Lady Flames seniors conclude careers as scoring leaders
Sadalia Ellis
Liberty’s women’s basketball team graduated one of its most talented classes in recent history — five seniors who accounted for more than 4,000 points and nearly 3,000 rebounds in their careers. Ashley Rininger, the conference’s first-ever three-time Big South Conference (BSC) Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s basketball, scored a game-high 22 points in the BSC championship game. At the fifth annual Flamespy Awards, Rininger received the Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award, recognizing her as Liberty’s top graduating student-athlete. She earned the Flamespy for Best Female Athlete in 2015.
The Lady Flames (20-13) were also led by fellow forwards/centers Katelyn Adams and Catherine Kearney as well as guards Jaymee Fisher-Davis and Sadalia Ellis. Kearney and Ellis were selected to the BSC all-tournament team.
The Lady Flames lost in double overtime in the BSC championship to top-seeded UNC Asheville, 64-62. They went on to play in the WNIT Tournament against Villanova, falling 67-51.
Men’s and women’s track & field teams sweep championships
Steve Feister
Every time that Liberty has hosted the Big South Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, it has swept the men’s and women’s team titles. The Flames and Lady Flames did it for the eighth time May 10-12, each dominating runner-up Coastal Carolina by more than 100 points.
Steve Feister threw the javelin 234 feet, 11 inches to set the facility record and lead the men to their 10th straight crown and their 21st in the meet’s 23-year history.
Mychelle Cumings’ shot put victory of 49 feet, 6¼ inches helped the women defend their title. Cumings became the first female in Big South history to win the same event four times indoors and four times outdoors at the conference meet.
Fellow senior Erika Jackson led a 1-2-3 Liberty sweep in the heptathlon, defending her Big South title with a meet-record 4,921 points. The Lady Flames’ 1,600-meter relay team’s winning time of 3 minutes, 41.92 seconds also set a facility record, and senior Ansley Gebben established a new meet record in the women’s 800 (2:08.41). Rising junior Ednah Kurgat, who shattered the 20-year-old Big South 5,000-meter mark by nearly 38 seconds in 15:48.63 in April to qualify for the May 26-28 NCAA Division I East Preliminaries, became Liberty’s first women’s 10K Big South champion since 2011.
Brant Tolsma was honored as Big South Coach of the Year on the men’s side and shared the women’s honor with High Point’s Mike Esposito.
(UPDATE: Kurgat advanced to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships after a runner-up finish in her women’s 5K qualifier on Saturday, May 28.)
Golf team wins Big South, qualifies for NCAA Regionals
The third-seeded Liberty men’s golf team fended off charges from second-seeded Campbell and top-seeded Charleston Southern on April 19 to clinch its fourth Big South Conference (BCS) Men’s Golf Championship title in six seasons at the par 72, 7,120-yard Patriot Golf Club in Ninety Six, S.C., the site of the last nine championship events.
The Flames posted a winning score of 11-under par 853 (286-281-286), carding sub-par rounds each day of the three-day event, to win by 12 strokes over Campbell. It was their second-best total at a BSC Championship event and secured them an automatic bid to the May 16-18 NCAA Regionals in Albuquerque, N.M.
Liberty’s Isaiah Logue (70-69-70) finished tied with Winthrop’s Zach Seabolt (70-70-69) for runner-up honors at 7-under 209, which tied for Liberty’s second lowest individual total in championship history.
(UPDATE: The Liberty men’s golf team wrapped up its 2015-16 season by finishing play at the NCAA Albuquerque Regional in ninth place on Wednesday, May 18, after entering as the No. 11 seed.)
Matheson reaches new heights for tennis program
Men’s singles player Sam Matheson, a rising senior from New Zealand, has earned the highest national recognition for any Liberty tennis player. He became the first Flame in program history to qualify for the NCAA Division I men’s singles championship, set for May 25-30 in Tulsa, Okla. He also became Liberty’s first tennis player to make the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Top 125 national ranking and was ranked No. 93 in early May. He finished the spring regular season at 18-1 and broke the Flames’ record for overall victories (including fall play) with 28.
