Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Friday, September 25
Lynchburg, VA
5:00 PM
Liberty University Club Sports
180
vs
82
University of Lynchburg
Flames freshman swimmer Drew McQueeney warms up before his race against the University of Lynchburg on Friday at the Liberty Natatorium. (Photos by Ted Allen)
Men’s swimmers leave Lynchburg in their wakes in season opener
10/1/2026 1:13:00 PM | Men's Swimming
The Flames finished first in all but two events and won the exhibition against the NCAA Division III Hornets by nearly 100 points.
Liberty University's men's swim team opened its season with an impressive exhibition showing against the University of Lynchburg, a cross-town NCAA Division III opponent, stinging the Hornets by a 180-82 total Friday night at the Liberty Natatorium.
The Flames won 10 of 12 events, including both relays, and rode the momentum from strong debut showings from an influx of seven freshmen and two transfers to pull away. Tim Brown, a senior transfer from NCAA Division I University of Hawaii, won both of his individual events and swam the fastest legs of Liberty's winning relays.
"All of our guys did really well, but there were a couple glaring highlights, and Timothy Brown was stellar, obviously," Liberty 10th-year Head Coach Heath Grishaw said. "He was incredible to watch. He swam anchor in our medley and led off our free relay, which we swept, so that was pretty awesome for us. We really showed up, and we saw some guys go really close to lifetime bests and some guys did get lifetime splits in relays."
He said the team was coming off four weeks of long-course training, leaving them fatigued and not fully tapered for the meet, but showed flashes of potential for the long haul.
"Just to see them fight in each event, that's what was exciting," Grishaw said. "They're not in shape yet, and I don't care about times. I just wanted to see the placements. There is so much we can work on and fix before we go into regionals in a couple weeks and (College Club Swimming National Championships) in a few months."
In the meet-opening 200 medley relay, Brown nearly doubled Liberty's two-second lead on Lynchburg by clocking a time of 20.01 seconds on the final freestyle leg, following freshman Lincoln Annise, junior Malachi Caballero, and junior Grant Ruble. The Flames wound up winning in 1:34.80, ahead of Liberty's B team of freshmen Landon Crum, Drew McQueeney, Brayden Todd, and senior Byron Long (1:38.09) and Lynchburg's A team (1:39.38).
"Last year, Lynchburg beat us in both relays, and this year, in 200 medley relay, we were two seconds faster than our time last year," Grishaw said. "All four guys were different than last year, and that's a big jump, pretty aggressive."
Brown later led off the meet-ending 200 freestyle relay that won in 1:27.42 with a 20.72 split time, followed by Annise, Crum, and fellow freshman Brayden Todd.
"This was the first meet that I've really seen a lot of unity between the guys on the team, encouraging one another, pushing one another, and lifting each other up," Ruble said. "It was encouraging. We give it all back to God, and give Him the glory, but we're excited for the season."
Individually, Brown cruised to first-place finishes in his signature event, the 50 free, in 20.56 — nearly two seconds in front of Lynchburg's second-place Adam Fisher (22.44) — and the 100 free in 46.62, more than two seconds faster than the Hornets' Henry Brooks (48.76).
"He's a really cool athlete to train with, an outstanding guy who is really encouraging, especially in the sprints," Ruble said of Brown. "He pushes us to swim faster and with better technique. This is my first year doing some sprint events, and he's been a real encouragement to the younger guys, especially me."
Ruble swam with the Flames as a freshman before spending his sophomore year as an online student in Indiana while continuing his training. He re-enrolled in Liberty's residential program this fall.
Ruble is targeting qualifying for the 50 butterfly at nationals after placing third in both the 100 (54.96) and 200 (2:03.50) fly events on Friday. Sophomore Tristan Massey won the 200 fly in 2:02.07 followed by graduate Benjamin Bizeau (2:03.13) before Todd won the 100 fly in 53.39 followed by Massey (54.75).
