Liberty University Women's Track

Tolsma has led Liberty to an amazing amount of success at the national and conference levels. Tolsma was first hired at Liberty in 1986 by the Flames' first track & field coach, Liberty Athletics Hall of Famer Jake Matthes, to serve as the head men's track & field coach. By 1991, Tolsma had assumed each of the coaching positions he still holds today. Tolsma, who at the present time primarily coaches the Flames' decathletes, heptathletes and pole vaulters, has guided Liberty's cross country and track & field squads to 30 out of a possible 40 Big South Conference titles since the start of the 2009-10 academic year. Under Tolsma's guidance, Liberty's cross country and track & field squads have now won 89 Big South championships, seven Mason-Dixon championships and three IC4A team titles for a total of 99 conference crowns. Tolsma guided Liberty to eight consecutive Big South men's Triple Crowns, as the Flames swept every conference men's cross country, men's indoor track & field and men's outdoor track & field title between fall 2006 and spring 2014. Tolsma and legendary Kansas head coach Bill Easton (1951-59, Big 8 Conference) are the only two coaches ever to lead their teams to eight straight men's Triple Crowns in an NCAA Division I conference. The 2009-10 athletic year was one of the finest in program history, highlighted by the Big South Conference's first-ever "Double Triple." The unique achievement, which has only been accomplished by 10 different schools in NCAA Division I history, saw the Flames and Lady Flames sweep all six Big South titles (men's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field and women's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field). Individually, Sam Chelanga closed his career in 2011 with a total of four NCAA national titles, including two apiece in cross country and outdoor track & field. Additionally, Heather (Sagan) Zealand won the mile at the 2002 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships and Josh McDougal was the national champion at the 2007 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Tolsma has been at the helm for each of the Flames' six individual national titles. Chelanga's performance at the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which included a 5K national championship and a runner-up finish in the 10K, helped Liberty tie for 12th place in the final men's team standings. That is the highest NCAA Division I team finish in program and Big South Conference history in either cross country or track & field. Tolsma has won 62 Big South Coach of the Year honors and twice was named the NCAA District Coach of the Year. His number of coach of the year recognitions only slightly exceeds the number of NCAA Division I All-Americans he has coached at Liberty. Tolsma's athletes have earned a combined 54 All-America honors since the program moved to the NCAA Division I level in 1989, including Ednah Kurgats trio of All-America performances in 2015-16. Tolsma's student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom during his tenure at Liberty. Eleven Liberty cross country/track & field student-athletes have earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors at the Division I level under his guidance, including David Scouten in 2016. Tolsma's track coaching career began at Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C., where he served as the head men's cross country and track & field coach for seven years (1979-86). He then took the helm of the Camels womens cross country and track & field programs when those sports were inaugurated in 1982-83. Tolsma completed his undergraduate work with summa cum laude distinction in 1971 at Newark College of Engineering, since renamed New Jersey Institute of Technology. He went on to earn a master's degree in hydraulic engineering from Michigan in 1973 and a Ph.D. in the biomechanics of sport from Indiana in 1979. Tolsma's doctoral dissertation was entitled "Leg Dynamics of Maximum Speed Sprinting." Tolsma has published several articles about track & field training and in 2001 released a book, The Surrendered Christian Athlete, which expounds the role of the Christian faith in athletics. He has also designed several athletic training devices. Tolsma has been active as a master's track & field competitor for two decades. He won his age group in the World Double Decathlon Championship in both 2005 and 2010, as well as the Masters National Decathlon Championship in both 1993 and 2003. He placed second at the World Veterans Games decathlon in 1995 and at the 2002 World Double-Decathlon Championship in Finland. During September 2010 at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex, Tolsma set the world record for men aged 60 and over in the double decathlon, a two-day, 20-event competition which includes all of the track & field disciplines. In October 2007, Tolsma broke his age group's world record for the one-day double decathlon. Tolsma also set an age group (55-60) world record for the double heptathlon in December 2008, while competing at Liberty's indoor track & field facility bearing his name. He is currently training for a run at the age 65 double decathlon world record in October. The former president of the International Association of Ultra Multi-events, Tolsma has raced nearly every competitive distance from 50 meters to 50 miles.  The latter he did to celebrate reaching age 50, over a decade ago. Tolsma enjoys a number of sports and fitness activities, especially water-skiing. Nancy, his wife of 41 years, is the mother of his six children: Michelle, who is married to former Liberty tennis player Matthew Schley; Rachel Parker; Brenda, who is married to current Liberty assistant track & field coach Clendon Henderson; Regina Hurst; Joey and Tami, a four-year member of the Liberty women's track & field team who graduated in May 2012.  Tolsma also has 12 grandchildren.

