DCA’s Inmon commits to run at Liberty
Published 4:09 am Saturday, September 9, 2023
By Mike Marsee
Contributing Writer
Victoria Inmon thought her brief running career was over when she walked off the track at the regional meet. As it turns out, it was only the beginning.
Inmon has committed to the Liberty University women’s track and field team, becoming the first Division I athlete from Danville Christian.
Best known as a basketball player during her years at DCA, Inmon is competing in college in a sport she wouldn’t even have thought of even three months ago.
“I never had thought about it in my wildest dreams,” Inmon said at a ceremony earlier this month celebrating her commitment. “I never thought DCA would even have a track team.”
Just as she jumped at the chance to join the DCA track team when it debuted this spring, Inmon jumped at the chance to run track in college.
“I’ve been praying about it a lot and my parents have been praying about it for me, and I was like, ‘You know what? I think I might try to run track in college,’” she said.
She was already planning to attend Liberty – older sisters Alee and Madelyn had gone there before her – and she talked to an assistant girls basketball coach who talked to track and field coach Lance Bingham about her. She called Bingham and told him about her height and weight and her time in the 400-meter dash, her best event.
“He said he had been praying about a 400 runner, and that’s my event,” Inmon said. “Basically, God just opened the door and I’m taking it with open arms, and I’m super excited about running for Liberty.”
During her first track season, Inmon improved her 400 time from 1:05 to 1:01. She was slowed at the end of the regular season when she contracted mononucleosis, and she finished sixth in the Region 1A-5 meet at 1:05.
“I don’t think I reached my full potential, so running in college is definitely going to give me a chance to grow,” she said.
She said she has come to discover that there is a different culture in track and field than in basketball because of the individual nature of the sport.
“You’re by yourself, so you’re just pushing yourself instead of everyone else on your team pushing you, but also your teammates can support you through it,” Inmon said.
Inmon joins a Liberty women’s team that won its third ASUN Conference championship in four years this spring. The Flames have moved to Conference USA this year.
Inmon’s roots run deep at DCA, where her father Billy is on the board of directors and serves as the girls basketball coach and where her three siblings attend or have attended, and she said it means a great deal to her to be the school’s first D-I athlete.
“I’m very grateful and so blessed,” she said. “I just want to give God all the glory in this situation, because without him I would not be in this spot at all.
“I’m very proud to be a DCA Warrior, but I’m also super excited to be Liberty Flame now.”
Several DCA athletes have gone on to other collegiate levels, and there will likely be more D-I athletes to come, and Inmon said it shows that Christian athletes can compete with their peers from other schools and be successful.
“I hope this inspires a lot of people (and shows) that if you give everything to God and you also work your hardest that it will pay off,” she said.