstanding Track Performer for the second-straight year.

February 18, 2007
Clemson, S.C.


For the 10th-consecutive season, the Liberty men’s track and field team hoisted the team championship trophy at the New Balance Big South Indoor Track Championships presented by Mondo, UCS and the Stick on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Lady Flames finished as runner-up behind Coastal Carolina for the second-straight year at the event hosted by Clemson.

The Flames ran away with first place, outscoring second-place Radford, 199-124. Liberty, coached by Brant Tolsma, has won all 10 Big South indoor team championships ever contested. The Flames also reached a program milestone, as Liberty’s men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams have now captured 50 Big South team championships since joining the conference in 1991.

Mid-distance and distance running was a key to the Liberty men’s success, as Flames’ athletes won the 800, the mile, the 3,000 and the 5,000. Three of the victories came courtesy of the McDougal brothers.

Josh McDougal (Jr., Peru, N.Y.) added the mile championship to his first-place finish at 3,000 meters on Saturday. His winning time of 4:03.87, a NCAA provisional qualifier, outdistanced runner-up Donnie Cowart-Mikels of VMI by nearly 10 full seconds. At meet’s end, McDougal was named Big South Men’s Track Performer of the Year for the second-straight season.

Brother Jordan McDougal (So., Peru, N.Y.) later led a 1-2 Liberty finish in the 5,000 meters, crossing the line in a time of 14:35.63. Freshman teammate Joshua Edmonds (Cooperstown, N.Y.) was second with a 14:50.15 effort. Edmonds, who also placed seventh at 3,000 meters, became the first Liberty male to capture the Big South Men’s Freshman of the Year honor.

While both McDougals won in convincing fashion on Sunday, Liberty’s Travis Campbell (Sr., Candler, N.C.) took a tight 800-meter contest. He ran a 1:55.56 to prevail in a race which saw the top three runners separated by just .33 seconds.

Clarence Murray (Jr., Birdsboro, Pa.), who led after the first day of the heptathlon, maintained his advantage and defended his title from last year. Murray’s meet-record score of 4,303 won by 180 points. The junior has now won the last three Big South multi-event titles, as he additionally captured the decathlon at last year’s outdoor conference meet. Daniel Newell (So., Roanoke, Va.) was also an All-Big South performer in the heptathlon, placing third with 3,918 points.

The junior throwing duo of Jon Hart (Wyomissing, Pa.) and Clendon Henderson (Meadow, Texas) completed a successful weekend, after finishing first and second, respectively, in Saturday’s shot put. Hart threw the weight 60-5.25 to end up second on Sunday, and Henderson placed third with a personal-best 58-11.25 effort. Henderson is now the No. 3 performer on Liberty’s all-time weight throw list. Meanwhile, Hart won the Big South Men’s Field Performer of the Year award, becoming the first Liberty athlete to capture the honor since Nick Anderson did so in 2002.

Two other Flames garnered all-conference recognition in individual events on Sunday, including Tim O’Donnell (So., Hurst, Texas), who was the 60-meter hurdle runner-up, with a time of 8.36 seconds. Donald Manns (Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.) came in third in the triple jump, topping out at 44-3.5.

Liberty capped its championship day by taking second place in the final event, the 4 x 400 relay. Josh Gilreath (Jr., Reidsville, N.C.), O’Donnell, Campbell and Philip Leineweber (So., New Freedom, Pa.) teamed up for a time of 3:18.68. Leineweber was included on the Big South All-Academic team.

The Coastal Carolina women’s team totaled 204.5 points, enabling them to hold off the Lady Flames for the second-consecutive year. Liberty, the first-day leader, tallied 167.25 markers.

Arlene Zelinskas (Sr., Dayton, Ohio) totaled 36 of the Lady Flames’ tallies, winning two events and taking a pair of runner-up finishes. Her second event win came on Saturday, as the senior won a fast 60-meter hurdle final, by 0.02 seconds over Coastal Carolina’s LeAuna Sistrunk.

Zelinskas’ time of 8.47 broke her own school record and meet record. It equals Sistrunk’s time from earlier this season as the all-time fastest mark by a Big South athlete. In the two-day conference meet, Zelinskas won the 60 hurdles and high jump and was the long jump and pentathlon runner-up.

The 2006 Big South Women’s Track Performer of the Year, Zelinskas shared the award with Coastal Carolina distance runner, Felicitas Mensing this season. Zelinskas also earned a spot on the Big South All-Academic roster.

Like their male counterparts, the Liberty women’s distance crew enjoyed significant success over the weekend. Headlining the efforts was Carol Jefferson (Jr., Schwenksville, Pa.). After finishing second at 3,000 meters on Saturday, Jefferson won the 5,000 meters for the second-consecutive season, clocking a 17:12.83.

