Liberty kickoff garners loads of medals

Eight Liberty athletes qualified for the IC4A’s with their weekend performances

Liberty University track and field team kicked off their 2011-12 season at the Tolsma Indoor Track by taking 10 total event victories and registering 13 IC4A-qualifying performances.

Flames athletes knocked off competitors from Wake Forest, UVA, Virginia Tech, Radford, High Point and other Big South schools.

Head coach Brant Tolsma had high expectations for his team this weekend.

“On the men’s side we just (wanted) to keep doing what we’ve been doing. We’d like to keep dominating the Big South, contending in the IC4A and getting athletes to the National Championship,” Tolsma said.

“We’d like to climb in the ECAC and we’d like to start getting athletes to the Nationals there as well.”

Lady Flames throwers Mychelle Cumings (shot) and Jocelyn Williams (weight) both made quality stamps for the women’s program, marking Liberty records for each of their events respectively (Cumings, 45-1, Williams 56-8.5).

Tolsma believes that his team this year has improved in more than just athleticism.

“We have an improved attitude on the team this year,” Tolsma said. “It’s been a lot of fun this fall preparing and seeing how hard everybody’s working so we’re looking forward to good things.”

Liberty thrower Ryan Smith out-tossed Virginia man Thomas Fuson by three-and-a-half feet to finish first in shotput. Senior Isaac Wendland placed first in the men’s 3K, just in front of teammate, freshman Jacob Onifer.

Jennifer Klugh paced the women in the 5K race and Taylor Courtney beat the 500 meter crowd.

Conditioning has been a factor for Liberty in the past but Tolsma feels that his team is as prepared as they can be for the upcoming season.

“This time of year we don’t want to be in peak shape, but we’ve worked hard all fall.”

As far as the season goes, Tolsma has no doubts that his team will be able to compete at a very high level.

“We’re pretty well prepared, we’ve done this a lot of years,” Tolsma said.

Liberty track and field has a full schedule this season with meets like the Hokie Invitational in January and the Coastal Carolina Invitational in March.