The Liberty men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams will conclude their regular season with two consecutive meets in Lynchburg, starting with The Hill City Twilight at the University of Lynchburg on Saturday, Apr. 30.
The meet at Dr. Jack M. Toms Track is scheduled for Saturday afternoon and evening, focusing mainly on distance events. Coverage of the event will be available on FloTrack, and live results can be accessed through Blue Ridge Timing.
Weather forecasts indicate a cool and damp day in Lynchburg, with possible rain showers and high temperatures expected to remain in the 50s. Several Liberty athletes are aiming to secure qualification for the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet as the regular season nears its end. The top 48 declared athletes in each individual event advance to this stage, with some Liberty entries currently close to that threshold.
Recent performances have seen Liberty set five records during its previous appearances at The Hill City Twilight in 2024 and 2025. Notable achievements include Kyle Harkabus’s facility-record time of 3:40.78 in the men’s 1,500 meters two years ago and Allie Zealand’s freshman record of 2:07.31 in last year’s women’s 800 meters.
During the first six weekends of the current outdoor season, Liberty athletes have broken program records in eight different events. Freshman Isabella Frattura has twice surpassed the women’s javelin mark this year.
Looking ahead, several Flames and Lady Flames lead Conference USA rankings as they approach next month’s conference championships at Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium from May 14-16 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Athletes who qualify based on historical results are expected to compete at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet from May 27-30 at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Facility in Lexington.
Events such as heptathlon and decathlon bypass this preliminary round; instead, only the nation’s top-24 competitors qualify directly for nationals held June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon. Currently ranked No.23 nationally is Patasha Bryan for heptathlon—a notable position given that no Liberty athlete has qualified for nationals in these multi-events since Danielle McNaney (heptathlon) in 2005 or Markus Ballengee (decathlon) in 2018.
Liberty will wrap up its regular season next Wednesday by hosting its only home outdoor meet—the Liberty Twilight Qualifier—at Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex.
