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Name Event Yr. Ht. Hometown/HighSchool (Previous School)

Mia Aghaji Jumps/Hurdles Fr. 5-9 Chester, Va./Matoaca HS

Danielle Aitken Distance Fr. 5-4 Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin HS

Kati Albright Distance Fr. 5-6 Wake Forest, N.C./Home Schooled

Andrea Beckles Sprints Jr. 5-5 Lynchburg, Va./Liberty Christian Academy

Dacia Bushman Distance Fr. 5-6 Castalia, Iowa/Home Schooled

Rod’Esther Castor Mid-distance Fr. 5-6 Hamilton, N.J./Steinert HS

Cimber Cummings Pole Vault So. 5-8 Athens, Ga./Athens Christian

Kristen Dalton Javelin Jr. 5-2 Wanchese, N.C./Manteo HS (High Point)

Elizabeth DeCastro Jumps Fr. 5-4 Milford, Del./Cape Henlopen HS

Danielle Fortune Javelin Fr. 5-7 Goode, Va.

Chenoa Freeman Sprints So. 5-4 Lincoln, Del./Christian Tabernacle Academy

Emily Funderburke Pole Vault Jr. 5-7 Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland HS

JoEllyn Graham Hurdles R-So. 5-6 Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy of Louisville (Louisville)

Jennifer Healey Heptathlon Fr. 5-6 Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam HS

Brittany Heath Sprints So. 5-5 Freeport, Grand Bahamas/Sunland Baptist Academy

Sheronica Henton Heptathlon So. 5-3 Raeford, N.C./Hoke HS

Charlene Hibbert Sprints/Jumps Sr. 5-8 Mississauga, Ontario/Lorne Park Secondary

Rachel Houseknecht Hurdles/PV Fr. 5-5 Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville HS

Erin Hudson Pole Vault So. 5-6 Whitacre, Va./James Wood HS

Carol Jefferson Distance Sr. 5-7 Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS

Melissa Martens* Distance So. 5-2 Baraboo, Wis./Sauk Prairie HS (Wisconsin-Whitewater)

Krystle Matthews Heptathlon Fr. 5-7 Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek HS

Chelaine McCarty High Jump So. 6-2 Houston, Ala./Addison HS (Auburn)

Nicole Miglis Mid-distance Fr. 5-11 South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield HS

Piper Newby Distance Sr. 5-5 Hayden Lake, Idaho/Coeur d’ Alene HS

Tristyn Olson High Jump Fr. 5-7 Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley HS

Ashley Osborne Distance Jr. 5-2 Bristol, Va./John S. Battle HS

Rebekah Ricksecker Mid-distance Jr. 5-7 Laurel, Del./Sussex Technical HS

Sarah Roberts Mid-distance Sr. 5-6 Zieglerville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS

Shekina Sims Throws Fr. 5-4 Midlothian, Va./Manchester HS

Ashley Teer Mid-distance So. 5-5 Abbotsford, British Columbia/W.J. Mouat Secondary

Rachel Valliere Distance Sr. 5-5 San Luis Obispo, Calif./San Luis Obispo HS (Cal Poly)

Jaime Watson Mid-distance Jr. 5-6 Ravenna, Mich./Allendale HS

Marie Williams Heptathlon Sr. 5-9 Tampa, Fla./The Cambridge School

Richlyn Yond Distance Jr. 5-3 Dumfries, Va./Forest Park HS

* - Completing a year in residence at Liberty

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WOMEN’S OUTLOOK

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For the first time since 2004,Liberty enters the season as thedefending Big South Women’s OutdoorTrack & Field Champion. The LadyFlames, competing on their home trackat the Matthes-Hopkins TrackComplex, held off perennial conferencepower Coastal Carolina to win the 2007title by 13.5 points.

Many key components from thechampionship squad, including fivepast Big South individual event titlists(Carol Jefferson, Piper Newby,Rebekah Ricksecker, Jamie Watsonand Marie Williams), return for the2008 campaign.

