Cross Country Cruises Past Nationally Ranked Competition at Loyola Lakefront Invitational

Graduate William Sinclair led Loyola men’s cross country to second place with his fourth-place overall finish at their own 46th Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational Friday, Oct. 3. Fourth-year Roisin Treacy finished 24th individually, leading the women’s team to place 14th of 15 teams.

The competition, which began in the 1970s, was renamed to honor former Rambler student-athlete Sean Earl, who died from testicular cancer in 2000. Marc Burns, Loyola’s track and field coach in 2000, renamed the event after Earl the same year.

The men’s team ran in the Tom Cooney 8K, named after the former Loyola head coach who founded the Lakeshore Athletic Services, Inc. in 1977 — a service that “provides equipment, traffic services, race timing, course operations, and full-service event and race management nationwide”, according to their website, including the Loyola Lakefront Invitational.

Sinclair flashed with a fourth-place finish for the Ramblers with a time of 23:24.66. Third-year Jake Phillips was next with a personal best time of 23:50.30, landing him in 13th. Graduate Hayden Healy was behind him in 24th at 24:04.46, a new personal best. Three spots behind him was fourth-year Yusuf Baig in 27th with his time of 24:11.32. 

Rounding out the Ramblers’ top five was third-year Nate Boutin with another personal best of 24:22.05. Loyola’s combined placement score of 108 earned them second in the invitational behind only the University of Wisconsin at 71, who are ranked seventh nationally in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll.

The Ramblers finished ahead of two other universities ranked in the top 25, with No. 16 University of North Carolina finishing sixth and No. 24 University of Washington finishing eighth.

Outside Loyola’s top five were graduate Rodolfo Sanchez in 42nd at 24:23.75, second-year Izak Bibile setting a personal best of 24:41.80 and third-year Woody Jerome ending the day for the Ramblers in 93rd with a time of 25:42.08

In the men’s open 8K, Loyola sent all six runners who competed — four affiliated — led by fourth-year Colby Revord, finishing first in the pack with a time of 25:34.59. Behind him were consecutive unaffiliated runners in first-years Eugene Niox-Chateau and Francesco Benelli at 25:46.34 and 26:10.36. 

Finishing fourth, fifth and sixth were third-year Aidan Collins, second-year Dylan Ybarra and fourth-year Kyle Knutson, who timed in 27:11.91, 27:45.87 and 27:46.37.

The women’s team struggled against tough competition, facing seven nationally ranked teams, with No. 2 North Carolina State University finishing first. The Ramblers finished 14th out of the 15 competing universities in the Tom Cooney 6K.

Treacy led the women’s side with a personal best of 20:19.04, earning her 24th. Over a minute behind her in second for the Ramblers was third-year Bárbara Neiva in 81st at 21:15.87. After her was third-year Angy Salado Fernandez, finishing 98th, clocking in at 21:44.14. 

Outside the top 100 were graduate Kayla Schmidt and third-year Priscilla Ravera, who placed in 114th and 119th with times of 22:26.12 and 22:58.50.

Running in the open women’s 6K, the Ramblers sent four runners. Leading Loyola was third-year Jo Collins, who finished 20th in 22:52.81. Behind her was second-year Lindsey Kiehl, who finished 23rd, timing in at 23:28.11. In 26th was first-year Frances Perry at 23:45.68. Lastly was first-year Mackenzie Armstrong in 29th, finishing at 24:33.91.

The Ramblers run next in Columbia, Mo., for the Missouri Pre National Invite Oct. 18 in their final race before the Atlantic 10 Championships in Dayton, Ohio Nov. 1.