Running the race: Flames cross country dominates against Lynchburg Hornets

For the first time since 2022, the Flames played host in their own cross country meet.

On the evening of Aug. 30, Liberty University hosted its first home cross country meet since the last Liberty Challenge in 2022. During this challenge, the women’s team was tasked with a 4K race, and the men a 6K race. The Flames were prepared to face both Lynchburg University and Radford University, but their only opponent ended up being the Lynchburg Hornets. 

It was a tight race at the beginning of the women’s 4K, with several Lady Flames and Lynchburg runners battling it out for first. One Lady Hornet, junior Kayla Werner, managed to break away for a little while, but it wasn’t long before Lady Flames redshirt senior Adelyn Fairley and freshman Allie Zealand caught up to her and stole first and second place with times of 14:42.8 and 14:43.8, respectively.

All eyes were on Fairley, who is in her final cross country season this year, as well as Zealand, who’s coming hot off an appearance at the World Cross Country Championship. Zealand is projected to be one of the team’s fiercest assets and one of Fairley’s biggest and toughest competitors this year as a freshman. 

“I don’t really feel any pressure,” Zealand said. “I’ve been healthy so far, and I know I can only do as much as I can. … I’m just really happy to be here and be a part of the team; I’ve been dreaming of being here for so long.” 

Zealand also has the unique opportunity to team with her cousin, junior Jessie Zealand, and have her mother, Heather Zealand, as one of her coaches. 

“It’s so special to have it be a part of the family,” Zealand said. “Of course, to have my mom as a coach, I’ve looked up to her for so long, so it’s really cool to now be doing this with her.”

After the women’s race wrapped up, it was the men’s turn to step up to the starting line. This year’s men’s team features five All-CUSA performers, including seniors Nicholas Kiprotich, Nathan Moore and Jack Cottrell; redshirt senior Kyle Harkabus; and redshirt junior Will Jefferson. It was tight for the first few hundred yards, but then Kiprotich turned on the wheels, and he ran away with the win. 

The team took home the first, second, third and fourth place finishes in the 6K race that evening, with Kiprotich in first (19:04.8), redshirt sophomore Tristian Merchant in second (19:06.1), Harkabus in third (19:29.9) and Moore in fourth (19:45.2).

Kiprotich, fresh off an appearance at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, is looking to be the team’s top performer for this season, and this race’s result bodes well in his favor. There was no team scoring at this event, but if there was, the Flames would’ve had a perfect score in the men’s race. 

Both the Flames and Lady Flames are looking to challenge Middle Tennessee, the reigning Conference USA champs, this year, and Liberty believes that it has a chance to bring home the university’s first conference title. The Flames have been stuck in the shadow of the Blue Raiders for the majority of their 10-year history in the conference, finishing as the runner-up to Middle Tennessee multiple times, but they believe this season is their chance to challenge them.

Both the men’s and women’s teams were voted to take second place in this season’s CUSA cross country preseason poll, edged out by Middle Tennessee both times. The Blue Raiders beat the Flames by two votes and the Lady Flames by four.

“The focus this year for our team is purpose,” Head Coach Isaac Wendland said. “We want to focus on a conference title, but we’re really focused on the primary goal of this program, which is to glorify God. And if we can accomplish that, then everything else kind of takes care of itself.”

The Flames and Lady Flames will be back in action Sept. 20, when they will compete in the Adidas Cross Country Challenge hosted by NC State.

Schlösser is a sports reporter.