Add to the returnees a sizable andtalented crop of newcomers, and theLady Flames figure to be in the confer-ence title hunt once again. Head coachBrant Tolsma, in his 22nd season atLiberty, is guarded in his optimism,though.

“We didn’t graduate a lot from lastyear’s team, but we lost a couple keyathletes,” Tolsma observed. “So, we’rein a sort of rebuilding mode.”

The biggest loss from the 2007Lady Flames is heptathlete ArleneZelinskas. She graduated after winningthree events at the Big South outdoormeet (400 hurdles, high jump, 4 x 100relay) and claiming a pair of runner-upfinishes (100 hurdles, long jump). So,Liberty will need to compensate for herpoint-scoring ability somehow.

“If we’re going to have a strongteam this year,” stated Tolsma, “weneed a major contribution from ournewcomers.”

The team’s potential impact new-comers include mid-distance/distanceperformers Kati Albright, DaciaBushman and Rachel Valliere, all ofwhom helped the Lady Flames repeatas Big South Cross Country Champ-ions this past fall. Jumper Mia Aghajiand hurdler Rachel Houseknecht alsopossess considerable potential in theirrespective disciplines.

Jefferson is the lone member ofthe Liberty roster who has competed ina national meet. She ran the 10,000meters at last season’s NCAA DivisionI Outdoor Track & Field Champ-ion-ships. Now a senior, the 10-time All-BigSouth performer hopes to return to thenational meet. Fellow seniors Charlene

Hibbert and Newby and junior Watsonare other Lady Flames who could com-pete for a national meet berth as well.

Sprints

Hibbert, Watson, junior AndreaBeckles and sophomore ChenoaFreeman will form the heart of an expe-rienced sprint corps, leading Tolsma toremark, “We’re hoping for some goodthings from the sprints this year.”

Hibbert placed fourth at 200meters at the Big South outdoor meet,running a personal-best 24.27. A versa-tile athlete, the Canadian looks to closeout her Liberty career with a strongseason.

Watson, a mid-distance specialist,has shown considerable ability at the400-meter distance as well.

Beckles is the team’s most naturalperformer in the short sprints. She setthe Liberty 60-meter dash record lastseason, clocking 7.62, and was the BigSouth 100-meter dash runner-up.

Freeman’s specialty as a fresh-man was the 400-meter dash. Sheplaced fourth in the event at both theBig South indoor and outdoor champi-onships.

Williams, a senior multi-event spe-cialist, should also contribute in thesprinting events. She split 56 secondsduring a 4 x 400 relay last season.

Speaking of relays, the LadyFlames set school records in both out-door sprint relays in 2007, clocking45.95 for the 4 x 100 and 3:41.00 forthe 4 x 400. Of the two, the Liberty 4 x400 squad appears to be the most for-midable this season. Three of the fourlegs are back from the record-settingunit, including Williams, Hibbert andFreeman. Watson looks to be the topcandidate to fill the vacancy.

Meanwhile, Beckles and Hibbertare back for the 4 x 100 relay, but theother two spots are a bit uncertain.Sophomore Brittany Heath andHouseknecht are two possible addi-tions to the relay squad.

Mid-distance

The mid-distance events areanother area of strength and depth forthe Lady Flames’ track team. Tolsmabelieves his team could possibly putfour runners under 2:15 in the 800 andfour runners under 4:40 in the 1,500-meter run.

The unit is paced by a pair of titlistsfrom the 2007 Big South Outdoor Track& Field Championships, juniors Watson(800 meters) and Ricksecker (1,500meters).

Other returning All-Big South per-formers in the mid-distance racesinclude senior Sarah Roberts, backafter an injury-plagued 2007 campaign,and junior Ashley Osborne, a standoutdistance runner who possesses thefoot speed to run shorter races as well.

A trio of freshmen—Albright,Rod’Esther Castor and Miglis—roundout the 800/1,500 specialists. Albrighthas displayed considerable potentialearly on in her Liberty career, garneringAll-Big South honors in cross country.Castor and Miglis both hail from NewJersey and both ran 2:20 or faster inhigh school.

