Liberty sweeps 4×400 relay titles, thanks to Ealum and Todd
Tanner Ealum
The 4×4 relay is like a 4×4 truck because it’s rugged and requires a strong motor.
Good thing Liberty University features two rough-and-tough runners from Alaska.
Anchorage’s Tanner Ealum and Michael Todd have etched their names in the record book among the fastest men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relay teams for the NCAA D1 school in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Both former ACS athletes helped Liberty sweep the 4×4 relay titles at the Virginia Grand Prix at Lannigan Field in Charlottesville.
Michael Todd
Liberty’s customary women’s quartet of Ealum, Ty’Asia Dansbury, Delaney McDowell and Cortney Dowling raced to a season-best time of 3:37.22, crossing the finish line eight seconds ahead of runner-up Virginia.
The time ranked No. 2 all-time and was just 0.66 seconds away from the school record and likely qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round meet for the second straight year.
On the men’s side, Todd teamed with Christian Gilliam, Jahquez Durham and Alejandro Perlaza Zapata to post a season-best 3:10.04, beating UVa by 7.4 seconds and joining the school’s all-time top-10 list at No. 2.
Todd also finished second in the 800 with a season-best 1:50.40.