Doan’s Victorious Return Headlines Liberty Challenge

Racing for the first time since January, Liberty All-American Calli Doan cruised to victory in the women’s 4K at Thursday evening’s season-opening Liberty Challenge. Meanwhile, the Flames’ Will Jefferson finished a team-best second in the men’s 6K while making his Liberty cross country debut.

Doan covered her home course in 14:15.0 to win the women’s race by 18 seconds over freshman teammate Ava Gordon, who was competing unattached. In a meet which pitted the Flames against crosstown foe Lynchburg, the first nine women to cross the finish line hailed from Liberty, although four raced unattached.

Another unattached Liberty athlete, Nicholas Kiprotich, stole the show in the men’s 6K. The transfer from Iowa Western Community College clocked 18:27.6 to win the men’s title, 21.6 seconds in front of Jefferson. The Flames’ Kyle Harkabus rounded out the top three with an 18:57.2 clocking.

No team scores were tallied during Thursday’s low-key opener, the Flames’ first home meet in three years.

Women’s 4K Individual Results (23 Total Finishers):

1) Calli Doan, Liberty – 14:15.0

2) Ava Gordon, Unattached – 14:33.0

3) Marie Hostetler, Liberty – 14:38.9

4) Priscillah Kiplagat, Liberty – 14:47.4

5) Katrina Schlenker, Unattached – 14:49.5

6) Kayla Werner, Liberty – 14:51.6

8) Kristiana Young, Liberty – 15:11.2

12) Catherine Farrell, Liberty – 15:22.4

13) Jessica Palisca, Liberty – 15:29.1

16) Samantha Troup, Liberty – 16:00.5

17) Summer Bejarano, Liberty – 16:04.5

18) Jessie Zealand, Liberty – 16:05.0

19) Hope Carr, Liberty – 16:13.5

21) Grace Ervi, Liberty – 16:33.8

22) Ruth Tanui, Liberty – 16:38.2

Men’s 6K Individual Results (33 Total Finishers):

1) Nicholas Kiprotich, Unattached – 18:27.6

2) Will Jefferson, Liberty – 18:49.2

3) Kyle Harkabus, Liberty – 18:57.2

4) Frank Csorba, Lynchburg – 19:10.0

5) Caleb Olson, Liberty – 19:22.2

7) Jack Cottrell, Liberty – 19:26.0

12) Jeremiah Mussmon, Liberty – 19:42.5

Race Reactions

• Prior to Thursday, Doan’s last race was a mile at the Brant Tolsma Invitational on Jan. 22 as her track & field season was cut short due to injury.
• This was Doan’s third career cross country individual victory.
• Four Liberty freshmen finished within the top seven of the women’s 4K. Kayla Werner took sixth for the Lady Flames, while unattached teammates Gordon (second), Katrina Schlenker (fifth) and Katie Sigerud (seventh) also posted lofty finishes in their first collegiate races.
• Priscillah Kiplagat (fourth place in the women’s race) and Caleb Olson (fifth place in the men’s race) were the only two Liberty runners who also competed in the most recent home cross country meet (Liberty Challenge on Aug. 30, 2019).
• Like the Lady Flames, the Liberty men’s squad also enjoyed a strong showing by freshmen. Redshirt freshman Jefferson came in second, while true freshman Jacob Hess took eighth, competing unattached.

Up Next

Liberty will remain within the Commonwealth for the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational, scheduled for Sept. 16 at Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Va. The women’s 6K will begin at 6 p.m. and the men’s 8K will follow at 6:40.

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