DAVENPORT, Iowa (Dec. 10, 2022) – Loras College's track and field programs got their 2023 seasons started in December for the second year in a row as the Duhawks got back to their winning ways with a pair of victories at St. Ambrose University's Finals Week Invitational over the weekend.

The Duhawk women claimed nine event victories while racking up 171 points to finish atop their 10-team leaderboard with a 52-point cushion over second place St. Ambrose. The Loras men earned six wins as part of their 153-point total, also placing them ahead of the runners-up from St. Ambrose with 128.

Senior sprinter Marion Edwards helped lead the way for the women as she was victorious in both her 60-meter and 200-meter sprints. On both occasions, Edwards finished ahead of teammate Kelly Kohlhof to give the Duhawks a pair of 1-2 finishes.

Those two 1-2 finishes weren't the only ones for the Duhawk women as Ellie Osterberger and Kaylee Osterberger did the same in the 3000-meter run. Ellie paced the field with 10:17.18 time, good enough for fourth on the program's all-time list, while Kaylee's 10:27.62 places her seventh on that same list.

In the field, the Duhawks showed dominance with 1-2-3 finishes in the high jump and the weight throw while claiming the top four spots in the triple jump. Junior Sara Hoskins came out on top of the high jump standings as both she and sophomore teammate Aaliyah Collier managed to clear 1.60 meters with their attempts. Freshman Julia Klein was third after clearing 1.50 meters on her first attempt in her collegiate debut.

The weight throw went to freshman Caitlyn Cox in first place ahead of junior teammates Taylor Flaig and Destiny Schwartz. Cox's winning mark of 15.93 meters gave her the victory and just managed to crack the top-10 on the program record book in her first action as a Duhawk.

Senior Grace Alley led the way with an 11.54-meter mark in the triple jump ahead of teammates De'ja Austin-Cherry, Collier, and Harmony Creasy. That victory for Alley gave her two for the weekend as she also took the top spot in the pentathlon by totaling 3,659 points to set a new program record.

The Duhawk men earned their season-opening victory by way of six wins, including wins in the long sprint and shorter mid-distance races from freshman Matt Marcum and senior Mike Jasa. Marcum claimed the 600-meter race with a 1:24.51 time that just narrowly edged out teammate Ian Lucas as the two finished 0.11 seconds apart. Jasa's 1:50.33 time in the 800-meters was tops for the race as Carter Oberfoell, Elliot Frideres, and Chris Guise rounded out the top four.

Marcum and Jasa also helped the 4x400-meter relay team to victory as they teamed up with Josh Smith and Easton Stackis to deliver the victory. Smith was a winner as an individual in the 200-meter dash as well.

Senior Ray Venditti and junior Derik Bunten rounded out Loras' victories in the field and each elevated their status in their event's respective record book. Venditti's pole vault mark of 4.57 meters moves him from No. 10 to No. 4 on the program's all-time list while Bunten's 7.06-meter long jump takes him from 10^th up to a tie for seventh place.

This season-opening tune up meet is the only one on Loras' December calendar as the Duhawks won't compete again until Saturday, Jan. 14 when they again head to St. Ambrose for the Battle in the Hive.