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

May 16, 2022 – Continuing to collect honors after their standout performances over the weekend, No. 2-ranked Loras College women's track and field student athletes Grace Alley and Alyssa Pfadenhauer were named the Co-Female Athletes of the Week by the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) with Alley taking home the Field Performer award and Pfadenhauer earning the Track Performer nod.

Alley, the conference's Most Valuable Field Performer, claimed four All-Conference honors and two individual titles at the A-R-C Outdoor Track and Field Championship which began on Thursday. She won the heptathlon with 4,550, collecting five event wins in the process, and started off Friday with a school-record and championship record performance in the high jump, clearing 1.74 meters to break the school record which had stood since 2013 and rank second in Division III this season. She also placed third in the triple jump and second in the long jump. Alley is fourth in Division III in the heptathlon, second in the high jump and 12th in the triple jump. This is the Seneca, Ill. native's third-career Outdoor Field Performer honor and the third MVP award in her career, earning the honor outdoors in 2021 and indoors this past season.

Pfadenhauer also pulled a heavy schedule for the Duhawks at the championship, winning the 400-meter dash in 54.98, ranking third in Division III this season, and ran the second-fastest time in program history and the nation in the 200-meter dash, finishing second with a time of 24.13. The West Burlington, Iowa native also helped Loras win the 4-by-100-meter and 4-by-400-meter relays, running the second leg of the 4-by-100-meter relay to clock a time of 46.99 and anchoring the 4-by-400-meter relay to a time of 3:51.52. She currently ranks second nationally in the 200-meter dash, third in the 400-meter dash and 17th in the 800-meter run in addition to the 4-by-100-meter relay ranking second and the 4-by-400-meter relay ranking third. This is her second-career Outdoor Track Performer of the Week honor and second MVP award after she brought home the honor indoors this past season.

Both Alley and Pfadenhauer's performances helped the Duhawks to a runner-up finish at the championship with 224 points.

The Duhawks will compete at the last chance meets in the coming week, heading to Augustana College and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Thursday, Apr. 19 for the final push to secure NCAA Division III National Championship qualifying marks. The 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Track and Field National Championship is set for Thursday, May 26-Saturday, May 28 in Geneva, Ohio at the SPIRE Institute.