The Lady Flames’ wealth of talent-ed mid-distance athletes could affordLiberty a realistic attempt at the pro-gram outdoor 4 x 800 (8:59.48) anddistance medley relay (11:45.48)records.

Andrea Beckles

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Distance

Liberty’s distance runners havenot only claimed back-to-back BigSouth cross country team titles, butalso played an important role in theLady Flames’ outdoor track crown lastseason. Liberty athletes won the stee-plechase, 5K and 10K and claimed fiveof nine All-Big South distinctions in thethree disciplines.

Newby returns for her senior sea-son of the steeplechase, after captur-ing her first Big South title in the eventin 2007. She is the Lady Flames’ high-est returning finisher from the NCAAEast Regional Championships, whereshe placed 14th in the steeplechase ina school-record time of 10:35.19.

Bushman, the 2007 Big SouthWomen’s Cross Country Freshman ofthe Year, will serve as Newby’s under-study in the event.

Jefferson is one of the most deco-rated female distance runners in BigSouth Conference history. A six-timeconference champion, the senior haswon the conference indoor 5,000meters and outdoor 5,000 and 10,000-meter races two-straight seasons. Shemade her first appearance at the NCAAOutdoor Track & Field Championshipslast season, after clocking a school-record 10,000-meter time of 34:37.27.

Osborne looks to follow up a soph-omore season of dramatic improve-ments with another stellar year. She cuther 5,000-meter time from 17:58 to aprogram-record 16:42.79 last season.

Valliere will close out her career atLiberty after using her first three sea-sons of eligibility at Cal Poly.

Hurdles

The 100 and 400-meter hurdleevents are two of the disciplines whereTolsma will have to rely on newcomers.

Houseknecht is perhaps the mostpromising of the hurdling newcomers.She clocked 8.80 for the 60-meter hur-

dles during high school and won thePennsylvania state title in the eventindoors.

Other options in the sprint hurdlesinclude freshman heptathlete KrystleMatthews and junior JoEllyn Graham, atransfer from Louisville. Both haveshown noticeable improvement duringthe preseason.

Williams, another heptathlete, rep-resents the Lady Flames’ most experi-enced option at the 400-meter hurdles.She placed third at the Big South out-door meet in the discipline last season,posting a personal best of 1:02.46.

Throws

Liberty lacks depth and experi-ence in the throwing events this sea-son, after the graduation of CaitlynSutterfield. The javelin looks to be theFlames’ strongest throwing event.

Junior Kristen Dalton is a two-timeBig South placer in the javelin, and tookfifth a season ago. FreshmanMatthews has also thrown the spearover 110 feet.

Jumps

Aghaji looks to make an immedi-ate impact in three of the four jumping events during her freshman campaignat Liberty, the high jump, the long jump

and the triple jump. She will comple-ment the Lady Flames’ more experi-enced jumpers, including Hibbert andWilliams.

Aghaji has the ability to clear 5-8 inthe high jump, according to Tolsma.Williams, who leapt 5-3.25 a seasonago, aims to raise the bar higher thisseason. Freshmen Matthews andTristyn Olson add depth in the event.

Hibbert ranks No. 3 on Liberty’sall-time performance list in the longjump, owning a personal best of 19-6.Rookies Aghaji and Matthews will beregulars in the discipline as well.

Aghaji’s specialty, though, is thetriple jump. She ranked among the top10 high school performers in the nationas a senior at Matoaca High School,reaching a wind-aided 40-11.75.Hibbert placed eighth at the Big Southoutdoor meet last season, and fresh-man Jennifer Healey appears ready tosail past her personal best of 37-5 fromhigh school.

Junior Emily Funderburke andsophomore Erin Hudson return toanchor Liberty’s pole vault crew.Funderburke placed third at the BigSouth outdoor championships, goingover 10 feet, and Hudson tied for fifth.Houseknecht, just learning the event,has also displayed potential.

