2009 LIBERTY MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE Sept. 4 Virginia Tech Cross Country Relay 5 p.m. Blacksburg, Va. Sept. 19 Big South Preview 10 a.m. Winston-Salem, N.C. Oct. 3 Hagan Stone Park Classic 9:30 a.m. Greensboro, N.C. Oct. 17 NCAA Pre-Nationals 11 a.m. Terre Haute, Ind. Oct. 31 Big South Championship 10:30 a.m. Winston-Salem, N.C. Nov. 6 Cavalier Invitational 4 p.m. Charlottesville, Va. Nov. 14 NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championship 10 a.m. Louisville, Ky. Nov. 23 NCAA Division I National Championship Noon Terre Haute, Ind. All times are Eastern Time and Subject to Change SAM CHELANGA Liberty University BACK-TO-BACK SASSER CUP CHAMPIONS Total team effort in 2008-09 keeps Liberty Athletics atop the Big South BACK 2 BACK BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS • Liberty captured its first back-to-back Big South volleyball titles. • Liberty has now won five Big South volleyball championships, tying Winthrop for the most in conference history. For the second year in a row, Liberty Athletics captured the Big South’s Sasser Cup trophy, an award given annually to the top performing • In the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Flames took a set from Final Four qualifiers athletics department among all Big South Conference member institutions. Thanks to an overall team effort from each Flames program, California (2007) Liberty remained the program to beat in the Big South during the and Nebraska (2008). 2008-09 campaign. NOTES FROM A REPEAT BIG SOUTH SASSER CUP RUN: • Over the past two athletics seasons, Liberty has captured 17 conference championships, including 14 Big South titles, two NCAA East Regional wrestling championships and the 2008 IC4A outdoor men’s track championship. • During the 2008-09 athletics season, Liberty won six Big South titles (football, volleyball, men’s cross country, men’s indoor track and field, women’s basketball and men’s outdoor track and field). • Liberty’s team effort to retain the Big South’s Sasser Cup title saw 14 of 17 the Flames’ Big South sponsored programs finish in the Top 3 in either their respective regular-season or conference championship standings. • Liberty Athletics has dominated the Sasser Cup race during the past decade-plus, having won the conference’s top honor seven of the last 12 years. • Liberty also took home the Big South’s Men’s All-Sport Trophy for the second consecutive year and the fourth time since the award was established six years ago. 2008 NCAA National Cross Country Runner-Up Five-Time All-American 2009 QUICK FACTS 2009 Liberty Cross Country Quick Facts General Informati on Name of School ........................................ Liberty University City/Zip............................................... Lynchburg, Va. 24502 Founded ....................................................................... 1971 Enrollment ................................................................ 11,311 Nickname .................................................................. Flames School Colors ...................................... Red, White and Blue Affi liati on .................................................... NCAA Division I Conference ............................................................ Big South Founder ....................................................... Dr. Jerry Falwell Chancellor ................................................... Jerry Falwell, Jr. Vice Chancellor ...................................... Dr. Ronald Godwin Director of Athleti cs ............................................ Jeff Barber Quick Facts ..........................................................................1 Athleti c Dept. Phone.................................... (434) 582-2100 Media Informati on ..............................................................2 Ticket Offi ce Phone .......................................(434) 582-SEAT Big South Conference ..........................................................3 2008 Season in Review ........................................................4 Cross Country Informati on Head Coach Brant Tolsma ....................................................5 Head Coach ...................................................... Brant Tolsma Assistant Coaches ................................................................6 Alma Mater ...................Newark College of Engineering, ‘71 Years at Liberty .................................................................24 Women’s & Men’s Team Rosters .........................................7 Assistant Coach ..................... Heather Zealand (Liberty, ‘02) 2009 Season Outlook ..........................................................8 Years at Liberty ...................................................................8 Meet the Lady