The Flames' trio of senior captains Thomas Hill (5:01.74) and Carter Rice (5:06.90) and freshman Avery Snyder (5:09.97) finished 2-3-4 in the 500 free behind only JC Gordon (4:57.18), one of two swimmers to transfer from Liberty to Lynchburg in the offseason.
Brooks, an NCAA DIII national qualifier last season, was the only other Lynchburg swimmer to win an event, claiming the 100 backstroke in 52.18, well in front of teammate Jonah Rees (54.77), the other transfer from Liberty, Annise (54.81), Long (54.98), and Crum (55.03).
Long won the 200 free in 1:46.38 — nearly two and a half seconds ahead of Gordon (1:48.87) with senior Judah Fralic (1:49.81) finishing third — and the 100 Individual Medley in 2:00.80, well in front of McQueeney (2:04.29).
"Byron Long broke our 400 IM team record last year, so we're expecting some really positive things from him, and looking forward to seeing what he does his senior year," Grishaw said.
"Byron Long was killer," Hill added. "He's absolutely awesome in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 free. He throws down in those and he usually does the 200 breaststroke and the 200 backstroke, too. He's a really strong mid-distance swimmer, and he goes all around."
Junior Malachi Cabellero swam past his competition in the 100 IM, finishing first in 55.18, and the 100 breaststroke, winning decisively in 58.35, ahead of McQueeney (59.30) and fellow freshman Aidan Wanner (1:01.52).
McQueeney (2:13.29) beat Caballero (2:14.42) by more than a second in the 200 breast and Crum finished first in the 200 back, touching the wall in 2:01.17, nearly five seconds ahead of Annise (2:06.05).
Hill, Rice, Long and junior Tommy Horton serve as the team's captains this season.
"The four of us have all known each other for a long time now," Hill said. "I've been really encouraged to work with them, and we're really excited to lead this team. We want to add a lot of unity, and we're looking forward to helping the team grow, not just in our swimming, but spiritually, trying to provide that foundation as well."
The Flames will next compete at the Eastern Regional Championships, set for Oct. 23-24 at Swim RVA in Richmond, which they will attempt to win for the seventh time in a row.
"That will be kind of our first big championship meet, an invitational with teams from (up and down) the East Coast," Hill said. "We're looking forward to showing up there, racing hard, throwing down a lot of good times, and qualifying for nationals."
Two weeks later, Liberty will travel to compete in the Southern Regionals hosted by Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., where they will face the likes of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Florida, and Georgia Tech.
Hill said the Flames — which placed second to Purdue at nationals from 2023-25 before landing in third place behind two teams (Cal-Poly and UNC) stacked with NCAA DI swimmers last spring in Greensboro, N.C. — are eager to contend for their first national championship.
"College Club Swimming overall has continued to get a lot faster every year, especially with the changes at the NCAA level," Hill said. "We're waiting for the qualifying times to come out, but once they do, we're really going to be looking at them and really chasing them down. We see the times get faster every year and that means the competition gets better, so we've got a chance to get up to compete against the best."
He believes Liberty has both the talent and the depth to make a serious run at nationals, which will be held near Los Angeles — site of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games — next spring.
"This is one of the most evenly balanced teams we've had," Hill said. "The freshmen and transfers we have coming in are pretty evenly divided across distance and mid-distance and sprint, so I'm encouraged. We're looking forward to a really strong nationals this year. It might be a surprise to some other teams, but I think we're going to come out of the gate. Last year, we had a lot of seniors graduate so we have a really young team, but it's going to be a really strong team, and you're going to see us push hard and really chase down a national championship."
"I really do think we've got the talent to do it, if we put our heads down, we show up every day, and we work," he added. "I've been really encouraged by everyone coming in is really dedicated. They're excited to be here, excited to work, and they're excited to be a team and do it together."
Hill said Grishaw and Assistant Coach Jordan Stackpole, who both welcomed sons into their families in August, provide exceptional role models for the Flames to follow.