Heptathlon

Williams will take the mantle fromstandout multi athletes DanielleMcNaney and Zelinskas before her.She acquitted herself quite well a sea-son ago, winning the Big South pen-tathlon and heptathlon crowns. Will-iams also placed sixth at the ECACChampionships with a personal-bestheptathlon total of 4,775.

Tolsma and his staff will also lookto aid in the development of freshmenHealey and Matthews this season.

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(L-R): Rebekah Ricksecker,Sarah Roberts & Kati Albright

WOMEN’S HEAD SHOTS

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Charlene

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Mia AGHAJIFreshman, 5-9Jumps/HurdlesChester, Va.Personal Bests: High Jump - 5-8 Triple Jump - 40-11.75

Prep: Attended Matoaca H.S. … earned all-state recognitionas a sophomore, junior and senior … triple jumped a wind-aided 40-11.75 as a senior, ranking among the nation’s top10 high school performances … posted a 5-8 high jump inhigh school, claiming district and regional titles in the event… competed in the Down Under International Games inAustralia and won the high jump gold medal … Personal:

Daughter of Virginia Aghaji … biology major … birthday isApril 28.

Kati ALBRIGHTFreshman, 5-6DistanceWake Forest, N.C.Personal Bests: 800 - 2:15.99 Mile - 4:53.77

2007 Cross Country (Fr.): Finished eighth at the Big SouthChampionships, earning All-Big South honors … won colle-giate debut, running unattached, at the Virginia TechInvitational … Prep: Home schooled … won the fresh-man/sophomore race at the 2002 Foot Locker SouthRegional Cross Country Championships by more than 40seconds … placed eighth in the two-mile at the 2003 NikeIndoor Championships, in 11:09 … Personal: Daughter ofDon and Cathi Albright … major is missions … intends towork in sports missions … birthday is March 30.

Andrea BECKLESJunior, 5-5SprintsLynchburg, Va.Personal Bests: 60 - 7.62100 - 11.96

2007 (So.): A part of two program-record performances …clocked a Liberty record 7.62 in the indoor 60-meter dash …led off for the Lady Flames’ Big South champion 4 x 100

relay team outdoors, which ran a program and conference-record 45.95 … conference runner-up at 100 meters out-doors and took third place at 60 meters indoors … made theBig South Presidential Honor Roll … 2006 (Fr.): Ran a 7.73for the indoor 60 meters … finished seventh in the Big Southoutdoor 100 meters … included on the Big SouthPresidential Honor Roll … Prep: Attended LynchburgChristian Academy her last two years of high school …Personal: Daughter of Anthony and Bernie Beckles … fatheris Liberty’s Vice President for Finance … elementary educa-tion major … birthday is Sept. 13.

Dacia BUSHMANFreshman, 5-6DistanceCastalia, IowaPersonal Bests: 3,000 - 10:11.86 5,000 - 18:00.31

2007 Cross Country (Fr.): Named Big South Freshman ofthe Year after placing sixth at the conference meet … ran aLiberty freshman 6K record time of 21:39.30, taking 44th atthe NCAA Southeast Regional Championships … served asLady Flames’ No. 2 runner for most of the season … Prep:

Home schooled … earned a pair of runner-up finishes at theIowa state cross country meet (2003 & 2006) … twice fin-ished third at the Iowa state meet in the 1,500 meters (2006& 2007) … Personal: Daughter of Chuck and MarylsBushman … one of nine children … nursing major … birth-day is Sept. 16.

Rod’Esther CASTORFreshman, 5-6Mid-distanceHamilton, N.J.Personal Bests: 800 - 2:18.3 1,600 - 5:12.3

2007 Cross Country (Fr.): Earned top 10 finishes in eachof her first two collegiate cross country meets, ending upsixth at the Virginia Tech Invitational and seventh at theLongwood Invitational … Prep: Attended Steinert H.S. …her best times included 2:18.3 for 800 meters and 5:12.3 for1,600 meters … Personal: Daughter of Villate and MarieCastor … plans to major in kinesiology … birthday is Dec. 7.