Flames .......................................................10 Graduate Assistant .....................Josh McDougal (Liberty, ’08) Meet the Flames ...............................................................13 Years at Liberty ..........................................................First year 2008 Season Results ..........................................................17 First Season of Cross Country ..........................................1976 All-Time Roster ..................................................................18 2008 Conference Finish (Women’s) ...................................2nd Josh McDougal - Nati onal Champion ................................19 Women’s Big South Championships/Last ................... 5/2007 Women’s Record Book ......................................................20 Women’s Highest Regional Finish/Year ...........Seventh/2007 2008 Conference Finish (Men’s) .......................................First Men’s Record Book ............................................................22 Men’s Big South Championships/Last .......................10/2008 Women’s Big South Championships/Awards .....................24 Men’s Highest Regional Finish/Year ..........Fift h/2007 & 2008 Men’s Big South Championships/Awards ..........................25 Cross Country/Track Offi ce Phone..................(434) 582-2135 Liberty University ..............................................................26 Academic Aff airs for Athleti cs............................................28 Athleti cs Communicati ons Informati on University Administrati on ..................................................29 Asst. A.D. - Communicati ons. ...................... Todd Wetmore Athleti cs Administrati on ....................................................30 Ath. Comm. Offi ce Phone ............................ (434) 582-2292 Sports Medicine ................................................................32 Cell Phone .................................................... (434) 841-8974 Email Address ................................. [email protected] Assoc. Athleti cs Communicati ons Dir. ...... Ryan Bomberger This publicati on has been produced by the Liberty Offi ce of Cell Phone .................................................... (434) 221-5576 Athleti cs Communicati ons. Email Address .............................. [email protected] Editor: Jennifer Shelton Asst. Athleti cs Communicati ons Dir. ........... Vincent Briedis Cell Phone .................................................... (434) 841-0839 Assistant Editors: Todd Wetmore, Paul Car- many, Ryan Bomberger and Vincent Briedis Email Address ................................... [email protected] Asst. Ath. Communicati ons Dir. ..................... Paul Carmany Photography: Les Schofer, Kevin Giedd, WG Cell Phone .................................................... (434) 221-5575 Sports Photography, Eric Miller/Minnesota Athleti c Photography, Kirby Lee/Image of Email Address ................................. [email protected] Sport, AP/Wide World Photos, Sideline Sports Ath. Comm. GA/Cross Country contact ..... Jennifer Shelton and LU Archives Cell Phone .................................................... (828) 638-3876 Cover Design: Brian Wallace and Jennifer Email Address ................................ [email protected] Shelton Ath. Comm. Fax ............................................ (434) 582-2076 Mailing Address ....................................1971 University Blvd. Printi ng: Multi Ad Sports, Peoria, Ill.. ................................................................ Lynchburg, VA 24502 Athleti cs Website .......................... www.LibertyFlames.com LIBERTY FLAMES CROSS COUNTRY 2009 1 MEDIA INFORMATION MEDIA INFORMATION FLAMES CLUB LUNCHEONS 2009 LIBERTY CROSS COUNTRY Please assist us in providing you with the At various ti mes during the season, the most accurate informati on possible by ob- Flames Club hosts a luncheon in the Donor MEDIA OUTLETS serving the media guidelines listed below Room of the Williams Football Operati ons Cen- when dealing with any Liberty University ath- ter. Lunch begins at 11:55 a.m., followed by Flames Sports Network leti cs program. comments from various coaches. Following the Jamie Hall, Stati on Manager luncheon, Coach Tolsma is usually available for WWMC - 90.9 FM “The Light” interviews. MEDIA CREDENTIALS 1971 University Blvd. | Lynchburg, VA 24502 Working press credenti als for Liberty home Phone: (434) 582-3691 | Fax: (434) 582-7461 meets may be obtained by contacti ng the LIBERTYFLAMES.COM Offi ce of Athleti cs Communicati ons. Please LibertyFlames Online, located at Liberty- WDBJ-TV/Channel 7 give ample noti ce if you intend to cover the Flames.com on the World Wide Web, is an Travis Wells, Sports Director Flames. Only requests