Liberty University Women's Cross Country

Former Liberty standout Isaac Wendland returned to the Flames as an assistant track & field/cross country coach in January 2019 before being promoted to head...

Alonzo Lopez arrived at Liberty in June of 2022 and primarily works with the cross country and track & field teams. Lopez received his Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training from Liberty in 2022 and currently resides in Lynchburg.

Barry Finke is one of the senior members of the Liberty University Athletic Training staff, having joined the staff in August 2005. He currently works with the Flames' track & field program following a lengthy tenure with the football team. Prior to the start of the 2012 football season, Finke was promoted to Senior Associate Athletic Trainer. During his time on the football staff, Finke was part of a program that has won eight Big South titles (2007-10, 2012-14, 2016) and saw the program make its first-ever appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs in 2014. Before joining the staff at Liberty, Finke served as assistant athletic trainer at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn., from 2002-05. He was responsible for initial medical assessment of sport-related injuries during middle school and high school athletic events and practices, while also providing treatment and rehabilitation of injuries which occurred during athletic events. Finke got his start at The McCallie School in 2001 as a graduate assistant athletic trainer and served in the role for one year before receiving a full-time position. Finke graduated from UT-Chattanooga in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, fitness and wellness. While pursuing a master’s degree in advanced athletic training, he served as a graduate assistant at UT-Chattanooga, working closely with the football program and supervising several student athletic trainers within the program. Upon completing his undergraduate degree at UT-C

One of the most highly decorated women’s distance runners in program history, Calli Doan has remained at her alma mater since her graduation in 2024 to serve as an assistant coach. In this role, she primarily works with the Flames’ distance runners. Doan finished her time as a Lady Flame in 2024 as a three-time All-American. She earned her first All-America recognition with a 28th-place finish at the 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Doan then collected back-to-back second team All-America honors in the women's steeplechase in 2023 (11th place) and 2024 (10th place). An 11-time individual conference champion and a 20-time all-conference performer, Doan was part of nine Liberty teams which captured conference titles. She also helped the Liberty women's cross country squad qualify to the NCAA Division I Championships for the first time in the spring of 2021. Doan owned five program records at the time of her graduation, including the cross country 5K (16:15.1), cross country 6K (19:50.6), indoor mile (4:36.52), indoor 3K (9:24.67) and outdoor steeplechase (9:49.54). She also recorded the 13 fastest steeplechase times in program history. The 2024 Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award winner and the 2023 ASUN Conference Student-Athlete of the Year, Doan was also a standout in the classroom. She became the first three-time CSC Academic All-America® honoree in Liberty history, making the second team in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Doan has completed two degrees at Liberty, including

Liberty Athletics Hall of Famer and All-American Heather Zealand made a successful return to her alma mater as a track & field/cross country assistant coach ...

A familiar face returned to Liberty Mountain with Lance Bingham taking over as Liberty’s Director of Track & Field and Cross Country for the 2020-21 athletic...

After becoming one of Liberty’s most successful jumpers, Makenzy Willis (formerly Mizera) has continued to serve the program, taking on the role of director of operations in June 2025. In her current position, Willis directs the program’s team and business operations. Her main areas of responsibility include team travel, budget planning and financial administration over recruiting, equipment and team-related operations. Willis served as an assistant coach during the 2024-25 season, primarily working with the jumpers and hurdlers. A native of Maryville, Mo., Willis punctuated her time as a Lady Flame by triple jumping at the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Willis, who graduated as the school record holder for the indoor (42-8) and outdoor (42-6) women’s triple jump, was a four-time individual conference champion and a 13-time all-conference performer. Willis was named the Female Field Performer of the Meet after sweeping the women’s long jump and triple jump crowns at the 2024 CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Willis became (at the time of her graduation) one of only five Flames ever to earn four USTFCCCA All-Academic Team accolades (2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024). She has completed two degrees at Liberty, including a bachelor’s in exercise science (2022) and a master’s in human performance (2024). Willis is currently working on a MBA. She was married to Gabriel Willis in October 2024.

Now in his eighth year at Liberty, Mark Fairley is serving as an assistant coach, meet director and track & field facilities manager in 2025-26. In his assistant coach role, Fairley primarily works with the distance runners. The women’s distance runners under Fairley’s direction enjoyed a successful 2024-25, including a Roanoke XC Invitational title and an impressive third-place Paul Short Run showing during the fall. Two of Fairley’s charges then contributed to a dominating 26-point showing in the CUSA women’s steeplechase final on the track. This is Fairley’s fifth year as meet director, and he has also served in the roles of volunteer assistant, graduate assistant and interim assistant coach during his time in Lynchburg. The track & field facilities manager was a new position for Fairley in 2024-25, giving him oversight of the facility operations at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex and the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex. Fairley has also enjoyed success as a member of Liberty’s triathlon team, earning his professional triathlon racing license after winning the Claremont EDR Race in 2019. He also finished sixth in the draft legal race at the 2022 Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. Fairley served as an assistant coach for the triathlon team in 2022-23. Fairley arrived at Liberty on the heels of a standout career at Central College. He captured the men’s steeplechase national title at the 2018 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships as a senior, improvi