Sam Matheson
Liberty hosted the Big South men’s and women’s tennis championships for the first time, April 13-18 at the Cook Tennis Center.
The Lady Flames went 8-1 in regular-season conference play to earn the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. The team advanced to the championship match for the first time in program history, falling to second-seeded, No. 70-ranked Winthrop, 4-3 in a dramatic final.
The fifth-seeded men’s team ended its season with a 4-3 semifinal loss to top-seeded Coastal Carolina.
(UPDATE: Matheson (No. 93) dropped a 6-1, 6-3 match to No. 32 Wayne Montgomery of Georgia in the opening round of the singles draw at the 2016 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship on Wednesday, May 25.)
Women’s swimming & diving team takes second in conference meet
Hannah Wakeley
Liberty went 8-5 in dual meets this season, including 5-1 against Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) opponents. The Lady Flames, who defeated Texas Christian University (TCU) on Oct. 9 in Fort Worth, Texas, for their first win over a Big 12 opponent in program history, finished second out of 11 teams in the Feb. 17-20 CCSA Championships in Athens, Ga. Senior Kendall Hough capped her career by swimming a school-record time of 49.06 seconds in the 100 freestyle.
Liberty was honored with the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team Award, setting a program-record 3.47 team GPA during the Fall 2015 semester.
Cheerleading foursomes finish in top five at two national events
Two partner stunt groups from Liberty University’s cheerleading squad experienced an exceptional semester of competition at two separate national championships in Florida.
At the 2016 UCA College National Championship held Jan. 15-17 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., the team of Colby Hall, Kyle Minder, Cassidy Hall, and Laken Hendron placed second to North Carolina State in the Partner Stunt Girls “4” Championship. The Lady Flames’ other partner stunt group of Dani Blasini, Lizzie Edmondson, Chelsey O’Connell, and Matty Hogan finished sixth in the same competition, featured on ESPN3.
The same two groups placed in the top five at the National Group Stunt Competition of the April 7-9 NCA College National Championship, the most challenging competition of its kind in the country, held outdoors in Daytona Beach, Fla. The team of Blasini, O’Connell, Edmondson, and Hogan placed fourth, followed by Cassidy and Colby Hall, Minder, and Hendron, who came in fifth.
Flames Football will open 2016 season at Virginia Tech
Liberty’s 2016 football schedule features road games against two FBS powers — a season-opening, first-ever meeting with Virginia Tech, Sept. 3 in Blacksburg, Va., and a Sept. 17 showdown at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas.
The Flames’ home slate includes two games against 2015 NCAA FCS playoffs participants — Jacksonville State, the 2015 FCS national championship runner-up, on Sept. 24, and defending Big South Conference champion and FCS quarterfinalist Charleston Southern on Nov. 12.
Homecoming Weekend will be highlighted by an Oct. 22 rematch with conference foe Monmouth.
To purchase tickets, call 434-582-SEAT (7328).
2016 Flames Football
Sept. 3 at Virginia Tech, TBA
Sept. 10 Jacksonville, 7 p.m.
Sept. 17 at Southern Methodist, TBA
Sept. 24 Jacksonville State, 7 p.m.
Oct. 1 Robert Morris, 7 p.m.
Oct. 15 at Kennesaw State, TBA
Oct. 22 Monmouth, 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 29 Gardner-Webb, 3:30 p.m.
Nov. 5 at Presbyterian, TBA
Nov. 12 Charleston Southern, 3:30 p.m.
Nov. 17 at Coastal Carolina, TBA
Nov. 26-Jan. 7 NCAA FCS Playoffs
Lunsford, Woodrum, Peterson sign as free agents in the NFL
Peterson
Shortly after the conclusion of the April 28-30 NFL Draft, senior Flames Football standouts John Lunsford (kicker), Darrin Peterson (wide receiver), and Josh Woodrum (quarterback) each signed free agent contracts with NFL franchises.
Lunsford signed with the San Francisco 49ers, Peterson with the Chicago Bears, and Woodrum with the New York Giants, joining a roster that features former Flames’ All-American running back Rashad Jennings, who is entering his third season with the Giants.