Bingham has been a part of the Liberty coaching staff for all three IC4A championship seasons (1996, 2007 & 2008). In 2009-10, Bingham helped Liberty become only the ninth school in NCAA Division I history to complete a conference "Double Triple." The Flames captured Big South titles in men's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field, in addition to women's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Bingham, whose current coaching responsibilities include the hurdles, pole vault and multi events, has coached at least one Flame to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in all but three years since returning to the Liberty staff in 2004-05. Most recently, he coached Kolby Shepherd (pole vault) to a tie for fifth place and All-America honors at the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Off the track, Bingham has accompanied Liberty student-athletes on a number of foreign missions trips. During the summer of 2015, he and his wife, Kelly, were part of the Liberty track & field group which traveled to Kenya. Three of Bingham's charges (Jon Hart, Clendon Henderson and Brandon Hoskins) qualified for the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Additionally, Henderson took part in the U.S. Olympic Trials that year. As a result, Bingham was duly recognized as the 2008 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Southeast Regional Men's Assistant Coach of the Year. During his time away from Liberty, Bingham spent three years (2001-04) as the head coach at South Plains Junior College in Levelland, Texas, where he was named the 2004 National Junior College Outdoor Coach of the Year. At South Plains Junior College, Bingham's athletes won 13 individual national championships and earned 33 All-America honors in track and cross country, while the 2002 women's marathon squad won the national championship. On two separate occasions, his men's teams earned a third-place finish at the national championship meet. Prior to his tenure at South Plains, Bingham served as an assistant coach at Liberty for six seasons (1995-2001), where he was primarily responsible for assisting with multi-event athletes and field events. During his first stint as an assistant coach for the Flames, he coached seven Division I All-Americans. During his competitive days, Bingham was an All-America decathlete at South Plains Junior College, finishing second at nationals in both 1982 and 1983, when he posted a personal-best score of 7,510 points. He went on to compete at Texas Tech, where he also played football. Bingham graduated cum laude from Texas Tech with a bachelor's degree in physical education and earned his masters of education from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. Bingham and his wife of 28 years, Kelly, have two children: Brittany Werth (26) and Cody (23). Brittany is a former Liberty heptathlete, while Cody is a former Liberty decathlete who is serving as a volunteer assistant pole vault coach for the Flames this season.

Ricksecker oversaw big breakthroughs by Alyssa Karle and Hannah Scherlacher. Karle, the Big South steeplechase runner-up, slashed her time from 11:41.32 to 11:05.82. Meanwhile, Scherlacher made significant improvements in the 800 (2:20.15 to 2:13.55), 1,500 (4:44.60 to 4:34.49) and mile (5:20.43 to 5:04.48). In 2014-15, Ricksecker coached two of the Big South's top women's distance runners in Jacy Christiansen and Ednah Kurgat. Christiansen captured the women's individual title at the 2014 Big South Cross Country Championships. Meanwhile, Kurgat was named Big South Indoor and Outdoor Women's Freshman of the Year. She was the Big South indoor 3K champion and set an indoor program and conference record in the 5K at 16:28.29. During the 2012 cross country season, the Lady Flames captured the Big South title while placing four runners in the top nine. Jennifer Klugh led the way, winning her third consecutive Big South individual championship. Klugh then went on to qualify for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship, becoming the first Lady Flame since 2001 to do so. Ricksecker is part of Liberty’s school record-setting squad in the outdoor distance medley relay. She earned all-region honors with an 11th-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships. Ricksecker then closed out her collegiate career by running the 1,500 at the 2010 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet. Ricksecker worked as a volunteer assistant for the Liberty men's and women's cross country teams in 2011. She helped guide the men's squad to its seventh consecutive Big South team title and the Lady Flames to a Big South runner-up finish. Ricksecker, who last competed for the Lady Flames during the 2010 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons, graduated as one of the most successful female distance runners in program history. The native of Laurel, Del., finished as a five-time Big South individual champion and a 13-time All-Big South performer in cross country and track & field. Three of Ricksecker's five individual crowns came during her final year as a Lady Flame (2009-10), playing a key role in Liberty's first-ever men's and women's cross country/track & field Big South Conference "Double Triple." Ricksecker is the only women's runner in conference history ever to win a trio of 1,500-meter run titles at the Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships. At the 2010 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships, she became the first Lady Flame ever to win both the women's mile and 3K titles at the same conference meet. Ricksecker was also a standout in the classroom, graduating in 2009 with a 3.95 grade-point average in elementary education. As a result, she earned multiple academic honors. Ricksecker was a three-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection for women's cross country/track & field. She was also the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year for both women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2010. Ricksecker then graduated with a master's degree in English from Liberty in December 2011. Ricksecker's younger brother David Ricksecker wrapped up his time on the Liberty men's cross country and track & field teams in 2013, capturing the Big South men's 10K championship as a senior. They are the only brother/sister duo in program history to both earn All-Big South recognition in cross country.

