CHICAGO (December 5, 2019) – The Loyola University Chicago track & field teams will officially open their 2019-20 season on Friday when they make their way to Allendale, Mich. for the GVSU Holiday Open. This will mark the seventh consecutive year that the Maroon & Gold have started their indoor campaign at the meet.
Events at the Kelly Sports Center are slated to begin at 1:45 p.m. (CT) with the men's high jump. The 60m hurdles preliminaries will begin the day's action on the track just 15 minutes later at 2 p.m. (CT). Links to a full schedule of events, heat sheets, and live results can be accessed to the right.
Loyola was picked to finish sixth in both the men's and women's Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Polls. The Rambler men accumulated 36 points, while the women totaled 53 points. Illinois State finished atop both bolls.
Highlighting a trio of returning All-Valley field honorees for the Ramblers is senior
Eric Burns. Out of New Carlisle, Ind., Burns captured his first league title at the 2019 MVC Indoor Championships, cruising to victory in the long jump.
The triple jump pairing of junior
Gift Chinda and sophomore
Sarah Olojo will both look to carry over momentum from indoor podium finishes last season in the triple jump. Chinda placed third overall, while Olojo turned in a breakout performance, finishing second en route to being named the MVC Women's Freshman of the Year.
On the track, the Ramblers return five indoor All-MVC selections from a year ago. Leading the way for that group is junior
Mimi Reimers. Fresh off a runner-up finish at the MVC Cross Country Championship in November, Reimers, a native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, will look to build on her third-place finish at last season's indoor league meet.
In the men's track events, senior
Octavian Wells and junior
Vince DiVenere are back after helping the Ramblers earn third in the 4x400m relay last season, while the senior pairing of
Riley DeMeulenaere and
Demetri Panici led the Ramblers to a third-place finish in the distance medley relay.
Following the GVSU Holiday Open, Loyola will be back in action in 2020 when it makes the short trip to Naperville, Ill. for the Cardinal Opener on Friday, January 17.