Woodrum
Woodrum, a four-year starter and three-time All-Big South selection, finished his career as Liberty’s all-time leader in passing yards (10,266), completions (833), and attempts (1,304) and ranks second in Big South history with 10,690 total offensive yards.
Lunsford was a three-time All-American during his four years with the Flames and finished as the NCAA FCS career record holder with 12 field goals of 50 yards or longer, including a Big-South record 60-yarder in the Homecoming game against Richmond on Oct. 4, 2014. He is Liberty’s all-time leader in extra points made (150) and ranks second in field goals (48) and career scoring (294 points).
Lunsford
Woodrum and Lunsford were two of 22 FCS players invited to the Feb. 23-29 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ind.
Peterson was a three-time All-Big South selection, earning first-team honors during his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. He finished his career as Liberty’s all-time leader with 3,170 career receiving yards, 215 receptions, 27 receiving touchdowns, and 15 career 100-yard receiving games.
Paintball places third at NCPA Championships in Florida
Daniel Chiaverini
For the first time in four years, Liberty University’s paintball team reached the Final Four of the Class A division of the National Collegiate Paintball Association (NCPA) Championships, April 15-17 in Kissimmee, Fla. The Flames finished 3-2 overall, scoring wins over Navy (10-4), Miami (5-3), and Perdue (7-4 in the Ocho Finals) before being eliminated by eventual champion Texas A&M, which had dealt them their only previous loss.
“The tournament really tested our guys and gave them an opportunity to share their faith,” Flames Head Coach Brian Davidson said. “We prayed with every team we faced after every match and multiple teams came up to us and said they were refreshed by that — it’s something that’s not typical in a paintball match.”
Aanderud first Lady Flames soccer player to sign professionally
Brittany Aanderud
In February, Liberty senior Brittany Aanderud signed with Tierps IF, in Division I of the Swedish Club League, becoming the first Lady Flame in program history to compete professionally.
Aanderud concluded her collegiate career as Liberty’s and the Big South’s all-time leader in assists with 30, and she helped the Lady Flames capture two Big South Championships (2013, 2015) and a pair of regular-season titles (2014-15).
Liberty totaled 54 wins in Aanderud’s four years, making her class the winningest in program history. In 2013, Aanderud earned Big South Tournament MVP honors.
Baseball team battles in more than its share of one-run affairs
D.J. Artis
Of Liberty’s first 44 contests (through May 2), 20 were decided by one run, including 13 of its 22 defeats.
The Flames scored one-run wins at Duke (1-0 on Feb. 27) and at home against UNC Asheville (7-6 on March 24, the second game of a three-game Big South Conference-opening sweep) and Maryland (5-4 on April 5) before losing an April 20 rematch with the Blue Devils, 8-7. The Flames featured freshman outfielder D.J. Artis in the leadoff spot, who batted a team-high .381 with 65 hits, 48 walks, and 47 runs scored and has stolen 22 bases in 26 attempts (as of May 15).
Liberty played six games against ACC opponents — three against Duke, two against Virginia Tech (including a 22-7 triumph March 15 in Blacksburg, Va.), and one against defending NCAA Division I champion Virginia on May 3 at home, which drew a record turnout of 4,024 fans at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
The Flames also faced BSC rivals Coastal Carolina and reigning conference champion Radford eight times, six at home. The Flames swept Radford in a three-game home finale series over Commencement Weekend.
(UPDATE: The Flames became the first No. 7 seed to advance to the 2016 Big South Baseball Championships title game in the 15-year history of the eight-team tournament, winning their first three games over No. 2 High Point, No. 3 Longwood, and No. 4 Radford. Liberty, which won nine of its last 11 games, fell to the No. 1 seeded Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, 1-0, in the conference’s title game, narrowly missing the Big South’s NCAA Division I National Championships autobid.)
Softball team sets program record with 16 Big South wins
Rylee Reynolds
The Lady Flames (30-26, 16-8 Big South) capped the regular season with a three-game sweep of Gardner-Webb, April 29-30 at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium. That clinched their first 30-win season since 2011 and set a new program record for wins in Big South play.
