LA CROSSE, Wis./DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College track and field teams competed in two meets Friday, with the varsity squad traveling to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for the Caged Eagle Invite, while others participated in the University of Dubuque Solomon Butler Classic.
At the Caged Eagle Invite, the Loras women placed third out of nine teams with 71 points, while the men finished sixth with 50.5 points.
The men's team secured one first-place finish as Joe Franke won the 800-meter run with a time of 1:52.49.
The women's team captured four event titles. Emma Seipel won the 60-meter dash in 7.62 seconds. Elly Burds secured a lifetime indoor personal record in the 800-meter run, finishing in 2:14.79, which ranks her 20th nationally. The 4x400-meter relay team of Harmony Creasy, Layla Hughes, Burds and Seipel ran a season-best time of 3:53.41, ranking seventh nationally. Sara Hoskins rounded out Loras' top performances with a high jump mark of 1.72 meters, a season-best that ties her for second nationally.
At the Solomon Butler Classic, Caitlyn Cox was the lone Loras athlete to win an event, throwing 19.06 meters in the weight throw.
Several Duhawks recorded personal-best performances. Zeke Irving, DJ Almada and Hughes set personal records in the 400 meters. Irving clocked a time of 52.18, while Almada finished in 51.41. Hughes placed second in the women's event with a time of 1:00.00.
Bailey Vaughan recorded a six-second personal best in the mile with a time of 5:18.87. Frankie Chaidez placed second in the 800 meters with a season-best time of 2:14.90, which ranks in the top 25 nationally. Vaughan also notched a personal best in the 800 meters, clocking in at 2:22.26.
Ted Kruse improved his 200-meter personal record to 22.40 seconds, tying for third all-time in program history. Carson Vaske also made program history, ranking ninth all-time with a time of 22.56. Eli Pflipsen surpassed the 15-meter mark for the first time in the shot put, reaching 15.01 meters.
In the long jump, Mari Meeks-Miller and Charlie Irwin set lifetime bests. Meeks-Miller posted a mark of 6.21 meters, while Irwin reached 6.25 meters.
Up Next: The Purple and Gold will travel to Waverly, Iowa, for the American Rivers Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships from Feb. 28 to March 1.
Event Winners
Men
- 800 meters: Franke – 1:52.49
Women
- 60 meters: Seipel – 7.62
- 800 meters: Burds – 2:14.79
- 4x400-meter relay: Creasy, Hughes, Burds, Seipel – 3:53.41
- High jump: Hoskins – 1.72 meters
- Weight throw (Solomon Butler Classic): Cox – 19.06 meters
Team Results – UW-La Crosse Caged Eagle Invite
Women
- UW-La Crosse – 168.5
- UW-Eau Claire – 77.5
- Loras – 71
- Wartburg – 67.5
- UW-Stout – 66
- UW-Whitewater – 43.5
- Winona State – 14
- Viterbo – 13
- UW-Platteville – 10
Men
- UW-La Crosse – 236.5
- UW-Stout – 73
- Wartburg – 57
- UW-Eau Claire – 56
- UW-Whitewater – 53
- Loras – 50.5
- UW-Platteville – 10
- St. Norbert – 10
- Cornell College – 6
