Track team controls Open

In the first two days of competition at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center, Liberty’s track and field team posted 14 wins during the Liberty Open, Jan. 25 and 26.

Overall, Head Coach Brant Tolsma was pleased with the team’s effort.

“I think we made a step in the right direction,” Tolsma said.

Liberty’s first win of the meet came Friday in the 4×800-meter men’s relay. John Sherret, Trevor Hope, Cole Honeycutt and Paul Arslain posted an impressive time of 7:59.23, qualifying for the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) Indoor Track and Field Championship, which will take place in March.

Senior Shelley Parker, a two-time Big South champion, also competed Friday, recording a second place finish in women’s pole vault. She cleared 11-3.75, which places her in a tie for second in the conference this season.

“This week, I was just trying to build up my confidence and get some good training in for conference,” Parker said. “I’m just trying to improve from week to week.”

Freshman Erika Jackson also recorded an impressive second place finish Friday night in the pentathlon.

The Flames continued their success in the Liberty Open Saturday, as 13 of the team’s 14 wins came on the second day of competition.

Redshirt senior Ryan Smith proved to be a force in the throwing events Saturday, sweeping the weight throw and shot put. He achieved a personal best with his 64-4 mark in the weight throw. The throw currently ranks No. 21 nationally. Smith also threw for 54-11.5 in the shot put.

“I felt like I was technically correct and doing the things I was supposed to be doing, and later in the season that’ll pay off,” Smith said about his performance.

Liberty proved to be dominant in other field events as well. The Flames took three of the top four places in the long jump, with Tarell Williams coming out on top. He jumped to 23-3.25 and set a personal record as he qualified for the IC4A championship.

Walt Aikens, a two-sport athlete who played football for Liberty this year, had an impressive showing in the event as well, tying for second place. He also qualified for the IC4A championship. Aikens tied for second in the high jump as well, clearing a height of 6-6.25.

Aikens’ two events were the first he had ever competed in as a college athlete.

“It’s my first meet in four years, and it’s a new experience. It takes some getting used to,” Aikens said. “Coach Tolsma is a great coach. He’s been working with me, so I’ll be able to really get where I’m supposed to be.”

The Lady Flames also put up impressive scores in the field. Janae Jones and Melissa Rohwer took first and second places in the triple jump, sailing to 39-9.75 and 39-2.5, respectively. Rohwer’s mark qualified her for the Eastern College Athletic Championship for the first time this season.

Rohwer also had a first place finish in the long jump.

On the running side of the meet, Jared Cornfield picked up a victory in the 1,000-meter run. His time of 2:29.76 qualified him for the IC4A meet for the first time this season.

Leonard Robbins also recorded a victory in the 400-meter dash for Liberty, posting a time of 50.09 seconds.

In the 500-meter dash, Arslain claimed his first individual victory and second overall victory of the meet.

Robbins, Arslain, ConRoy Smith and Kyle Gill teamed up to win the 4×400-meter relay in the final men’s event of the meet. The team held off cross-town foe Lynchburg College to win with a time of 3:23.81. Sophomore runner Abigail Flower posted two event victories for the Lady Flames in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, with times of 7.65 seconds and 25.42 seconds, respectively.

Mary Echols won the 400 for the Lady Flames, with a time of 59.12 seconds.

Liberty finished off the meet in striking fashion with a victory in the last event, the women’s 4×400-meter relay, posting a time almost 10 seconds better than their nearest competitor.

“I’m pleased with the progress the team made from last weekend,” Tolsma said. “I hope we can continue to make another good step.”

In addition to Liberty’s student athletes, Liberty alumni Kolby Shepherd and Anthony Bryant also made their mark this weekend.

Shepherd, now a volunteer assistant coach for Liberty, competed unattached in the men’s pole vault and set a new home record, clearing 17-feet-7-inches. He came up just short of qualifying for the USA track and field championship.

“If I can jump high enough and get sponsors, I’d like to keep going,” Shepherd said.

He hopes to clear 18-feet-0.5-inches — the USA championship-qualifying mark — soon, and said that he will continue to compete unattached in meets this year.

Meanwhile, Bryant set a new meet record as he sailed to 52 -feet-0.5-inches in the men’s triple jump.

Liberty will travel to University Park, Pa., this weekend to compete in the team-scored Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup, hosted by Penn State.