Daniel Welter

Women's Track and Field Turns in Dominant Midweek Performance at Rittgers

April 23, 2026

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Loras College women's track and field team opened the week with a strong showing at the Rittgers Invitational, hosted by Coe College on Wednesday, April 22.

The Duhawks set the tone early in the 4x100-meter relay, as the quartet of Meghan McDonald, Bryn Meyer, Layla Hughes and Katie Flynn captured first place with a personal-best time of 48.51.

Meyer led the charge in the sprints, winning the 100 meters in 12.63, while McDonald added a fourth-place finish with a season-best 12.81. Iva Senio (12.85) and Emmy Hughes (14.82) each recorded personal-best efforts. Meyer continued her momentum in the 200 meters with a personal-best 25.92, with Senio (27.34) and Hughes (29.90) also posting new personal records.

In the middle distances, Olivia Carroll placed third in the 800 meters, while the Duhawks dominated the 1,500 meters. Ivy Glendening tied her personal best to win the event in 4:55.00, followed by Lilly Molloy in second with a personal-best 5:00.31. Natalia Saucedo added another personal-best performance, finishing in 5:34.72.

Loras continued its distance success in the 3,000 meters, sweeping the top three spots. Taylor Hoger claimed the title with a personal-best 11:27.21, while Mila Grothus (11:42.22) and Hunter Jones (11:57.57) each recorded personal-best times to place second and third, respectively. Additional personal-best performances came from Mary Jo Fischer (11:58.29), Sarah Gibson (12:13.27) and Hannah Landwehr (12:17.81).

The Duhawks also excelled in the hurdles, as Emery Wherry won the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 15.58. Rachel Theis placed third (16.07) and Abby Pierce followed (16.16), both recording personal bests. In the 400-meter hurdles, Pierce added a runner-up finish in 1:06.09, while Layla Hughes (1:06.69) and Theis (1:08.49) each posted personal-best times.

In the field events, Loras went 1-2-3 in the high jump, with Julia Klein and Grace Cummins tying for first at 1.55 meters and Reese Fitzpatrick placing third at 1.40 meters. Abby Horsfall recorded a season-best 10.86 meters in the shot put, while Lilly Anderson added a personal-best 8.76 meters. Bridgette Smith posted a personal-best 41.38 meters in the hammer throw, and Andelyn Cabalka cleared a personal-best 3.00 meters in the pole vault.

Earlier in the week, a select group competed at the Wartburg Triangular on Tuesday, April 21. Savannah Davis led the way with a first-place finish and personal-best time of 2:19.27 in the 800 meters. In the throws, Caitlyn Cox won the hammer throw (54.69m) and placed second in the shot put (12.11m), while Emily Jackson finished third in the discus with a personal-best 34.32 meters.