By: Cade Messer | Athletic Communications Student Assistant

April 3, 2023 – The Loras College men's track & field team kicked off their 2023 Outdoor Season this past weekend at five different meets across the country. The Duhawks were in action at the Bobcat Invitational, Stanford Invitational, Texas Relays, Wartburg College Select, and the University of Dubuque Opener.

 At the Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos, Texas, freshman Matt Kruse finished 5^th in the 400-meter run clocking in at 47.45 which is currently the 2^nd fastest time in NCAA Division III. Mike Jasa won the 800-meter run in a time of 1:48.46 which is the fastest time in the country by nearly two seconds. Derik Bunten finished 4^th for the Duhawks in the men's long jump, recording a mark of 7.47 meters which is good for the 2nd-best mark in Division III.

Out west in Stanford, Calif., senior Wyatt Kelly ran 3:48.03, and sophomore Ryan Harvey ran 3:48.57 in the 1,500-meter run. Kelly and Harvey currently hold the first and second fastest times in the country for NCAA Division III.

At the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, the 4x100-meter relay team of Bunten, De'Andre Klein, Ted Kruse, and Josh Smith finished in 24^th place running 42.23 seconds. In the 4x400-meter relay, the team of M. Kruse, T. Kruse, Smith, and Jasa ran 3:15.81 which ranks them No. 1 in Division III.

In Waverly, Iowa, fifth-year senior Luke Guttormson lead the way for the Duhawks, running to a 3^rd place finish in the 5,000-meter run, clocking in at 15:06.23. Sophomore Carlo Dannenfelser was the highest finisher for the Duhawks in the 1,500-meter run crossing the line in 7th.

The Duhawks concluded their busy weekend of competition just across town at the University of Dubuque Spartans Opener where the Duhawks saw numerous Top 3 finishes. Matt Bandy and Ray Venditti finished first and second in the high jump, while Venditti took first place in the pole vault with a 4.75-meter clearance that ranks him in a tie for fifth in Division III. Brandon Doser won the 5,000-meter run to conclude the men's victories at UD.

Owen Scherff finished 2^nd in the 100 Hurdles, Holden Murphy finished runner-up in the Hammer, and Ian Lucas and Matt Marcum finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively in the 400-meter hurdles. Frank Day, Carson Vaske, Joe Franke, and Holden Murphy all snagged top-three finishes in their respective events.

The Duhawks will be back in action this Wednesday, April 5, in Davenport, Iowa at Saint Ambrose University.