DUBUQUE, Iowa – For the third-straight year, the Loras College Men's and Women's Track & Field programs won the American Rivers Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship, making it only the second time over the last 20 years that a program has recorded a three-peat on both the men and women's sides concurrently.

The women won the conference title after registering 31 All-Conference performances, including three relay squads, and seven individual conference champions. The No. 2 Duhawks recorded 202 team points, beating out the No. 3 Wartburg College Knights by 23.5 points for the top spot.

On the men's side, the No. 16 Duhawks won its third-straight A-R-C crown after recording 14 All-Conference performances and having six individuals and one relay squad win event titles. The Duhawks narrowly edged out No. 20 Wartburg by 1.5 team points.

For their efforts in coaching another incredible group of student-athletes to conference glory, the Loras College Track & Field staff of Matt Jones, Bob Schultz, Ethan Adlfinger, Ryan Rogers, and Hope Koerperich was named the A-R-C's Coaching Staff of the Year. For Jones, it is the seventh overall time his staff has won recognition between the men's and women's programs.

Grace Alley led the Duhawks on the women's side with three individual event titles, earning her the A-R-C's Women's Field MVP award. Alley got things started on Friday with events in the pentathlon, eventually winning the title with 3,604 points. Alley went on to claim gold medals in the high jump (1.71m / 5-7.25) and triple jump (11.84m / 38-10.25), while also earning All-Conference honors in the long jump, 60 meter hurdles, and as part of the 4x400 meter relay.

Emma Seipel won two gold medals over the two-day meet, with her first coming in the long jump (5.77m / 18-11.25) and her second in the 60 meter dash, where she clocked in a time of 7.11 – which stands tied for the fourth-fastest mark in program history. Seipel would go on to earn additional All-Conference honors in the triple jump and 200 meter race.

Caitlyn Cox continued her impressive sophomore campaign, as the Des Moines native won the weight throw with a mark of 19.49 meters (63-11.5), breaking her school record by over 21 inches.

Loras' last gold medalist on the women's side was Harmony Creasy, who earned her second-career A-R-C  title after closing out her 200 meter race at 25.38, a time that places the junior third all-time at Loras in the event.

On the men's side, Holden Murphy earned the conference's Men's Field MVP award after winning both the shot put and weight throw. Murphy won the shot put with a mark of 16.89 meters (55-5), breaking a school record that had stood in place since 1996. In the weight throw, Murphy broke his own school and A-R-C Championship record after tossing 19.73 meters (64-8.75). Dre Jackson, competing with Murphy in the shot put, threw 16.51 meters, earning him silver and placing him fourth on Loras' top-10 list for the event.

Joe Franke won a pair of gold medals, first as an individual in the 800 meter race with a time of 1:52.13 – which now stands as the third-fastest time in school history. His second medal came as being part of Loras' distance medley relay squad consisting of Jacob Belha, Carson Vaske, and Ryan Harvey. The foursome went on to claim gold after finishing the race in 10:03.16, the ninth-fastest mark in program history.

Loras saw Frank Day and Dayvion Foreman go 1-2 in the 60 meter dash, with Day winning the event at 6.88 and Foreman finishing in 6.97. Day's time stands third in school history, while Foreman's is tied for the fourth-fastest.

Ray Venditti won the pole vault for the second-straight year after clearing 4.88 meters (16-0), setting a new personal best, and placing him 14^th on the NCAA Indoor Performance List.

Derik Bunten was the final Duhawk to earn a gold medal after hitting a season-best mark of 7.28 meters (23-10.75), placing him eighth nationally.

The Duhawks will return to action next weekend for a pair of meets, as select individuals will head to Platteville, Wis. to take part in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Last Chance Meet on Friday, March 1, before switching gears for the Wartburg College Qualifier the following day.
 
Specialty Awards
Women's Field MVP – Grace Alley
Men's Field MVP – Holden Murphy
Men's and Women's Coaching Staff of the Year – Loras
 
Conference Champions
Men
60 Meters: Frank Day (6.88)
800 Meters: Joe Franke (1:52.13)
Distance Medley Relay: Belha, Vaske, Franke, Harvey (10:13.16)
Pole Vault: Ray Venditti (4.88m / 16-0)
Long Jump: Derik Bunten (7.28m / 23-10.75)
Shot Put: Holden Murphy(16.89m / 55-5)
Weight Throw: Holden Murphy (19.73m / 64-8.75)
 
Women
60 Meters: Emma Seipel (7.71)
200 Meters: Harmony Creasy (25.38)
High Jump: Grace Alley (1.71m / 5-7.25)
Long Jump: Emma Seipel (5.77m / 18-11.25)
Triple Jump: Grace Alley (11.84m / 38-10.25)
Weight Throw: Caitlyn Cox (19.49m / 63-11.5)
Pentathlon: Grace Alley (3,604 points)
 
All-Conference Finishes
Men
Pole Vault: Ray Venditti (1^st)
Long Jump: Derik Bunten (1^st)
Shot Put: Holden Murphy (1^st), Dre Jackson (2^nd)
Distance Medley Relay: Jacob Belha, Carson Vaske, Joe Franke, Ryan Harvey (1^st)
Weight Throw: Holden Murphy (1^st), Tommy Halatek (2^nd)
Mile: Ryan Harvey (3^rd)
60 Meters: Frank Day (1^st), Dayvion Foreman (2^nd)
800 Meters: Joe Franke (1^st)
 
Women
Pentathlon: Grace Alley (1^st)
Long Jump: Emma Seipel (1^st), Harmony Creasy (2^nd), Grace Alley (3^rd)
Shot Put: Riley Vice (2^nd)
Distance Medley Relay: Bailey Vaughan, Layla Hughes, Emily Jackson, Frankie Chaidez (3^rd)
Weight Throw: Caitlyn Cox (1^st)
Triple Jump: Grace Alley (1^st), Julia Klein (2^nd), Emma Seipel (3^rd)
High Jump: Grace Alley (1^st), Sara Hoskins (2^nd), Julia Klein (3^rd)
60 Meters: Emma Seipel (1^st), Harmony Creasy (2^nd), Kelly Kohlhof (3^rd)
60 Meter Hurdles: Grace Alley (3^rd)
800 Meters: Frankie Chaidez (3^rd)
200 Meters: Harmony Creasy (1^st), Emma Seipel (2^nd)
4x800 Relay: Becca Diddia, Emily Jackson, Bailey Vaughan, Frankie Chaidez (2^nd)
4x400 Relay: Layla Hughes, Alyssa Pfadenhauer, Kelly Kohlhof, Grace Alley (3^rd)
 
Team Results
Men
1. Loras – 145.5 Points
2. Wartburg – 144 Points
3. Dubuque – 123.5 Points
4. Central – 97.5 Points
5. Nebraska Wesleyan – 95 Points
6. Simpson – 62.5 Points
7. Buena Vista – 21 Points
8. Luther – 8 Points
9. Coe – 4 Points
 
Women
1. Loras – 202 Points
2. Wartburg – 178.5 Points
3.Central - 136.5 Points
4. Dubuque – 59 Points
5. Nebraska Wesleyan – 58 Points
6. Simpson – 45 Points
7. Coe – 12 Points
8. Luther – 6 Points
9.  Buena Vista – 5 Points