LYNCHBURG, VA – Lincoln Memorial University's men's and women's track and field programs open their 2025 indoor season Thursday, traveling to Lynchburg for the Liberty Kickoff, hosted at Liberty University's state-of-the-art Indoor Track Complex. The meet marks the first opportunity of the new year for the Railsplitters to test their early-season fitness against a strong regional field.

With a productive fall training block behind them, both the men's and women's teams enter the weekend looking to set the tone for the indoor campaign. Head Coach [Name] and staff have emphasized technical refinement and race sharpness throughout preseason, and the Liberty Kickoff provides an ideal environment—with fast surfaces and deep competition—for athletes to post early qualifying marks
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The LMU men return a solid core of sprinters, distance runners, and jumpers expected to make immediate impacts. The sprint crew will look to build on last season's momentum, while the mid-distance and distance groups are coming off a strong cross-country season and aim to convert that strength into fast early indoor times. The field event squad, including returning talent in the jumps and throws, will also seek to establish early benchmarks.

The women's team begins the season with a mix of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers. Sprint and hurdle athletes will aim to open the year with clean technical races, while the distance group—bolstered by an impressive cross-country campaign—looks poised for strong showings. LMU's jumpers and throwers will also be key contributors as they aim to secure confidence-building marks in the first meet of 2025. 

The Liberty Indoor Track Complex consistently attracts high-level competition from across the Southeast, giving LMU athletes valuable early-season tests. For many Railsplitters, the focus will be on executing race plans, refining technique, and building momentum toward conference competition later in the indoor schedule. It's what Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, Rochelle Black, calls a "rust buster."

Now in year 10 at the helm, Black still seeks to grow and progress as a coach. "I have coached for 20-some-odd years now and I think that, just like the athletes, as coaches we have to progress and get better. The way I coach now is completely different than even just five years ago," said Black. "The way that I coach now is an adaptation of culminated experience, various advancements in technology, and evolution of the sport. It has allowed me to become better and further hone my craft as a head coach."

"The first meet of the season at Liberty is going to be a good litmus test for our conditioning," he added. "Going to these types of meets is great. We can come somewhere like this and compete against the Dukes, Virginia Techs, and other various power four programs -- but at the end of the day, they're competing against themselves always. If we focus too much on where we are and who we are competing against, we will lose sight on the task at-hand. Those who are more locked-in on the task at-hand tend to do a little better in these situations."