Liberty Qualifies to Eugene in 3 Events on Fantastic Friday

Liberty added six members to its travel party to Eugene for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships on a fantastic Friday at the Robert C. Haugh Complex. The Flames’ qualifiers from day three of the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet included Kevin Nedrick (men’s discus), Kennedy Sauder (men’s high jump) and the men’s 4 x 100 relay quartet of Brandon Letts, Donald McClinton, Christian Lyon and Diamantae Griffin.

Nedrick got things started in the afternoon’s first event, the men’s discus. The first-year Flame threw 183-1 on his second of three attempts to move into the top 12. That mark held up for 11^th place among the event’s 12 Eugene qualifiers, and Nedrick became the first Flame to advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the men’s discus since John Talbert in 2009.

The Westmoreland, Jamaica native will be the first ASUN Conference athlete ever to compete in the men’s discus at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He will do so at 8:35 p.m. Eastern on June 10.

An indoor high jump All-American this season, Sauder had some anxious moments as he attempted to qualify to Eugene. The freshman from Lauderhill, Fla., needed a third attempt to clear 6-10.75. Sauder then followed up that clutch make with a first-attempt clearance at 7-0.5, which turned out to be enough to punch his NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships ticket.

One of only two freshmen among the men’s high jump’s 24 Eugene qualifiers from the East and West Regions, Sauder will be the first Flame to high jump at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships since Matt Parker in 2009. Sauder’s high jump competition in Eugene will get started at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on June 10.

The 4 x 100 relay squad of Letts, McClinton, Lyon and Griffin has been making history all season long, breaking the Liberty and ASUN Conference records five times. But their most important and impressive performance to date happened on Friday. Capped off by a blazing anchor leg from Griffin, the Flames nearly won their quarterfinal heat in 39.38 seconds. Despite being edged by North Carolina A&T’s winning time of 39.37, the Flames grabbed the second of three automatic qualifying spots to Eugene from their section.

Liberty’s 4 x 100 time was the ninth fastest among the 12 Eugene qualifiers from Bloomington on Friday. The Flames become the first men’s relay squad in Liberty and ASUN Conference history ever to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Liberty will race in the national semifinals at 7:32 p.m. Eastern on June 8, live on ESPNU.

Liberty’s six men’s qualifiers to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships are the most men’s national qualifiers in program history, eclipsing the previous standard of four. The Flames’ seven total qualifiers at this point in the meet (also including Ayanna Johnson in the women’s long jump) are Liberty’s second most ever, trailing only the nine individuals who qualified to the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Two-time steeplechase All-American Felix Kandie fell just shy of returning to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships for a third time. His 8:45.30 clocking was good for fifth place in his heat and 15^th overall. That left Kandie three places and 3.14 seconds away from qualifying to Eugene.

Ryan Drew closed out the Flames’ day of competition and his collegiate career in the men’s 5K Friday evening. He posted a time of 13:49.61 for eighth place in his heat and 17^th overall. It marked the second straight year Drew has placed in the top 20 of the men’s 5K at this meet.

Men’s NCAA National Qualifiers

Kevin Nedrick – Discus – 183-1

Kennedy Sauder – High Jump – 7-0.5

Brandon Letts, Donald McClinton, Christian Lyon, Diamantae Griffin – Men’s 4 x 100 Relay – 39.38

Up Next

The meet will conclude on Saturday. Isis Brooks will be Liberty’s lone competitor, racing in the women’s 100 dash quarterfinals at 6:35 p.m. with a trip to Eugene on the line.

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