Liberty University athletes achieved notable results on April 25 during the final day of the 130th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, with Gilles Ouedraogo winning the men’s triple jump and setting a new program record.
The performances came despite cool, rainy, and windy weather. The event highlighted Liberty’s continued success at one of the oldest track meets in the country, demonstrating strong showings across multiple disciplines.
Ouedraogo’s single attempt in the triple jump measured a wind-legal 52 feet, 4.5 inches. This leap not only secured him first place by a full foot but also broke Clarence Powell’s previous school outdoor record of 52-1.25 set in May 2010. Ouedraogo now holds both Liberty’s indoor (53-1) and outdoor (52-4.5) triple jump records.
Other top finishes included Ben Shughart taking second place in the men’s javelin championship section with a throw of 218 feet, six inches—just four feet behind Army’s Collin Torres—and Christian Hicks finishing third in men’s discus at 190-2. On the women’s side, Isabella Frattura placed third in championship javelin with a mark of 156-4 after two prior top-ten high school finishes at this meet.
Liberty concluded three days at Penn Relays with two new program records—Ouedraogo’s triple jump and Allie Zealand’s women’s 5K time—and three event victories including Zealand and Trevor Veenstra (men’s discus college section). Looking ahead, Liberty plans to compete next at twilight meets hosted by University of Lynchburg on May 2 and Duke University on May 3.
