LYNCHBURG, Va. – Bethune-Cookman qualified several athletes for next month's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Championships, competing in the calendar year's first indoor competition as part of the weekend's 12th Liberty Kickoff, housed at the brand new Liberty Indoor Track Complex.
 
The weekend began Friday with the women's pentathlon, seeing freshman Bria McCallister take a fourth place finish in the process. She would finish with a total of 3,105 points for the event. Dana Roberts would finish 19th, turning in 2,448 points. Alexus Harris rounded out the competing Cats in the pentathlon with 1,825 points.
 
"This was a solid opener for us, as we got several student-athletes qualified four our conference indoor championships next month," said Donald Cooper, B-CU Director of Track & Field. "The staff has done an excellent job preparing the team as we move forward. It was important for our heptathlon and pentathlon athletes to meet the qualifying marks as it is our only opportunity before the league championships."
 
Friday's action continued with the weight throw, as Catoria Sirmon recorded a 10th place finish, throwing a distance of 13.56m (44-06.00), followed by teammate Tychina Bush (13.50m) in 11th place. Meanwhile, in the pole vault, it was Keyoshia Harris placing 10th with a height of 3.15m (10-04.00).
 
In the men's 5,000 meter run, it was Bethune-Cookman's Xavier Walton turning in a second place performance on the heels of a 15:34.06 mark for the event. Teammate Daniel Kiptoo, one of B-CU's primary distance runners, crossed in 13th position on a time of 16:27.11.
 
Saturday's action heated up with the bulk of the events taking place.
 
B-CU's day began with the men's 60 meter dash.
 
Wildcats junior Kareem Fair finished 10th with a time of 6.93 seconds, as classmate Henrick Bailey finished 12th in a time of 6.96 seconds.
 
Moving to the women's 60 meter hurdles, it as the Maroon and Gold's Quamecha Morrison registering a fourth place showing on a time of 8.73 seconds. In the men's 60 meter hurdles, it was Malik Lewis turning in a seventh place time of 8.33 seconds.
 
"It was good to see other conference schools at this meet, as everyone is looking competitive," continued Cooper. "However, we will have to do extremely better in order to compete with teams like Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, Morgan State and North Carolina A&T, as they are looking very impressive right now."
 
Meanwhile, Morrison continued to impress for the women's squad as she posted a time of 24.38 in the 200 meter dash – good enough for sixth place overall.
 
The Wildcats entered four student-athletes in the men's 200 meter dash, using Fair (21.37) and Bailey (21.50) for a pair of top 10 appearances, respectively. Teammates Jamel Davis (21.90) and Tyler Lambert (22.17) also competed for the Donald Cooper led Wildcats.
 
Davis would pick up a 12th place finish in the 49.86 seconds in the men's 400 meter dash. It was Donavon Frater competing in the event as well, posting a time of 51.54.
 
The Cats went back-to-back with sixth and seventh place in the men's 800 meter run, using junior Christopher Jackson (1:52.77) and freshman DeAndre Petty (1:54.00) in the event.
 
Freshman Cameron Berryhill sparked the Maroon and Gold in the men's one mile run, crossing in a time of 4:33.32, with fellow Wildcats performer Jonathan Moore finishing in a mark of 4:40.04.
 
Morrison picked up the first victory of the weekend for the Cats in the women's high jump, leaping to a victory mark of 1.70m (5-07.00), and just one of numerous qualifying marks for B-CU on the weekend. McCallister matched a number of participants in seventh place with a jump of 1.55m (5-01.00), while fellow Wildcats jumper Dana Roberts posted a mark of 1.50m (4-11.00).
 
Kelton Williams was the only B-CU participant in the men's high jump, elevating to a height of 1.94m (6-04.25).
 
In the women's long jump, it was McCallister jumping to a distance of 4.37m (14-04.00). Over on the men's side, it was Demetrius Rooks pacing the Cats with a leap of 6.97m (22-10.50) – good enough for a ninth place finish, followed closely by Joel Sampson with a mark of 6.86m (22-06.25).
 
B-CU's Michael Tiller picked up a win in the men's triple jump, tallying a winning distance of 15.66m (51-04.50). Sampson would finish 12th with a distance of 14.03m (46-00.50), with teammate JaQuaveon Beacham (13.70m) finishing in the top 20 as well.
 
The Wildcats' Sirmon won the women's shot put with a distance of 14.67m (48-01.75), while teammate Bush finished with a distance of 9.70m (31-10.00).
 
"Congratulations to all of our winners for an outstanding job," added Cooper. "I am looking forward to our next meet."
 
In the heptathlon for the men's side, it was freshman Beacham leading the way for the Wildcats with an eighth place finish on a total of 3,208 points. Tyson right followed Beacham in ninth place with 3,189 points, as fellow sophomore Dominic Harper was 12th with 2,989 points. Princy Dorsainvil rounded out the participants for the Cats with 2,724 points and an 18th place appearance.
 
Kiptoo finished the men's 3,000 meter run with a time of 9:43.42, while Tatyana Hodnett finished 10th in the women's one mile run with a time of 5:22.29.
 
Liberty Kickoff History
This weekend's meet served as the 12th edition of the Liberty Kickoff, the Flames' longest-running home indoor track & field competition. The event took place in January for just the second time, with the first being the inaugural Liberty Kickoff, Jan. 28-29, 2005. That meet was the first to be contested at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center.