Freshman pitcher Julia DiMartino tossed her second no-hitter, and first by a Lady Flames pitcher in Liberty Softball Stadium history, in the opener against the Runnin’ Bulldogs. The two-time BSC Pitcher of the Week tied Leslie Inge’s (1997) freshman mark of 16 wins and set a new freshman record with six shutouts and 174 strikeouts. Chandler Ball pitched a three-hit shutout, the seventh of her career, in the regular-season finale, bringing her career wins total to 44, tied for fifth at Liberty all-time.
With 12 freshmen and six sophomores on their 24-player roster, the Lady Flames have a solid foundation in place under third-year Head Coach Dot Richardson, who brought in the largest recruiting class in program history.
(UPDATE: Following a 4-0 victory over sixth-seeded Presbyterian, the No. 3 seed Lady Flames were eliminated by No. 4 seed Radford, 2-1, in the 2016 Big South Softball Championship tournament.)
Division I men’s hockey team joins Eastern States conference
Zak Hayes
Liberty’s ACHA Division I men’s hockey team, which has been independent since moving up from the Division II level in 2006, will join the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) this fall.
The Flames will join defending league champion Stony Brook and Delaware — two teams they faced four times each in recent seasons — as well as Rhode Island, Rutgers, and West Chester.
Liberty will host 23 games next season in the LaHaye Ice Center, which underwent major renovations last summer, doubling the seating capacity. The team will play a 20-game league schedule (plus 18 non-league games) — with two home and two away contests against ESCHL foes determining the regular-season champion and automatic ACHA DI National Championships bid. The ESCHL playoffs will take place in February.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to play for a conference championship,” Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “The league playoffs will give us a nationals-type setting before nationals to get in that mindset. It’s do-or-die. You win, you stay; you lose, you go home. So we’re looking forward to that.”
Lady Flames make fourth straight ACHA Final Four appearance
Lauren McDonald
Liberty’s DI women’s hockey team went unbeaten against ACHA competition during the regular season and maintained the No. 1 ranking for all four ACHA DI polls.
In the semifinal rematch of last year’s ACHA Division I Women’s Hockey National Championship game, the top-seeded, defending champion Lady Flames (23-4-1) battled second-seeded, 2014 champion Miami of Ohio (24-5-1), March 12 in Kalamazoo, Mich. Liberty tied the game late in the third period on a goal by Nikki McCombe before the RedHawks netted the game-winner in the final two minutes of overtime for a 3-2 upset.
The Lady Flames were led by senior forwards and team captains Carrie Jickling (28 goals, 24 assists) and Catharine Burrell (20G, 27A). Liberty’s defense was anchored by senior Brittany Hymers and two goalies — freshman Kelly Hutton (11-1, 1.53 goals-against average, 92.6 save percentage) and sophomore Rosie Kelly (10-0, 1.50 GAA, 90.6 SP), who ranked among the ACHA’s best.
Division II men reach first ACHA Championship final in 10 years
Liberty’s ACHA Division II men’s hockey team made its third consecutive trip to the National Championships and its first Final Four showing since 2006. The team lost to Florida Gulf Coast University, 4-1, in the March 22 championship game played in West Chester, Pa.
The Flames (30-4, ranked No. 1 in the South Region) had won three of four regular-season meetings with the second-ranked Eagles, who were appearing in their third straight championship final after losing the previous two.
Men’s lacrosse upsets Virginia Tech for Northwest Region title
Brett Bernardo
Senior midfielder Brett Bernardo netted five goals and senior attack Ryan Miller added four goals and three assists to lift Liberty’s men’s lacrosse team to a 15-7 regular-season-ending triumph over rival Virginia Tech on April 15. The Senior Night victory at the Liberty Lacrosse Field extended the Flames’ home winning streak to 23 games and clinched their second Northwest Region championship in three seasons competing at the MCLA Division I level.
The Flames (9-4, 4-0 in Northwest Region play) defeated South Carolina before being eliminated by second-ranked Georgia Tech in the April 23 semifinals of the SELC Division I Championships near Atlanta, narrowly missing their first MCLA DI Championships bid.
