Liberty University announced on May 5 that it will conclude the regular-season portion of its 2026 outdoor track and field campaign with the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on Wednesday. The event, hosted at the newly resurfaced Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex, marks the team’s only home meet of the season and offers a final opportunity for Liberty’s 23 seniors to compete at their home facility.
The meet will feature athletes from 28 colleges and universities, including Duke, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Hampton, High Point, and Radford. Competition is set to begin at 11 a.m. with field events such as women’s discus and long jump. A senior day ceremony honoring Liberty’s graduating athletes is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., just before running events commence at 1:55 p.m.
Weather forecasts predict high temperatures in the mid-70s with possible rain and thunderstorms during the morning and late evening hours. A southwest breeze may provide a tailwind advantage for sprinting events.
Several Liberty athletes are aiming to qualify for the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet later this month in Lexington, Kentucky. Athletes currently ranked between No. 40 and No. 48 in their respective events include Beau Backes (men’s discus), Mahogany Mobley (women’s 400), Christian Hicks (men’s shot put), and Trevor Veenstra (men’s shot put). Others are just outside qualifying positions but hope strong performances can secure their spots.
The meet will also see attempts by Josh Blalock to defend his title in the men’s 400 hurdles event while Markus White seeks another win in men’s long jump after setting a program record earlier this season. In total, Liberty has broken eight program records during this outdoor season across both men’s and women’s competitions.
Looking ahead, top performers from this qualifier may advance to upcoming championship meets including Conference USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships from May 14-16 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
