Engle Headlines Flames’ 5 Event Winners on Liberty Kickoff’s Opening Day

Liberty’s Meredith Engle narrowly missed setting a program record with her winning pentathlon score of 3,960 points, headlining the home team’s five event victors on day one of the Liberty Kickoff. Summer Bejarano (women’s mile), Paola Bueno (women’s weight throw), Quinten Clay (men’s long jump) and John Hicks (men’s weight throw) also posted first-place finishes on Thursday at the Brant Tolsma Indoor Track at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex on the opening day of the 2022-23 indoor campaign.

Engle, Clay and Hicks all picked up where they left off the last time they competed at this facility, as each won the same events at the 2022 ASUN Indoor Track & Field Championships. Meanwhile, Bejarano and Bueno were both victorious during their first collegiate track & field events as freshmen.

Engle, who had seen her 2022 outdoor season cut short due to injury, displayed no ill effects on Thursday. Her total of 3,960 points fell just 26 tallies shy of the Liberty record set by Kylie Polsgrove in 2019.

Engle added nearly two feet to her shot put best with a 40-11 heave and matched her high jump best of 5-8.5, which was the facility record prior to Thursday’s competition. Concordia St. Paul’s Arika Harbo set a new facility record for the pentathlon high jump with a 5-9.75 clearance and was just 12 points behind Engle before the Lady Flame sealed her victory with a win in 2:23.20 in the 800.

Liberty redshirt freshman Patasha Bryan, who battled injuries of her own a year ago, came in third with 3,619 points. That score ranks No. 8 in program history and eclipsed Engle’s Liberty freshman record of 3,559 from the 2021 ASUN Championship.

Bryan’s strongest events on Thursday included the high jump (5-3.75), shot put (40-7.75) and 800 (2:25.01).

Bryan’s older brother Anthony Bryan will take a 103-point lead into day two of the heptathlon after totaling 3,031 points through Thursday’s four events. Bryan set new personal bests in three of four disciplines, including the 60 (7.09), shot put (43-10.75) and high jump (6-2.25).

Clay’s first long jump attempt of the afternoon measured 24-4.25. That stood up as his best effort of the day and won the competition by more than a foot.

Hicks also recorded his winning mark (55-11.75) during round one of the men’s weight throw and held off teammate Stuart Folkerts (55-6.5) for the victory.

Bueno, the 2022 World U20 silver medalist in the women’s hammer for Mexico, was dominant in her weight throw debut. Her mark of 58-6, which ranks No. 9 all-time at Liberty, led a 1-2-3 Lady Flames sweep. Joining Bueno on the podium were fellow Mexican Sofia Mojica (personal-best 54-0.5) and Annika Hantho (49-6.5).

Liberty freshmen went 1-2 in the women’s mile, the evening’s final event. Bejarano (5:19.12) and Jessie Zealand (5:28.95) did the honors.

Taylen Langin finished a team-best third in a deep women’s pole vault competition with a 12-11.5 clearance. Freshman Grace Mueller also impressed with a personal-best 11-7.75 effort for seventh.

Women’s Event Winners

Summer Bejarano – Mile – 5:19.12

Paola Bueno – Weight Throw – 58-6

Meredith Engle – Pentathlon – 3,960

Men’s Event Winners

Quinten Clay – Long Jump – 24-4.25

John Hicks – Weight Throw – 55-11.75

Women’s Record Breakers

Liberty Freshman Record – Pentathlon – Patasha Bryan – 3,619

Previous Record: 3,559 by Meredith Engle at the ASUN Championship on Feb. 26, 2021

Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Women’s Top 10 List

Pentathlon – No. 2 – Meredith Engle – 3,960

Pentathlon – No. 8 – Patasha Bryan – 3,619

Weight Throw – No. 9 – Paola Bueno – 58-6

Up Next

The second and final day of the Liberty Kickoff will begin Friday at 11 a.m. with the heptathlon 60 hurdles.

Featured in Main Photo: Meredith Engle (front) and Patasha Bryan (behind)

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