The Loyola Wolf Pack men improved their team finish from last year's national championship, while Catherine Coldiron broke a school record in the women's race
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Loyola Wolf Pack cross country programs competed well at Friday's NAIA National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Freshman Catherine Coldiron, who qualified for the championship individually, started the day with a record-setting performance, then the men placed 25th nationally out of 36 teams, improving their finish by five spots from last season's championship.
It was the men's second straight season competing at the National Championship after a 17-year hiatus for the program.
Coldiron, who earned her first trip to the NAIA National Championship after a second-place finish at the conference championship, competed as an individual and turned in the best performance in the program's history. Not only did Coldiron record the best time and finish at the Championship, but Coldiron broke the school record in the 5-kilometer race with a time of 18:50.82 to place 62nd out of 326 runners.
Coldiron's run was 25 seconds better than Loyola's previous-best time at the championship, set by Sasha Solano-McDaniel in 2018 and it was 20 seconds better than Tristin Sanders' previous school record set in 2016.
In the men's race, Walter Ramsey finished top of the Pack by placing 61st out of 314 runners. Ramsey's 25:48.00 was the senior's second-best personal time of his career and the fourth-best time in the program's history. More importantly, though, it was the best finish at the NAIA National Championship by a men's Wolf Pack runner in school history, too.
Ramsey wasn't the only Loyola athlete to earn a new season-best time, as all seven runners earned that honor Friday, including two new personal records. Hayden Ricca's 26:20.72 (109th place) was a season-best for the senior, and Peter Nelson-Broderick earned one, too, with a time of 27:37.97 (219th). Daniel Welch, who ran a 27:45.88 (230th), earned a new personal record with his performance, as well as Gabe Jacobson's 28:11.47 (258th). Christian Hanson (27:46.11, 231st) and Alex Medina (29:07.68, 289th) also had season-best times in the championship race.
Men's 8K Results
61. Walter Ramsey – 25:48.00
109. Hayden Ricca – 26:20.72
219. Peter Nelson-Broderick – 27:37.97
230. Daniel Welch – 27:45.88
231. Christian Hanson – 27:46.11
258. Gabe Jacobson – 28:11.47
289. Alex Medina – 29:07.68
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