Track and field captures nine victories
Junior Abigail Flower and redshirt sophomore Ansley Gebben notched two event titles apiece in the home meet
In their final tuneup before the Big South Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the host men’s and women’s track and field teams secured nine event victories at the Liberty Collegiate Invitational Friday and Saturday, April 4-5.
On the women’s side, junior Abigail Flower led the Lady Flames with victories in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. She finished the 100 in 11.88 seconds and the 200 in 24.51 seconds for her third straight 200-meter victory in this meet.
Relay — ConRoy Smith runs the final stretch. Photo credit: Courtney Russo
After breaking the school record in the 400-meter hurdles March 27, redshirt sophomore Ansley Gebben brought home a victory after her 1:00.98 race.
“I feel like I stuttered on (hurdles) I should have alternated on,” Gebben said. “… But I’m still happy with winning and getting the time and obviously giving the glory
to God.”
Gebben was joined by Mary Echols, Janae Jones and Corinn Bedell in the 4×400-meter relay for her second win on the weekend. The quartet won in 3:53.66.
In the field, junior Melissa Rohwer leapt to 39-0.5 for a win in the triple jump.
The Flames also found success in the meet with four event titles.
Jump — Junior Kyle Wheeler finished fifth in the long jump. Photo credit: Courtney Russo
The team of Stephen Hayes, Tarell Williams, Stephen Racanelli and ConRoy Smith ran the 4×100-meter relay in 40.86 seconds for a new season best.
Also on the track, middle-distance specialist and junior John Sherret took the 800-meter run title in 1:53.49.
Liberty’s men’s team found even more success in the field. The Flames swept the top three spots in both the decathlon and pole vault.
Freshman Zach Davis led the way for the Flames in the multi-event with 6,387 points. Freshmen Zach Gilroy and Blake Kohring followed in second and third places, respectively.
“(I) look back and kinda wish some things went one way and some things went another, but I did my best, and that’s all I can do,” Davis said. “It would be nice to hit 7,000 in the (decathlon), so that’s probably my goal right now.”
In the pole vault, sophomore Ken Ritchey cleared 15-3 for the win. Redshirt senior Harrison Allen and sophomore Alexandru Barker added second and third-place finishes, respectively, for the Flames.
Liberty’s teams will now head to Winthrop University for conference championships Thursday-Saturday, April 17-19.