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Kristen DALTONJunior, 5-2JavelinWanchese, N.C.Personal Best: Javelin - 122-1

2007 (So.): Placed fifth in the javelin at the Big SouthChampionships, with a season-best 117-7 heave … 2006

(Fr.): Competed in both track and volleyball at High Point …finished third in the javelin at the Big South meet … earneda spot on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll … Prep:

Tabbed the Female Athlete of the Year at Manteo H.S. as asenior … Personal: Daughter of David and Ruth Dalton …also a member of Liberty’s 2007 Big South Champion vol-leyball team … kinesiology major … birthday is March 4.

Chenoa FREEMANSophomore, 5-4SprintsLincoln, Del.Personal Bests: 200 - 25.14400 - 55.70

2007 (Fr.): Came in fourth in the 400-meter dash at both theBig South indoor and outdoor meets … helped the 4 x 400relay team set a school record with a 3:41.00 at the ECACoutdoor championships … notched a personal-best 400time of 55.76 …made the Big South Presidential Honor Roll… Prep: Attended Christian Tabernacle Academy …Personal: Daughter of Leslie Freeman, Jr. and Cheryl N.Freeman … majoring in English … birthday is Sept. 22.

Emily FUNDERBURKEJunior, 5-7Pole VaultFredericksburg, Va.Personal Best: Pole Vault - 10-0.75

2007 (So.): Earned All-Big South distinction with her third-place finish in the pole vault at the Big South outdoor meet,after a personal-best 10-0.75 clearance … took fourth at the

indoor conference meet in the event … 2006 (Fr.): Tied forsixth indoors and was eighth outdoors at the conferencemeet in the pole vault … Prep: Attended Courtland H.S. …Personal: Daughter of Dennis and Patricia Funderburke …sister Sarah was a member of Lynchburg College track team… VCAR (graphic design) major … birthday is Oct. 3.

JoEllyn GRAHAMR-Sophomore, 5-6HurdlesLouisville, Ky.Personal Best:100 Hurdles - 14.49

2007 (So.): Took a redshirt during her first season at Liberty… 2006 (Fr.): Ran for Louisville, clocking 14.49 for the 100-meter hurdles … Prep: Attended the Christian Academy ofLouisville … Personal: Daughter of Jay and Terry Graham… kinesiology major … birthday is on April 3.

Jennifer HEALEYFreshman, 5-6HeptathlonVirginia Beach, Va.Personal Best:Triple Jump - 37-5

Prep: Attended Kellam H.S. … recorded personal bests of37-5 in the triple jump and 42.76 in the 300-meter dash …Personal: Daughter of Joe and Jill Healey … intends tomajor in psychology … birthday is Oct. 23.

Chenoa Freeman

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Brittany Heath

Brittany HEATHSophomore, 5-5SprintsFreeport, Grand BahamasPersonal Bests:200 - 25.7400 - 58.9

2007 (Fr.): Won the 400-meter dash title at the VMI WinterRelays … included on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll… Prep: Attended Sunland Baptist Academy, graduating onthe 1st Class Honor Roll … Personal: Daughter of JillianBartlett and John Heath … major is business finance …birthday is March 4.

Sheronica HENTONSophomore, 5-3HeptathlonRaeford, N.C.Personal Bests:200 - 25.51Shot Put - 39-11.5

2007 (Fr.): Took home fourth place in the Big South hep-tathlon and was fifth in the indoor pentathlon … Prep:

Attended Hoke H.S. … Personal: Daughter of Randy andArnice Mercer … business management major … birthday isJune 30.

