Contact: Emily Adlfinger, Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970

Feb. 26, 2022 – A balanced team effort helped the No. 2-ranked Loras College men's track and field team capture its fourth indoor conference championship title in program history on Saturday led by seven individual champions, 15 All-Conference performances and the bringing home Coaching Staff of the Year at the 2022 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Indoor Track and Field Championship, hosted by the University of Dubuque.

Holden Murphy scored the first individual title of the championship in the shot put, throwing 15.53 meters for the seventh-farthest toss in program history. He added a runner-up finish in the weight throw on Saturday, throwing 17.23 meters which ranks second on Loras' all-time list. Ryan Rogers started his final indoor championship off with a win in the pole vault, clearing 4.58 meters to secure his fourth conference title in his career in the event. Also competing at his final indoor championship, Joey Schultz finished third in the 5,000-meter run, running 14:53.65 for the sixth-fastest mark in program history. Derik Bunten secured an All-Conference finish in the long jump, going 6.82 meters and the distance medley relay crew of Wyatt Kelly, Carson Vaske, Mike Jasa and Ryan Harvey finished off the first day's schedule with a facility record and the fifth-fastest time in program history to win in 10:03.09.

After Murphy's weight throw started the day off on a high note, Harvey and Kelly set the pace in the mile run and came away with a 1-2 finish, led by Harvey setting the school record for the third time this season in 4:09.11 and running the third-fastest time in the nation this season. Kelly was on his heels, finishing second in 4:09.95 and ranking eighth in Division III. Josh Smith defended his title in the 60-meter dash in 6.86 seconds in the finals after setting the school record in the prelims with a time of 6.79 and ranking fifth in the nation. He also added a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash, running 22.12. Rogers collected another All-Conference performance in the 60-meter hurdles, running 8.24 to place third and Jasa defended his title in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:53.74. Matt Bandy added more All-Conference honors in the field events with a third-place finish in the high jump, clearing 1.99 meters which ranks eighth all-time.

Loras' relays continued to shine as the 4-by-800-meter relay of Chris Guise, Joe Franke, Shane McBride, and Carter Oberfoell finished second with a school-record time of 7:51.06 and the 4-by-400-meter relay of Ted Kruse, Will Kieffer, Nate Sielaff and Jasa capped off the meet with a conference title, running 3:21.44.

The Duhawks won the meet with a comfortable 37-point lead against Wartburg College, scoring 179 points to the Knights' 142, and the host Spartans finished third with 124.5 points.

The Duhawks look to carry the same success into the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championship beginning Friday, Mar. 11 in Winston-Salem, N.C. at the JDL Fast Track.