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Shining in the ASUN

June 12, 2019

It was a glorious first season for Liberty University’s 17 NCAA Division I athletics programs that competed in the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference in 2018-19. The newcomers established themselves as contenders, if not favorites, in nearly every sport, while reflecting the light of Christ on their respective playing fields and keeping their eyes on the prize for conference championships.

“Liberty teams and student-athletes have thrived during our inaugural year in the ASUN conference,” said Ian McCaw, Liberty’s director of athletics. “The ASUN competition is exceptional, and our programs were able to raise their level of performance to achieve considerable success.”

Liberty had a banner year in its ASUN debut, winning six championship titles. The year was highlighted by the men’s basketball team’s upset of defending champion Lipscomb in the ASUN Championship game. The Flames and Lady Flames track & field teams swept at both the indoor and the outdoor ASUN Championships. The baseball team rallied to beat defending tournament champion Stetson University.

The women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, men’s golf, and men’s and women’s cross country teams finished as champion runners-up. The women’s tennis team also shared a regular season title with North Florida.

Liberty Director of Athletics Ian McCaw, President Jerry Falwell and his wife, Becki, hold the ASUN All-Sports Award trophies at a ceremony in Savannah, Ga., on May 29.

Liberty Athletics continued its run of success when it captured the Bill Bibb Trophy, which honors the ASUN program with the best overall showings in all of the conference’s sports.

Here is a glance at how all 17 of Liberty’s Athletics teams that compete in the ASUN performed in their inaugural season.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Flames won a program-record 29 games, headlined by the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, a first-round triumph over Mississippi State. Liberty captured the ASUN Tournament title after sharing the regular-season championship with Lipscomb at 14-2. Ritchie McKay was honored as Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Liberty won 12 of its final 16 games, advancing to the ASUN Tournament title game during its first season of conference play. The Lady Flames finished 10-6 in ASUN contests, recording 10 or more conference wins for the 20th straight year.

SOFTBALL

The Lady Flames went 16-5 in conference play, placing runner-up to Lipscomb University in the ASUN regular season standings. They were ousted in the semifinals of the ASUN Tournament but went on to win the second National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) Regional tournament. The team advanced to the NISC Championship, where it fell to Iowa State. Seniors Jaclyn Amader and Julia DiMartino were named to the ASUN Softball Championship All-Tournament Team.

BASEBALL

The Flames beat defending champion Stetson University 4-3 for the ASUN championship and the conference’s automatic bid to a 2019 NCAA Regional. Catcher Jonathan Embry was named the 2019 ASUN Baseball Championship MVP and was joined by outfielder Gray Betts, pitcher Andrew McInvale, shortstop Cam Locklear, and outfielder Brandon Rohrer on the 2019 ASUN All-Tournament team.

VOLLEYBALL

The Lady Flames posted a 10-6 ASUN record and reached the ASUN Tournament semifinals during their first season of conference play. Liberty was led by first team All-ASUN right-side hitter Casey Goodwin (309 kills, 40 aces), who was invited to try out for the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team.

MEN’S GOLF

The No. 22-ranked Flames finished runner-up to No. 14 North Florida at the ASUN Championships. They earned their second NCAA National Championship bid in program history by placing fifth in regional competition. The team tied for 20th place with UNLV at nationals, with senior Gabe Lench advancing to the
final round.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Liberty won a program-record 14 games on its way to the ASUN Championship final during its first season in the
conference. It marked the Lady Flames’ second conference tournament final appearance in program history, and they narrowly missed their first NCAA Division I tournament bid with a 20-18 loss to two-time defending ASUN Tournament champion Jacksonville.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Liberty placed second in its first ASUN Cross Country Championships appearance. The Flames went on to record a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships, marking their highest regional finish since 2008. Azaria Kirwa qualified to the NCAA national meet for the second straight year.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

The Lady Flames were the runners-up during their inaugural ASUN Cross Country Championships appearance. Their 13th-place effort at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships represented their best regional showing since 2010.

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

The Flames captured their 22nd straight conference title, halting Kennesaw State’s run of seven consecutive ASUN championships. Alejandro Perlaza Zapata earned All-America honors after placing sixth in the 400 final at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships and was named the ASUN Outstanding Men’s Track Performer for both the indoor and outdoor championships.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Liberty won the ASUN team title, handing Jacksonville only its second defeat in meet history and recording the Lady Flames’ fourth consecutive conference championship overall. Liberty also hoisted the team champion trophy at the ECAC Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships for the second straight year.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

The Lady Flames crafted a 6-1 conference record, earning a share of the ASUN regular-season championship. Liberty, which went 15-7 overall, appeared in the conference tournament semifinals for the seventh consecutive season.

MEN’S TENNIS

Led by the ASUN Player of the Year (nationally-ranked Nicaise Muamba), Liberty went 6-1 in conference play. The Flames earned the ASUN Tournament’s No. 2 seed and appeared in the semifinal round of a conference tournament for the first time since 2016.

MEN’S SOCCER

Liberty finished 7-7-1 during Jeff Alder’s 19th and final season as head coach, qualifying for the ASUN Tournament. The Flames ranked No. 10 nationally with 2.13 goals per game, and leading scorer Kevin Mendoza was selected by Los Angeles FC in the MLS SuperDraft.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Liberty tied for third place in the ASUN standings with a 5-3 conference record, and the Lady Flames were the only ASUN team to defeat conference champion Lipscomb. Liberty’s inaugural season of ASUN competition ended in the quarterfinals following five victories in the team’s final seven games.

WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

The Lady Flames claimed their fifth consecutive outdoor conference championship after winning the past four in the Big South. The team won nine of 21 events to oust two-time defending ASUN champion Kennesaw State by a 260.5-170 margin. Eight Lady Flames qualified for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Meet where Chelsea Igberaese (discus) and the 4 x 400 relay team of Tanner Ealum, Ty’Asia Dansbury, Delaney McDowell, and Cortney Dowling advanced to the nationals in Austin.

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

The Flames won 11 of 21 events to pull away from six-time defending champion Kennesaw State by a 241-195 margin for their 13th straight outdoor conference crown. The team went on to compete in nine events at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Meet, with Azaria Kirwa (5K, 10K), Alejandro Perlaza Zapata (400), Denzel Pratt (javelin), and Felix Kandie (steeplechase) punching their tickets to the national championships in Austin, Texas, starting June 5.

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