Charlene HIBBERTSenior, 5-8Sprints/JumpsMississauga, OntarioPersonal Bests:400 - 55.67Long Jump - 19-6

2007 (Jr.): Placed in five events at the Big South OutdoorTrack Championships, including first in the 4 x 100 relay ina school-record time of 45.95, third in the long jump andfourth in the 200 dash … helped the Lady Flames finish sec-ond with a school-record 3:41.00 effort in the 4 x 400 relayat the ECAC outdoor meet … claimed fifth place in both thetriple jump and long jump at the Big South indoor meet …recorded a seventh-place finish in the ECAC indoor longjump … became Liberty’s No. 3 all-time outdoor performer

at both 200 meters (24.27) and 400 meters (55.67) … 2006

(So.): Placed fourth in the long jump, fifth in the 400 andsixth in the triple jump at the Big South outdoor meet … tooksixth in the long jump at the indoor conference meet … 2005

(Fr.): Came in seventh in the ECAC long jump indoors …placed second in the long jump and third in the 400 at theBig South indoor championships … placed third in both thelong jump and 400 outdoors … Prep: Attended Lorne ParkS.S. … Personal: Daughter of Michael and CharmaineHibbert … sister of Liberty junior track athlete, Chris Hibbert… business marketing and communications, public relationsand advertising are her majors … birthday is Dec. 30.

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Erin Hudson

RachelHOUSEKNECHTFreshman, 5-5Hurdles/Pole VaultHughesville, Pa.Personal Best:100 Hurdles - 14.49

Prep: Attended Hughesville H.S. … won the 2007Pennsylvania state 100-meter hurdles title in 14.49 sec-onds, after finishing third in the event in 2006 … ownsschool records at 100 meters (12.40), 200 meters (25.92),100 hurdles (14.49) and 300 hurdles (45.60) … Personal:

Daughter of Greg and Laurie Houseknecht … kinesiolo-gy/cross-cultural studies major … birthday is on Oct. 11.

Erin HUDSONSophomore, 5-6Pole VaultWhitacre, Va.Personal Best:Pole Vault - 9-7

2007 (Fr.): Tied for fifth in the pole vault at the Big South out-door meet … placed seventh at the Big South IndoorChampionships … Prep: Named Track Athlete of the Year atJames Wood H.S. … Personal: Daughter of Donald andBonnie Hudson … kinesiology major … birthday is May 1.

Carol JEFFERSONSenior, 5-7DistanceSchwenksville, Pa.Personal Bests:5,000 - 16:50.8610,000 - 34:37.27

2007 Cross Country (Sr.): Placed 22nd in the gold race atthe Notre Dame Invitational … helped the Lady Flames cap-ture their second-straight Big South team title … 2007 (Jr.):

Won three Big South individual championships, increasingher career total to six … swept the Big South outdoor 5K and10K titles for the second year in a row … indoors, defendedher Big South 5K title and took second in the 3K … finishedsecond in the Penn Relays college 10K … made her firstappearance at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & FieldChampionships, in the 10K … set indoor 5K (17:03.23) andoutdoor 10K (34:37.27) Liberty and Big South records …2006 (So.): Captured three Big South first-place finishes …won the 5K at the conference indoor meet … was the 5Kand 10K titlist at the Big South Outdoor Championships …placed sixth in the ECAC outdoor 10K race … 2005 (Fr.):

Placed fifth in the Big South mile indoors … ran a leg on the4 x 800 relay squad which garnered All-East Honors …Prep: Attended Perkiomen Valley H.S. with Liberty team-mate Sarah Roberts … Personal: Daughter of David andJune Jefferson … interiors and fashion merchandising major… birthday is June 19.

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Krystle MATTHEWSFreshman, 5-7HeptathlonChesapeake, Va.Personal Best:Heptathlon - 4,343

Prep: Attended Deep Creek H.S. … broke the school 300-meter hurdles and 4 x 400 relay records … posted a 4,343in the heptathlon … also played basketball for three years …Personal: Daughter of Karol and Elton Matthews … kinesi-ology major … birthday is Dec. 18.