McFadden serves on the Liberty track & field coaching staff, primarily working with the sprints (up to 800 meters) and relays. After serving in a part-time role during the 2007 season, he is working full-time with the Flames for a 10th consecutive season in 2017. Since McFadden joined the coaching staff, the Flames have won 29 Big South team championships and the men's squad captured back-to-back IC4A outdoor titles (2007 & 2008). McFadden is coming off of arguably his best season to date, as Liberty won 13 of the 22 events he coaches at the Big South Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Additionally, Liberty set five program records in women’s relay events, including the indoor 4 x 400 and 4 x 800 and the outdoor 4 x 100, 4 x 200 and 4 x 800. McFadden’s charges also enjoyed a successful year in 2015, winning nine Big South event titles. Abigail Flower captured four Big South sprint championships (indoor 60, indoor 200, outdoor 100 and outdoor 200), while Stephen Racanelli won three Big South crowns (indoor 200, indoor 400, outdoor 400). Liberty also took top honors in the Big South men’s indoor 4 x 400 relay and women’s outdoor 4 x 100 relay. In 2009-10, McFadden helped coach Jaime Watson to one of the finest seasons in school and conference history in the 400 and 800. She broke numerous Liberty and Big South Conference records and qualified for the 2010 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. McFadden was a standout sprinter for the Flames in the mid to late 90s and held the Big South Championship meet record at 100 meters (10.32) until 2010. In 1996, he led off for Liberty's victorious 4 x 100 meter relay squad at the IC4A Championship, helping the Flames capture the team title. The quartet ran a school-record 39.86 seconds. In total, he was a six-time All-East selection at 100 meters, 200 meters and in the 4 x 100 relay. McFadden also excelled on the football field at Liberty. He played for the 1995 Flames who went 8-3 and were ranked No. 19 nationally. That season, McFadden returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged a school-record 37.8 yards per return. His 93-yard punt return against Delaware State is still a school record. At season's end, he was named a first-team All-American as a return specialist by both the Football Gazette and the Sports Network. McFadden participated in the Indianapolis Colts' 1998 preseason training camp, but was released just before the team's last cut. He then spent the 1999 season with the Portland Forest Dragons of the Arena Football League. In addition to his position on the Flames' coaching staff, he works part-time with troubled youth in Lynchburg as a home-based therapist. He also works with an inner-city youth group at Power of God Deliverance Church in Lynchburg and founded an organization called Dream Again Life, which teaches children the importance of being educated, while also motivating them to chase after their dreams.

Henderson, who coaches Liberty's throwers, has helped guide Flames to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships during six of his eight years on staff. Most recently, Jocelyn Williams earned second team All-America honors in the women’s hammer at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Additionally, Liberty throwers have won 43 Big South event titles and four ECAC event crowns, while breaking school records in seven different events during the past eight seasons. Three of the five Liberty throwing event records which have not been broken during that time are owned by Henderson himself. Certified as a Throwing Specialist by the USTFCCCA and as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Henderson earned an All-America certificate during his final college meet, the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. The senior recorded a third-place finish in the discus final, becoming the first thrower in Liberty history to win All-America recognition. During his senior season of indoor track & field, Henderson qualified for the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, placing 14th in the shot put. He ended his career with three Liberty and Big South records, including indoor shot put (61-10.5), outdoor shot put (61-3) and discus (204-3). Henderson, who graduated with a 3.72 grade-point average in kinesiology in May 2008, garnered many academic awards, headlined by a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America notation. He was additionally a two-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team member and won two Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. Henderson was also presented with the inaugural Dr. Jerry Falwell Leadership award. At Meadow High School, Henderson starred in both track & field and six-man football. He then began his collegiate career at South Plains College. As a sophomore at South Plains in 2005, Henderson was a junior college All-American, after placing second in the discus at the NJCAA national meet. Henderson married Coach Brant Tolsma's daughter Brenda in June 2007, and the couple resides in the Lynchburg area. The Hendersons have two sons, Colton (born in December 2010) and Adrian (born in October 2014) and a daughter, Cheyanne (born in May 2012).