"They show up every day, they're ready to push us, they're always there," he said. "They encourage us, push us, challenge us. We couldn't ask for a better coaching staff. As young guys, it's really encouraging to us to see them out there being dedicated to their families, being involved husbands, involved fathers, and really modeling to us what it's like to do that well while also staying dedicated to your program, to your work, to your college. They're all-around role models for us of how we really walk in following what the Lord has placed on us to do and responding to that calling faithfully, acknowledging, 'We're here where He's placed us, and we need to invest and thrive here … every day.'"
By Ted Allen/Staff WriterGallery: (10-1-2026) Men's swimming vs. Lynchburg
The Flames won 10 of 12 events, including both relays, and rode the momentum from strong debut showings from an influx of seven freshmen and two transfers to pull away. Tim Brown, a senior transfer from NCAA Division I University of Hawaii, won both of his individual events and swam the fastest legs of Liberty's winning relays.
"All of our guys did really well, but there were a couple glaring highlights, and Timothy Brown was stellar, obviously," Liberty 10th-year Head Coach Heath Grishaw said. "He was incredible to watch. He swam anchor in our medley and led off our free relay, which we swept, so that was pretty awesome for us. We really showed up, and we saw some guys go really close to lifetime bests and some guys did get lifetime splits in relays."
He said the team was coming off four weeks of long-course training, leaving them fatigued and not fully tapered for the meet, but showed flashes of potential for the long haul.
"Just to see them fight in each event, that's what was exciting," Grishaw said. "They're not in shape yet, and I don't care about times. I just wanted to see the placements. There is so much we can work on and fix before we go into regionals in a couple weeks and (College Club Swimming National Championships) in a few months."
In the meet-opening 200 medley relay, Brown nearly doubled Liberty's two-second lead on Lynchburg by clocking a time of 20.01 seconds on the final freestyle leg, following freshman Lincoln Annise, junior Malachi Caballero, and junior Grant Ruble. The Flames wound up winning in 1:34.80, ahead of Liberty's B team of freshmen Landon Crum, Drew McQueeney, Brayden Todd, and senior Byron Long (1:38.09) and Lynchburg's A team (1:39.38).
"Last year, Lynchburg beat us in both relays, and this year, in 200 medley relay, we were two seconds faster than our time last year," Grishaw said. "All four guys were different than last year, and that's a big jump, pretty aggressive."
Brown later led off the meet-ending 200 freestyle relay that won in 1:27.42 with a 20.72 split time, followed by Annise, Crum, and fellow freshman Brayden Todd.
"This was the first meet that I've really seen a lot of unity between the guys on the team, encouraging one another, pushing one another, and lifting each other up," Ruble said. "It was encouraging. We give it all back to God, and give Him the glory, but we're excited for the season."
Individually, Brown cruised to first-place finishes in his signature event, the 50 free, in 20.56 — nearly two seconds in front of Lynchburg's second-place Adam Fisher (22.44) — and the 100 free in 46.62, more than two seconds faster than the Hornets' Henry Brooks (48.76).
"He's a really cool athlete to train with, an outstanding guy who is really encouraging, especially in the sprints," Ruble said of Brown. "He pushes us to swim faster and with better technique. This is my first year doing some sprint events, and he's been a real encouragement to the younger guys, especially me."
Ruble swam with the Flames as a freshman before spending his sophomore year as an online student in Indiana while continuing his training. He re-enrolled in Liberty's residential program this fall.
Ruble is targeting qualifying for the 50 butterfly at nationals after placing third in both the 100 (54.96) and 200 (2:03.50) fly events on Friday. Sophomore Tristan Massey won the 200 fly in 2:02.07 followed by graduate Benjamin Bizeau (2:03.13) before Todd won the 100 fly in 53.39 followed by Massey (54.75).
The Flames' trio of senior captains Thomas Hill (5:01.74) and Carter Rice (5:06.90) and freshman Avery Snyder (5:09.97) finished 2-3-4 in the 500 free behind only JC Gordon (4:57.18), one of two swimmers to transfer from Liberty to Lynchburg in the offseason.
Brooks, an NCAA DIII national qualifier last season, was the only other Lynchburg swimmer to win an event, claiming the 100 backstroke in 52.18, well in front of teammate Jonah Rees (54.77), the other transfer from Liberty, Annise (54.81), Long (54.98), and Crum (55.03).