Piper NEWBYSenior, 5-5 DistanceHayden Lake, IdahoPersonal Bests:Steeplechase - 10:35.195,000 - 17:08.80

2007 Cross Country (Sr.): Earned All-Big South recognitionwith second-place finish at the conference meet … also anall-region performer after coming in 17th in a Liberty 6Krecord time (21:07.70) at the NCAA Southeast RegionalChampionships … made both the Big South and USTFCC-CA All-Academic teams … 2007 (Jr.): Big South steeple-chase champion … took fourth place in the ECAC steeple-chase … set a school steeplechase record at the NCAAEast Regional Championships, 10:35.19 … Big South 5Krunner-up indoors … placed third at the conference crosscountry championships … part of the Big South All-Academic Team for cross country and the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team for track & field … included on the BigSouth Presidential Honor Roll … 2006 (So.): Took thirdplace in the steeplechase at the Big South outdoor meet andwas sixth in the 5K … earned inclusion on the Big SouthPresidential Honor Roll … 2005 (Fr.): Crossed the linefourth in the Big South steeplechase championship … wasseventh at the 5,000-meter distance indoors … Prep:

Attended Coeur d’Alene H.S. … Personal: Daughter ofVern and Kristine Newby … kinesiology major … birthday isApril 16.

Ashley OSBORNEJunior, 5-2 DistanceBristol, Va.Personal Bests:1,500 - 4:39.295,000 - 16:42.79

2007 Cross Country (Jr.): Placed 14th at the Big Southmeet, helping the Lady Flames repeat as conference cham-pions … finished as Liberty’s No. 4 runner, placing 55thoverall at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships …2007 (So.): Set the Liberty 5K outdoor school record at thePenn Relays, 16:42.79 … recorded second (10K), third(1,500 meters) and fourth-place (5K) finishes at the BigSouth Outdoor Championships … was third in the 5K andfourth in the 3K indoors … broke through for an eighth-placefinish and an 18:26 5K time at the Big South Cross CountryChampionships … included on the USTFCCA Women’s All-Academic team … made the Big South Presidential HonorRoll … 2006 (Fr.): Ended up third in the 10K and fourth inthe 5K at the Big South outdoor meet … part of the BigSouth Presidential Honor Roll … Prep: Attended John S.Battle H.S. … won Virginia Class A state title in the 3,200meters and was second at 1,600 meters … Personal:

Daughter of Michael and Sue Osborne … nursing major …birthday is Aug. 16.

Ashley Osborne (L) and Piper Newby

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RebekahRICKSECKERJunior, 5-7 Mid-distanceLaurel, Del.Personal Best: 1,500 - 4:33.22

2007 Cross Country (Jr.): A consistent top four runner forthe Lady Flames all season … notched her career-best 5Ktime of 18:07 to finish seventh at the Big South meet …named Big South Cross Country Runner of the Week onSept. 12, after finishing second at the season-openingVirginia Tech Invitational … 2007 (So.): Big South 1,500-meter champion outdoors and placed third in the 800 … atthe indoor conference meet, claimed runner-up honors inthe mile and was fourth at 800 meters … tabbed Big SouthWomen’s Track Athlete of the Week on May 9, after postinga career-best 800 time of 2:11.33 at the Liberty Twilight meet… nabbed seventh place at the Big South cross countrymeet … member of the Big South Presidential Honor Roll …2006 (Fr.): Earned fourth-place finishes at 800 meters atboth the Big South Indoor and Outdoor Championships …included on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll … Prep:

Attended Sussex Technical H.S. … won the Delaware statetitle at 800 meters … Personal: Daughter of Robert andRuth Ricksecker … elementary education major … birthdayis Nov. 25.