Jefferson was not the only Lady Flame who stood out in the 5,000-meter run. Piper Newby (Jr., Hayden Lake, Idaho) and Ashley Osborne (So., Bristol, Va.) enabled Liberty to sweep the top three places. Both runners dipped under the 18-minute barrier, with Newby coming in at 17:42.73 and Osborne at 17:59.89.

Rebekah Ricksecker (So., Laurel, Del.) added a second-place finish in the mile, clocking a 5:10.82. The Lady Flames’ last All-Big South performer in the open running events was Andrea Beckles (So., Lynchburg, Va.), who had set a school record on Saturday and then finished third in the 60 meters on Sunday, in 7.69 seconds.

The Lady Flames came in second in the 4 x 400 relay, in a time of 3:55.79. The squad members included Tra’ Screen (So., Lynchburg, Va.), Charlene Hibbert (Jr., Mississauga, Ontario), Sheronica Henton (Fr., Raeford, N.C.) and Chenoa Freeman (Fr., Lincoln, Del.).

Liberty will now have a weekend off before traveling to Boston for the ECAC and IC4A Championships, March 3-4.

Men’s Final Team Standings
1) Liberty – 199
2) Radford -124
3) Charleston Southern – 98
4) Winthrop – 81
5) VMI – 75
6) High Point – 62
7) UNC Asheville – 20

Women’s Final Team Standings
1) Coastal Carolina – 204.5
2) Liberty – 167.25
3) Charleston Southern – 69.75
4) Radford – 62
5) High Point – 51.5
6) Winthrop – 44
7) UNC Asheville – 37
8) VMI – 23

Men's Track Performer of the Year
Josh McDougal, Liberty

Women's Track Performer of the Year
Arlene Zelinskas, Liberty and Felicitas Mensing, Coastal Carolina

Men's Field Performer of the Year
Jon Hart, Liberty

Women's Field Performer of the Year
Tiffany Evans, Radford

Men’s Freshman of the Year
Josh Edmonds, Liberty

Women’s Freshman of the Year
Natalie Pearson, UNC Asheville

Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Kevin Sullivan, Virginia Military Institute

Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Felicitas Mensing, Coastal Carolina

Men's All-Academic
Allen Batiste, Charleston Southern
Kyle Lounsbury, High Point
Philip Leineweber, Liberty
Jordany Wynder, Radford
Joel Quirk, UNC Asheville
Kevin Sullivan, VMI

Women's All-Academic
Felicitas Mensing, Coastal Carolina
Dionne Gibson, Charleston Southern
Shauna Marsh, High Point
Arlene Zelinskas, Liberty
Shauna Harris, Radford
Emily Mase, UNC Asheville
Hatley Clifford, VMI
Amanda Bolt, Winthrop

Men's Coach of the Year
Tim Langford, Charleston Southern

Women's Coach of the Year
Alan Connie, Coastal Carolina

[01LUGrad]

Congrats to the teams on the strong showing this weekend. That makes 50 Big South Championships for the men and women combined in cross country and track.

Josh has now hit prov. qualifying times in the mile, 3,000, and 5,000. Any word on what he plans to do at Nationals? I would guess that his 4:03 in the mile (although smoking by most standards) probably isn't enough to get him a chance at the national final. The 3 and the 5 are held on back-to-back days, if memory serves correctly. As a coach, I would have him stick with one, but that is probably why I only coach middle and high school athletes.

[PAmedic]

Fantastic results (again) for the guys and congrats to the ladies on a great showing as well.

Very proud of Coach Tolsma and the job being done over there in a sport that surely doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

a little puzzled how Chuck South's coach gets COTY.

[PAmedic]

also interesting to see how Winthrop- the school being held back by the "anchor" that is the Big South conf- finished a VERY distant 4th (mens) and 6th (ladies)



(chalk my bad attitude up to the Daytona 500 finish)

[WinthropEagleFan]

also interesting to see how Winthrop- the school being held back by the "anchor" that is the Big South conf- finished a VERY distant 4th (mens) and 6th (ladies)



(chalk my bad attitude up to the Daytona 500 finish)

To be fair, I think the anchor graphic refers mainly to men's basketball...I don't know the creator of that graphic, but since he hasn't posted anything about any other sport on the board, I'm thinking that's what he's talking about...

[wilsonr]

I had the opportunity to watch the Big South indoor championship this past weekend. I was extremly proud of the way the Liberty teams competed and the way they represented Liberty University. I ran for Liberty way back in the day, before Liberty had a track, and I am so proud of this team. It has been over twenty years since I was there but I felt part of the team as I stood there watching. I am very blessed to have worn the Liberty uniform. Continue God's blessing on this team!