Long won the 200 free in 1:46.38 — nearly two and a half seconds ahead of Gordon (1:48.87) with senior Judah Fralic (1:49.81) finishing third — and the 100 Individual Medley in 2:00.80, well in front of McQueeney (2:04.29).
"Byron Long broke our 400 IM team record last year, so we're expecting some really positive things from him, and looking forward to seeing what he does his senior year," Grishaw said.
"Byron Long was killer," Hill added. "He's absolutely awesome in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 free. He throws down in those and he usually does the 200 breaststroke and the 200 backstroke, too. He's a really strong mid-distance swimmer, and he goes all around."
Junior Malachi Cabellero swam past his competition in the 100 IM, finishing first in 55.18, and the 100 breaststroke, winning decisively in 58.35, ahead of McQueeney (59.30) and fellow freshman Aidan Wanner (1:01.52).
McQueeney (2:13.29) beat Caballero (2:14.42) by more than a second in the 200 breast and Crum finished first in the 200 back, touching the wall in 2:01.17, nearly five seconds ahead of Annise (2:06.05).
Hill, Rice, Long and junior Tommy Horton serve as the team's captains this season.
"The four of us have all known each other for a long time now," Hill said. "I've been really encouraged to work with them, and we're really excited to lead this team. We want to add a lot of unity, and we're looking forward to helping the team grow, not just in our swimming, but spiritually, trying to provide that foundation as well."
The Flames will next compete at the Eastern Regional Championships, set for Oct. 23-24 at Swim RVA in Richmond, which they will attempt to win for the seventh time in a row.
"That will be kind of our first big championship meet, an invitational with teams from (up and down) the East Coast," Hill said. "We're looking forward to showing up there, racing hard, throwing down a lot of good times, and qualifying for nationals."
Two weeks later, Liberty will travel to compete in the Southern Regionals hosted by Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., where they will face the likes of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Florida, and Georgia Tech.
Hill said the Flames — which placed second to Purdue at nationals from 2023-25 before landing in third place behind two teams (Cal-Poly and UNC) stacked with NCAA DI swimmers last spring in Greensboro, N.C. — are eager to contend for their first national championship.
"College Club Swimming overall has continued to get a lot faster every year, especially with the changes at the NCAA level," Hill said. "We're waiting for the qualifying times to come out, but once they do, we're really going to be looking at them and really chasing them down. We see the times get faster every year and that means the competition gets better, so we've got a chance to get up to compete against the best."
He believes Liberty has both the talent and the depth to make a serious run at nationals, which will be held near Los Angeles — site of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games — next spring.
"This is one of the most evenly balanced teams we've had," Hill said. "The freshmen and transfers we have coming in are pretty evenly divided across distance and mid-distance and sprint, so I'm encouraged. We're looking forward to a really strong nationals this year. It might be a surprise to some other teams, but I think we're going to come out of the gate. Last year, we had a lot of seniors graduate so we have a really young team, but it's going to be a really strong team, and you're going to see us push hard and really chase down a national championship."
"I really do think we've got the talent to do it, if we put our heads down, we show up every day, and we work," he added. "I've been really encouraged by everyone coming in is really dedicated. They're excited to be here, excited to work, and they're excited to be a team and do it together."
Hill said Grishaw and Assistant Coach Jordan Stackpole, who both welcomed sons into their families in August, provide exceptional role models for the Flames to follow.
"They show up every day, they're ready to push us, they're always there," he said. "They encourage us, push us, challenge us. We couldn't ask for a better coaching staff. As young guys, it's really encouraging to us to see them out there being dedicated to their families, being involved husbands, involved fathers, and really modeling to us what it's like to do that well while also staying dedicated to your program, to your work, to your college. They're all-around role models for us of how we really walk in following what the Lord has placed on us to do and responding to that calling faithfully, acknowledging, 'We're here where He's placed us, and we need to invest and thrive here … every day.'"
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
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