Ashley Teer

Sarah ROBERTSSenior, 5-6Mid-distanceZieglerville, Pa.Personal Bests: 800 - 2:15.671,500 - 4:40.95

2007 Cross Country (Sr.): Returned from injury to run atthe Big South Cross Country Championships and helpLiberty claim its second-consecutive conference crown …2007 (Jr.): Garnered her third All-Big South honor in crosscountry, taking a sixth-place finish at the conference meet …hampered by injury the entire track season … earned a spoton the Big South Presidential Honor Roll … 2006 (So.): Partof the victorious distance medley relay team and was eighthin the mile at the Big South indoor meet … outdoors, wasthe 800-meter runner-up and took sixth at 1,500 meters …Big South runner-up in cross country … made the Big SouthPresidential Honor Roll … 2005 (Fr.): Claimed a pair ofthird-place finishes (800, 1,500) at the Big South OutdoorChampionships … came in 10th at the Big South crosscountry meet … Prep: Attended Perkiomen Valley H.S.,where she was a teammate of fellow Liberty senior CarolJefferson … Personal: Daughter of Dave and JaniceRoberts … VCAR (visual communication) major … birthdayis Jan. 27.

Ashley TEERSophomore, 5-5Mid-distanceAbbotsford, British ColumbiaPersonal Best: 800 - 2:22.72

2007 (Fr.): Ran a season-best 800-meter time of 2:22.72 atthe Liberty Asics Invitational … finished second in the 800 atthe VMI Winter Relays … Prep: Attended W.J. MouatSecondary … Personal: Daughter of Tim and Judy Teer …father, Tim, played basketball and baseball at Duke … twoolder sisters, Allison and Amy, ran track for Liberty … com-munications/advertising major … birthday is April 29.

LIBERTY FLAMES

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2008 TRACK & FIELDWOMEN’S PROFILES

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Jaime Watson, on her way to winning the 2007 Big South outdoor 800-meter title.

Rachel VALLIERESenior, 5-5DistanceSan Luis Obispo, Calif.Personal Bests: 3,000 - 10:13.295,000 - 17:41.86

2007 Cross Country (Sr.): Crossed the line at the BigSouth meet as Liberty’s fifth finisher and 13th place overall… Previous School: Ran three years for Cal Poly, servingas her team’s No. 1 distance runner most of the time …Prep: Attended San Luis Obispo H.S. … named top femaleathlete at the school … finished 15th at the California statecross country meet as a senior … also played tennis and rantrack … Personal: Daughter of Donny and StephanieValliere … graduated from Cal Poly with a bachelor’s degreein kinesiology … currently pursuing a master’s degree intheological studies at Liberty Theological Seminary … birth-day is Jan. 2.

Jaime WATSONJunior, 5-6Mid-distanceRavenna, Mich.Personal Bests: 400 - 55.23800 - 2:08.34

2007 (So.): Claimed her second-straight Big South 800-meter outdoor title and broke her own meet record by run-ning 2:10.50 … also ran on the second-place 4 x 400 relayunit at the Big South outdoor meet … made the Big SouthPresidential Honor Roll … 2006 (Fr.): Set a pair of indoorschool records (800 and 4 x 400 relay) … finished second inthe 4 x 400 relay, third in the 800 and fourth in the mile at theBig South indoor meet … won the Big South outdoor 800-meter crown and anchored the 4 x 400 relay to second place… Big South Presidential Honor Roll member … Prep:

Attended Allendale H.S. … Personal: Daughter of Duaneand Laurie Watson … sport management major … birthdayis Aug. 21.

Marie WILLIAMSSenior, 5-9Heptathlon Tampa, Fla.Personal Bests: Pentathlon - 3,504Heptathlon - 4,775

2007 (Jr.): Swept the Big South pentathlon and heptathlontitles … also claimed third place in the conference 400-meter hurdles … was part of the quartet which placed sec-ond in the ECAC outdoor 4 x 400 relay and set a schoolrecord of 3:41.00 … finished sixth in the ECAC heptathlon,scoring a personal-best 4,775 points … 2006 (So.): Placedthird in the Big South heptathlon for the second-consecutiveseason … 2005 (Fr.): Came in third in the Big South hep-tathlon … Prep: Attended The Cambridge School … placedin three events at the Florida state track meet as a senior,highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 300-meter hurdles …Personal: Daughter of Clyde and Joanie Williams … com-munications major … birthday is Oct. 26.