Liberty Men Roll to 3rd Straight ASUN Title, Women Take 2nd Place
The Liberty men’s squad recorded its third straight ASUN title and its 15th consecutive conference championship overall with a dominating performance at the 2022 ASUN Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which wrapped up Saturday at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. Meanwhile, the Lady Flames placed second in the women’s competition.
Liberty won 12 of 21 men’s events over the course of the three-day meet, including six on Saturday. That helped the Flames rack up 305 points, the most of any ASUN team at this meet since 2017, and defeat runner-up Kennesaw State by 121 tallies.
The Flames have now captured the men’s team championship trophy all three years they have competed at this meet and 15 outdoor titles in a row, including a dozen in the Big South (2007-18). Liberty has emerged victorious at each of its last 31 conference men’s track & field championships overall, including the indoor and outdoor seasons. The streak began with a win at the 2007 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships.
After the Lady Flames edged Kennesaw State by eight points at this year’s ASUN indoor meet, the Owls prevailed outdoors by a 210-156 score over Liberty. The Lady Flames’ runner-up finish halts a run of six straight outdoor team titles, consisting of four in the Big South (2015-18) and two in the ASUN (2019 and 2021).
Kevin Nedrick was named ASUN Most Valuable Male Performer after scoring a meet-high 26 points. His men’s shot put victory (60-3) was one of Liberty’s seven first-place finishes on Saturday. Earlier in the meet, the first-year Flame had won the men’s discus (meet-record 191-5) and taken third in the men’s javelin (201-9).
Lance Bingham was voted ASUN Men’s Coach of the Year and is now a six-time ASUN Coach of the Year during his two seasons at the helm.
In addition to Nedrick, the following Flames earned first-place finishes on the meet’s final day: Isis Brooks (women’s 100 – 11.35), Christian Lyon (men’s 100 – 10.33), Diamantae Griffin (men’s 200 – 20.38), Brandon Letts, Donald McClinton, Lyon and Griffin (men’s 4 x 100 relay – 39.23) and Felix Lawrence (men’s 110 hurdles – 14.25 and men’s 400 hurdles – 52.32).
The Flames’ sprinters were busy breaking records on Saturday. Griffin’s 20.38 clocking in the men’s 200 and the 4 x 100 relay’s time of 39.23 were both Liberty, meet and ASUN all-time records. Meanwhile, Brooks’ 11.35 in the women’s 100 took down the Liberty and ASUN all-time standards.
Men’s Day 3 Recap
The Flames’ men’s 4 x 100 relay quartet of Brandon Letts, Donald McClinton, Christian Lyon and Diamantae Griffin set the tone for the day during the afternoon’s first running event. They broke the school and ASUN records for the fifth time this season with a winning time of 39.23 that also shattered the meet record of 40.03. Liberty had to work for its first ASUN 4 x 100 relay crown though, as seven-time defending champion Kennesaw State followed closely in 39.49.
Liberty’s relay standouts burned up the track individually later in the day. Lyon (10.33), Letts (10.35), McClinton (10.35) and Griffin (10.38) fashioned an impressive 1-2-3-4 sweep of the men’s 100 final for 29 big team points. That was the men’s team’s highest-scoring event of a meet where it posted eight 20+ point events.
Griffin’s record-breaking 20.38 clocking at 200 meters enabled him to defend his title from 2021 and complete a sweep of this year’s ASUN indoor and outdoor 200 crowns. He shattered the Liberty, meet and ASUN all-time records of 20.56, which had been set by teammate Donald McClinton during Thursday’s preliminary round. McClinton settled for second place on Saturday in 20.70.
Nedrick’s season-best 60-3 effort enabled him to win a men’s shot put competition where the top four finishers all hailed from Jamaica. That included teammates Warren Barrett (second, 59-4.75) and Kyle Mitchell (fourth, 58-3.75). The Flames racked up 24 points in the event, turning the tables on Kennesaw State, which had gone 1-2-3 in this event indoors.
Lawrence joined Marlon Tanner (Big South – 1998) as the only Flames ever to sweep the conference men’s 110 hurdles (14.25) and 400 hurdles (52.32) titles. Lawrence’s 400 hurdles championship was his second in a row at this meet.
In the 110 hurdles, Lawrence was backed up by teammates Juan Pablo Germain Ronco (third, season-best 14.48) and Luke Anderson (fifth, 14.95). Anderson (third, 52.90) and Zack Weekman (fourth, 53.58) both posted big personal bests in the 400 hurdles.
The final jump of Jeremy Davis’ career saw him match his triple jump personal best (48-8) for second place. The Flames’ final podium performers included Anders Janes (second in pole vault, season-best 16-3.5) and freshman Will Jefferson (third in 1,500, 3:47.00).
Women’s Day 3 Recap
Brooks was the Lady Flames’ biggest star of day three, earning a medal of each color during her four races. Her victory in the women’s 100 came in a record-breaking time of 11.35. Brooks took down the ASUN all-time record (11.36), which had stood for five years, and her own Liberty standard of 11.41 from the Meet of Champions on April 16.
Brooks’ victory was the Lady Flames’ fourth of the meet, with two of them coming from Naomi Mojica (women’s shot put and hammer).
Brooks nearly won the 200 as well before setting for second place in a personal-best time of 23.50. That is the fastest wind-legal clocking in program history and ranks No. 2 all-time for Liberty in the event.
