Liberty Sweeps Team, Individual Titles at VT Alumni Invitational

Liberty’s first road meet of the 2022 cross country season was a roaring success, Friday evening at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational. The Flames and Lady Flames swept the men’s and women’s team and individual championships, with Nicholas Kiprotich and Calli Doan crossing the line first in the men’s 8K and women’s 6K, respectively, at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course.

Making his Liberty cross country debut, Kiprotich won the men’s 8K by 23.9 seconds with his time of 24:11.0. He became the Flames’ first individual cross country champion since Felix Kandie captured the FGCU Invitational title on Sept. 7, 2019. That meet also marked the Liberty men’s squad’s most recent first-place team finish prior to Friday’s 18-point victory (30-48) over runner-up ETSU atop the nine-team men’s field.

All-American Doan made it back-to-back first-place finishes to begin her final cross country season. Her 20:59.1 clocking won the women’s 6K by 10.3 seconds. Doan was joined near the front by freshmen Kayla Werner (third place, 21:16.5) and Ava Gordon (fourth, 21:27.8) as the Lady Flames successfully defended their crown from last year’s Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational. Liberty’s final score of 30 put the Lady Flames 14 points ahead of the host Hokies.

Women’s Team Results (10 Total Teams):

1) Liberty – 30

2) Virginia Tech – 44

3) High Point – 87

4) James Madison – 101

5) Marshall – 130

Men’s Team Results (9 Total Teams):

1) Liberty – 30

2) ETSU – 48

3) Virginia Tech – 50

4) High Point – 103

5) Augusta – 127

Women’s 6K Individual Results (117 Total Finishers):

1) Calli Doan, Liberty – 20:59.1

2) Lindsey Ickes, High Point – 21:09.4

3) Kayla Werner, Liberty – 21:16.5

4) Ava Gordon, Liberty – 21:27.8

5) Cheyenne Leatham, Virginia Tech – 21:34.4

10) Anna Hostetler, Liberty – 21:59.0

12) Marie Hostetler, Liberty – 22:09.5

16) Katrina Schlenker, Liberty – 22:25.6

17) Katie Sigerud, Liberty – 22:27.8

25) Jessica Palisca, Liberty – 22:43.1

26) Kristiana Young, Liberty – 22:46.4

33) Catherine Farrell, Liberty – 23:13.3

41) Hope Carr, Liberty – 23:40.2

44) Summer Bejarano, Liberty – 23:47.6

45) Jessie Zealand, Liberty – 23:49.2

67) Grace Ervi, Liberty – 24:43.5

77) Samantha Troup, Liberty – 25:01.5

79) Leigh Anne Tannar, Liberty – 25:05.9

80) Liz Brower, Liberty – 25:06.9

89) Ruth Tanui, Liberty – 25:20.5

90) Rebecca Brown, Liberty – 25:25.1

95) Mackenzie Foy, Liberty – 25:46.3

103) Rebekah Simmons, Liberty – 26:42.5

Men’s 8K Individual Results (120 Total Finishers):

1) Nicholas Kiprotich, Liberty – 24:11.0

2) Antonio Lopez Segura, Virginia Tech – 24:34.9

3) Dallin Leatham, Unattached – 24:37.0

4) Ryan Drew, Unattached – 25:01.8

5) Evan Guzman, ETSU – 25:04.1

6) Jacob Hess, Liberty – 25:05.8

9) Kyle Harkabus, Liberty – 25:13.8

10) Caleb Olson, Liberty – 25:14.7

12) Will Jefferson, Liberty – 25:22.5

18) Jack Cottrell, Liberty – 25:28.7

49) Jeremiah Mussmon, Liberty – 26:32.0

Race Reactions

• The Liberty men’s squad entered Friday’s meet ranked No. 14 in the Southeast Region. The Flames topped both ETSU (No. 8 in the South Region) and Virginia Tech (No. 10 in the Southeast Region) to claim the title.
• A transfer from Iowa Western Community College, Kiprotich has now won both of his races this season. He was the Liberty Challenge men’s 6K champion while competing unattached.
• The Flames’ No. 2 runner on Friday was also making his Liberty cross country debut. Freshman Jacob Hess came in sixth in the men’s 8K in 25:05.8, making him the fastest freshman in the field.
• The Lady Flames, ranked No. 5 in the Southeast Region, took down three other ranked teams from the Southeast, including Virginia Tech (No. 9), High Point (No. 14) and Radford (No. 15).
• Doan’s individual victory was her second of the season and the fourth of her collegiate cross country career.
• Werner and Gordon were the first two women’s freshmen to finish on Friday. For Gordon, it marked her first time wearing a Liberty uniform. Competing unattached, she had finished second to Doan at the Liberty Challenge.
• Five of the Lady Flames’ top eight finishers were freshmen, also including Katrina Schlenker (16^th), Katie Sigerud (17^th) and Jessica Palisca (25^th). Palisca was competing not far from her hometown of Roanoke, Va.

Up Next

Liberty will compete in two different meets on Sept. 30. The Flames’ top men’s and women’s runners will travel to Notre Dame, Ind., for the Joe Piane Invitational. Another group of Lady Flames will race in the Paul Short Run in Bethlehem, Pa.