Cheromei coaches the Liberty men’s distance runners, as well as Ednah Kurgat, who became the first Lady Flame ever to earn NCAA Division I All-America honors in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track during the same athletic year in 2015-16. Cheromei’s men’s charges posted nine All-Big South performances in cross country and track & field a year ago. Cheromei previously served as Liberty's cross country/track & field graduate assistant between 2007-09. During that time, Josh McDougal became the Flames' first NCAA Division I men's cross country national champion in 2007 and Sam Chelanga earned the first three All-America honors of his tenure at Liberty. Since then, the native of Eldoret, Kenya founded and has been operating the Grace of God Children's Project, along with his wife, Laurel. The non-profit organization provides education, spiritual teaching and basic needs for orphans and needy children in Kenya. The project is currently providing care and education for 21 children in Eldoret. Cheromei's  own competitive career was highlighted by receiving an invitation to compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2008 Kenya Olympic Trials, thanks to a personal-best time of 8:21 that summer. Cheromei finished in the top 20 of an event in which Kenyan athletes have won the gold medal at each of the last eight Olympic Games. Cheromei won 10 NAIA national titles at Virginia Intermont, including three straight championships in his specialty, the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He became the third runner in the history of the NAIA meet to capture three consecutive steeplechase crowns and set a meet record (8:40.03) as a senior in 2007. Cheromei also won the 5,000-meter championship at the 2006 and 2007 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning the meet's Outstanding Performer honor both seasons. Cheromei was a part of a Virginia Intermont men's cross country squad which won three straight NAIA national team titles (2004-06). He was the individual national champion in 2006. Indoors, Cheromei took home the 2005 national title at 5,000 meters and won the 3,000-meter crown in both 2006 and 2007. He was also a part of Virginia Intermont's first-place distance medley relay squad in 2006. Cheromei opened his collegiate career at Butler Community College in 2004. He won NJCAA indoor national titles in the mile and 5,000 meters and took the outdoor steeplechase crown in his lone year at the institution. Running seems to be in Cheromei's blood, as his sister Lydia Cheromei finished second at the 2004 World Half Marathon Championships. He is also the cousin of Paul Tergat, former world record holder in the marathon. Cheromei lives and trains in the Lynchburg area, where he is a known commodity on the local running scene. He won back-to-back Virginia Ten Miler titles in 2007 and 2008, and finished second in his marathon debut at the 2007 Richmond Marathon. Cheromei earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Virginia Intermont in 2007. He then graduated from Liberty with a master's degree in human services in 2009. Cheromei and his wife, Laurel, have three children—Lily (6), Levi (4) and Lucy (1).

Bookbinder played an integral role in Libertys hosting of the 2016 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships and is helping to plan events for the new indoor track & field facility opening this season. Bookbinder returned to the track & field program after spending the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years as the internships and special topics coordinator for Libertys Department of Sport Management. During the 2011-12 season, Bookbinder served as a graduate assistant in the Liberty track & field office. That followed one year (2010-11) as an assistant track & field coach at the University of Great Falls in Great Falls, Mont. Bookbinder spent three seasons (2006-07 through 2007-09) as a mid-distance runner on the Liberty womens track & field team. The native of Abbotsford, British Columbia placed fifth in the 800 at the 2009 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships and recorded a personal-best time of 2:17.23 in the event. She also recorded a seventh-place finish in the 400 hurdles at the 2008 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Bookbinder has earned a pair of degrees at Liberty, including a bachelors degree in communications in 2009 and a masters degree in sport management in 2012. The former Ashley Teer is married to Liberty Football Assistant Coach Josh Bookbinder and resides in the Lynchburg area. Women's Basketball Fax: