Liberty Outdoor Track & Field sweeps men’s, women’s CUSA Championships

Liberty University’s Outdoor Track & Field program punctuated its inaugural season of Conference USA membership by sweeping the men’s and women’s team titles at the CUSA Championships on Sunday at the University of Texas El Paso’s Kidd Field. The Flames’ and Lady Flames claimed four event titles and set two new program records on the final day of the three-day meet, headlined by Omari Lewis’ wind-aided 9.88-second championship run in the men’s 100 meters, the fastest time in the world so far in 2024 (all-conditions).

The Liberty men’s squad totaled 195 points over the weekend, putting the Flames 34 points clear of runner-up host UTEP. They extended the nation’s longest active NCAA Division I outdoor track & field championship streak to 17, now spanning three conferences (Big South – 2007-18, ASUN – 2019, 2021-23 and CUSA – 2024).

The Lady Flames completed the title sweep by racking up 177.7 points and defeating the second-place Miners (138) by nearly 40 points. Liberty is the first CUSA newcomer to take home the outdoor track & field team trophy since Western Kentucky in 2015 and the first CUSA school to sweep the women’s indoor and outdoor titles since UTEP in 2017.

After previously winning the CUSA men’s and women’s indoor team championships at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex in February, Liberty becomes the second CUSA member (also Houston in 1998 and 2005) to capture all four CUSA track & field crowns in one year.

Lance Bingham was voted the CUSA Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year, increasing his career conference Coach of the Year count to 14.

Liberty finished the meet with 12 first-place finishes, including Sunday’s victories by Lewis (men’s 100 – 9.88), Kyle Harkabus (men’s 1,500 – 3:55.06), Calli Doan (women’s 5,000 – 16:39.39) and Katelyn Locker (women’s 800 – 2:08.54). Lewis and Indea Cartwright (women’s 100 hurdles – 13.11) each improved their own program records on Sunday, going along with Addilae Watts’ women’s javelin record of 161-8 from Friday.

The NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet is set for May 22-25 at the UK Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Ky., where more than 20 Liberty student-athletes will compete.

Read the complete story on the Liberty Athletics website.