GVSU Holiday Open Final Results 

ALLENDALE, Mich. (December 1, 2017) – The Loyola University Chicago track & field teams picked up three event titles to go along with a handful of impressive marks as they officially opened the indoor portion of their 2017-18 schedule today at the GVSU Holiday Open in Allendale, Mich.
 
"Heading into the meet, we talked about getting out to a hot start and feeding off each other's performances," Loyola head track & field coach Bob Thurnhoffer said.  "We did that and more today.  The momentum is building and I can't wait to see where it takes us."
 
In the field, Loyola was led by the sophomore trio of Mackenzie Arnold, Constantine Beniaris and Eric Burns.  Burns picked up right where he left off following a breakout freshman campaign as he took home a first-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 23-10.25 (7.27m).  Arnold narrowly missed out on a title of her own on the women's side of the long jump, where she earned a runner-up finish following a top mark of 17-11.75 (5.48m) that moves her into fourth on the program's all-time indoor record board in the event.  In the men's high jump, Beniaris tied his career personal-best as he cleared 6-06.75 (2.00m) to finish in fifth place.
 
"On the jumps side of things, Eric led the way with a convincing win in the long jump over a loaded field," Thurnhoffer continued.  "He left a monster foul out there but that indicates he is ready to make the NCAA meet.  Transfer Mackenzie Arnold got her season off to a great start with her furthest jump in several years.  Constantine Beniaris matched his career best in the high jump and is ready to threaten for the school record in the near future."
 
Loyola's men's 4x400m relay of juniors Leron Norton and Elijah Olige and sophomores Michael Edwards and Octavian Wells rolled to a victory, crossing in 3:14.48.  All four members of the relay also experienced success on the individual level. Edwards finished second (34.54) in the 300m dash, while Wells took third (22.04) in the 200m dash.  Norton checked in at third (48.94) in the 400m dash before Olige earned a third-place finish (1:22.55) of his own in the 600m run. 

Junior Regan Todhunter turned heads in the 60m hurdles, where he shaved almost a full tenth of a second off of his own school record in the event as he came in at 8.43 in a preliminary heat.  Freshman Tyler Elmore also impressed, taking fourth overall (6.94) in the 60m dash finals in his collegiate debut.
 
Junior Natajah Simmons paced the Rambler women in the sprinting events with a pair of top-five finishes.  Simmons turned in a personal-best run of 7.66 in the 60m dash to finish fourth overall before placing second (24.75) in the 200m dash.  Simmons went on to team up with senior Brady Rodney and sophomores Lindsay Walters and Kyndall Wallace as the quartet finished fourth in the women's 4x400m relay with a time of 3:55.12.
 
"This was probably one of the best all-around days that we have had since I have been around the program," Loyola assistant track & field coach Jon DeGrave commented.  "Many of the veterans took big steps forward and the newcomers showed what they are capable of.  It was so much fun being out there.  Natajah Simmons and Leron Norton led the way with breakthrough days and I'm expecting big junior years from both of them."
 
Redshirt senior Alex Baker, coming off of a cross country campaign that saw him earn a runner-up finish at the MVC Championship, cut nearly 11 seconds off of his personal best in the 5,000m run en route to a time of 14:07.62 that saw him finish fifth overall and move up to second on Loyola's all-time indoor record board in the event.  Redshirt senior Nicholas Prajka (2:32.30) and senior Brady McCue (2:32.70) orchestrated a one-two finish in the 1,000m run, while sophomore Riley DeMeulenaere (8:36.05) and freshman Emmanuel Champagne (8:36.69) finished second and third, respectively, in the 3,000m run.
 
Loyola will continue its indoor campaign next Friday (Dec. 8) when it visits Charleston, Ill. for the EIU Early Bird.