‘Blers Blaze in Blue Demon Classic

Coming off the heels of two straight weekend competitions in South Bend, Ind., Loyola track and field stayed close to home, heading to Chicago’s Cottage Grove neighborhood to compete in the Blue Demon Alumni Classic Feb. 8.

Saturday’s events kicked off with the Ramblers sending three competitors for the men’s mile. The group was led by graduate Samuel Field, who landed in fourth place with a time of 4:05.10 and was followed by a fifth-place finish from fourth-year Gabe Smit, who came in only a split second behind at 4:05.91. Fourth-year Jack Slaughter rounded out the event for Loyola, placing in 26th with a season-best time of 4:29.89.

First-year Madison Perez was the only Rambler runner for the women’s mile. She finished with a personal best of 5:39.72 in a 26th place finish.

Loyola’s next events were the men’s and women’s 3000m. First-year River Santiago, running unattached from the team, posted a time of 8:38.24 and finished third. Second-year Trent Anderson marked the first qualifying run for the Ramblers, finishing in fourth with a season-best time of 8:38.32.

Just outside the top 10 was another season-best time from third-year Kyle Knutson with 8:50.17, earning him 11th. Two spots behind him was second-year Aidan Collins, who crossed with a time of 8:58.55, before third-year Gabe Ryan rounded things out with a season best at 9:06.38, earning him 16th. 

Loyola sent two runners for the women’s 3K, led by a personal best from fourth-year Ali Gillooly in 14th with a time of 9:58.08. One spot outside of the top 20 was fourth-year Alex Morris, who ran a season-best 10:11.44.

For the final two events of the day, Loyola had lone competitors in both the women’s 400m and 800m. Second-year Jo Collins represented the Ramblers with a 22nd-place finish and a time of 1:05.04, while graduate Kate Wojcikiewicz ran unattached from Loyola and earned sixth place with a 2:13.81 in the 800m.

The Ramblers will be back on the track Friday, Feb. 14 when they head to Boston for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Some members of the team will remain local in Naperville, Ill. for the Chicagoland Indoor Championship Feb. 14-15.