Liberty Track and Field athletes spent the summer in Brazil

Liberty University Track & Field athletes had a different summer experience than most. In addition to NCAA competition lasting until June, a group of the team competed in the inaugural Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire America Games held in Sau Paulo, Brazil from July 20-29.

Liberty Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Brant Tolsma was chosen to coach the 29-person track & field team that represented the United States. Of the 29-person roster, half of the athletes chosen were from Liberty. Other universities with athletes representing the U.S. include Duke, California State, Kent State and Prairie View A&M.

“It was kind of a God thing because the guy who was in charge of the trip and U.S. delegation only ended up coming to Liberty because of the hurricane that took the Paradise Jam basketball tournament from the islands up here,” Tolsma said. “When he came to Liberty and saw everything that was here he thought, ‘Well, let me go talk to the track coach and see if they want to be involved in the America Games this summer.’”

With 12 countries in competition, the meet concluded with United States Track & Field women earning second place to Brazil and men earning third place behind Brazil and Mexico.

Darrel Jones, a graduate of the track & field athlete and current graduate assistant coach, competed in triple jump and long jump at the America Games. Jones triple jumped 51-5 to earn a silver medal, one of the 11 total medals captured by the team at the meet. Jones said even though it was his first meet internationally, the pressure was the same as if he was competing for Liberty.

Jones and Tolsma both described the international competition to be an eye-opening learning experience and opportunity to be able to represent the United States.