Running together as a unit for the first time, the Lady Flames’ 4 x 100 relay squad of Dawn Hilton, Nimeesha Coleman, Brooks and Ayanna Johnson earned a third-place finish in 45.84. That time ranks No. 6 in program history.
The Lady Flames’ highest-scoring event of the day was the morning’s first women’s discipline, the discus. Liberty reeled in 20 points with a 2-3-5-7 finish, thanks to Annika Hantho (personal-best 160-3, No. 5 all-time at Liberty), Sofia Mojica (151-1), Megan Mann (144-7) and Grace Artis (139-6).
Lizbeth Joseph closed out her career with a 40-9.75 triple jump that earned a third-place finish in the competition and the No. 5 spot on Liberty’s all-time list.
Adelyn Ackley collected her eighth career All-ASUN medal with a third-place women’s 1,500 showing, crossing the line in 4:25.91.
All three Liberty women’s javelin throwers scored points, including Mackenzie Hainley (fourth, 141-9), Kali Grayson (fifth, 134-6) and Mackenzie White (eighth, personal-best 131-8).
Last year’s ASUN women’s 400 hurdles runner-up, Nimeesha Coleman ran faster this time around (1:01.95) but ended up fourth.
Final Men’s Team Scores
1) Liberty – 305
2) Kennesaw State – 184
3) Central Arkansas – 101
4) Eastern Kentucky – 89
5) Lipscomb – 51
6) North Florida – 47
7) Bellarmine – 10
Final Women’s Team Scores
1) Kennesaw State – 210
2) Liberty – 156
3) Jacksonville – 143
4) Eastern Kentucky – 119
5) Lipscomb – 95
6) Jacksonville State – 40
7) Central Arkansas – 31
8T) Bellarmine – 11
8T) North Florida – 11
Most Valuable Male Performer
Kevin Nedrick, Liberty
Most Valuable Female Performer
Sarah Hendrick, Kennesaw State
Men’s Coach of the Year
Lance Bingham, Liberty
Women’s Coach of the Year
Cael McDaniel, Kennesaw State
Men’s Day 3 ASUN Champions
Diamantae Griffin – 200 – 20.38
Felix Lawrence – 110 Hurdles – 14.25
Felix Lawrence – 400 Hurdles – 52.32
Christian Lyon – 100 – 10.33
Kevin Nedrick – Shot Put – 60-3
Brandon Letts, Donald McClinton, Christian Lyon, Diamantae Griffin – 4 x 100 Relay – 39.23
Women’s Day 3 ASUN Champions
Isis Brooks – 100 – 11.35
Other Men’s Day 3 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Warren Barrett – Shot Put – 59-4.75
2nd – Jeremy Davis – Triple Jump – 48-8
2nd – Anders Janes – Pole Vault – 16-3.5
2nd – Brandon Letts – 100 – 10.35
2nd – Donald McClinton – 200 – 20.70
3rd – Luke Anderson – 400 Hurdles – 52.90
3rd – Juan Pablo Germain Ronco – 110 Hurdles – 14.48
3rd – Will Jefferson – 1,500 – 3:47.00
3rd – Donald McClinton – 100 – 10.35
Other Women’s Day 3 Top 3 Finishers
2nd – Isis Brooks – 200 – 23.50
2nd – Annika Hantho – Discus – 160-3
3rd – Adelyn Ackley – 1,500 – 4:25.91
3rd – Lizbeth Joseph – Triple Jump – 40-9.75
3rd – Sofia Mojica – Discus – 151-11
3rd – Dawn Hilton, Nimeesha Coleman, Isis Brooks, Ayanna Johnson – 4 x 100 Relay – 45.84
Men’s Day 3 Record Breakers
Liberty and ASUN All-Time Record – 4 x 100 – Letts, McClinton, Lyon, Griffin – 39.23
Previous Record: 39.38 by the same quartet at the UNF Invitational on April 30, 2022
Meet Record – 4 x 100 – Letts, McClinton, Lyon, Griffin – 39.23
Previous Record: 40.03 by Kennesaw State in 2019
Liberty, ASUN All-Time and Meet Record – 200 – Diamantae Griffin – 20.38
Previous Record: 20.56 by Donald McClinton on Thursday
Women’s Day 3 Record Breakers
ASUN All-Time Record – 100 – Isis Brooks – 11.35
Previous Record: 11.36 by Jacksonville’s Jacquelyn Baldwin at the ASUN Championship on May 13, 2017
Liberty Record – 100 – Isis Brooks – 11.35
Previous Record: 11.41 by Brooks at the Meet of Champions on April 16, 2022
Day 3 Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Men’s Top 10 List
4 x 100 – No. 1 – Letts, McClinton, Lyon, Griffin – 39.23
200 – No. 1 – Diamantae Griffin – 20.38
Shot Put – No. 6 – Kevin Nedrick – 60-3
Day 3 Updates to Liberty’s All-Time Women’s Top 10 List
100 – No. 1 – Isis Brooks – 11.35
200 – No. 2 – Isis Brooks – 23.50
Triple Jump – No. 5 – Lizbeth Joseph – 40-9.75
Discus – No. 5 – Annika Hantho – 160-3
4 x 100 – No. 6 – Hilton, Coleman, Brooks, Johnson – 45.84
Up Next
The NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet will take place May 25-28 in Bloomington, Ind. The meet will determine the qualifiers to the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The full list of NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round qualifiers will be announced on Thursday. Liberty anticipates sending more than 20 athletes to Indiana for the meet.
