CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (February 27, 2021) – Junior Anneka Murrin captured the Missouri Valley Conference title in the mile run as the Loyola University Chicago track & field teams enjoyed a wildly successful day at the MVC Indoor Track & Field Championships inside the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
 
"On the men's side, it was a bit of a mixed day," Loyola head track & field coach Bob Thurnhoffer said.  "Demetri (Panici) getting disqualified was unfortunate.  Riley (DeMeulenaere) showed up in a big way, which was great to see and the men were solid in the triple jump.  Anneka, Claire (Hengesbaugh), Kathleen (Simms), and Lovie (Annafi) were outstanding.  Molly (Reighard) getting through to the final was awesome.  Denee' (Lawrence) was so close, but she's ready to go for outdoor."
 
Out of Yarmouth, Maine, Murrin dazzled en route to her first individual Valley track title, topping the mile run leaderboard with a final time of 4:45.67.  Loyola's women's distance group also shined in the 3,000m run, with juniors Claire Hengesbaugh (9:49.13) and Kathleen Simms (9:51.11) placing second and third.
 
"Anneka, Claire, and Kathleen all executed their race plans extremely well and were rewarded with All-Valley accolades," Loyola associate head coach Alan Peterson stated.  "We're looking to keep momentum going heading into next week's cross country championships."
 
The Rambler jumps crew had a big day of its own, with freshman Lovie Annafi leading the attack.  Annafi unleashed a leap of 38-07.75 (11.78) to place third overall in the triple jump and take home All-MVC accolades in the event.  The Chicago, Ill. native's mark ranks sixth all-time in program history.  Senior Oyinlola Akinlosotu also tallied points for the Maroon & Gold in the event, placing seventh at 37-06.00 (11.43m).  A pair of Ramblers scored on the men's side of the triple jump, with senior Gift Chinda (46-11.00; 14.30m) and sophomore Kevin Szczepaniec (45-10.00; 13.97m) checking in fourth and seventh, respectively.
 
"Lovie was outstanding today in her first MVC meet, finishing a close third," Thurnhoffer continued.  "Oyinlola was stellar as well.  It's so cool to see Melissa (Parrella) as the top freshman in the conference in the long jump, and Lovie as the top freshman triple jumper in the conference.  The future couldn't be brighter.  Our women's team could really be something special this outdoor season.  The men had some runway trouble, but it turned out solid.  Kevin continued his great progression and all his consistency is really paying off.  Gift was stellar in his season debut from short approach.  We missed a big jump, but it's good to have him back competing."
 
In the men's 3,000m run, senior Riley DeMeulenaere spearheaded a strong showing for Loyola in the event, finishing third overall at 8:30.82 to earn an All-Valley nod.  Fellow senior Emmanuel Champagne narrowly missed out on scoring, taking ninth (8:49.44). 
 
"Riley came into the meet with some doubt about his shape and put together an amazing performance," Loyola assistant coach Mircea Bogdan commented.  "He fought hard for every position and ran with a lot of heart and determination to finish third.  I was very impressed with what he did today."
 
Elsewhere on the track, senior Molly Reighard punched her ticket to Sunday's 400m dash final, running 58.49 to finish seventh in the preliminary field.  Senior Denee' Lawrence came with three one-hundredths of a second of equaling her personal best in the 60m dash, as she raced across in 7.75 to land 11^th.  Over in the men's 400m dash, sophomore Timothy Harris fell just 0.25 seconds short of a spot in finals, checking in 10^th at 50.55.
 
"It's been an exciting weekend and we'll wrap it up tomorrow," Thurnhoffer concluded.  "We took a very small group to this MVC meet, but it's turned out quite well."
 
Loyola concludes competition at the MVC Indoor Track & Field Championships on Sunday.  Coverage on The Valley on ESPN is scheduled to begin at 11:15 a.m. (CT).