BOSTON, Mass. (December 3, 2022) – Graduate student Ryan Martins took down a 30-year-old school record in the 5,000m run, highlighting a wildly successful day for the Loyola University Chicago track & field teams at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener this evening in Boston, Mass.
 
Competing in the third heat of a loaded field inside the Boston University Track & Tennis Center, Martins ran nearly 33 seconds better than his previous overall personal best in the event, placing first with a time of 13:33.45 that bests former All-American Jim Westphal's school record in the event by 23 seconds.  The Green Brook, N.J. product's time from this evening currently ranks 16^th nationally.
 
Graduate student Chris Devaney and sophomore Jason Clayton also both came in under the 14-minute barrier, an accomplishment only Westphal had to his name prior to this evening.  Devaney took fourth in his heat with an overall seven-second personal-best 13:52.61, while Clayton crossed in 13:59.64, the fourth fastest time in Rambler annals, to place sixth in his section.  Graduate student Blake Buysse also represented the Maroon & Gold in the event, posting a time of 14:34.75.
 
On the women's side of the 5,000m run, freshman Lily Mataway looked to pick up right where she left off following a breakout cross country season.  Out of Davison, Mich., Mataway surged to a runner-up finish in her heat, crossing in 16:30.86, the fifth fastest time in school history
 
Sophomore Nora Wollen, fresh off a terrific cross country campaign of her own, clocked a 14-second personal best, racing through in 16:43.04 to ascend up to eighth all-time at Loyola.  Fellow sophomores Grace Jostock (17:01.58) and Ali Gillooly (17:05.64) also impressed in their respective debuts in the event, with Jostock narrowly missing out on a spot in the program's all-time top 10.
 
Loyola will be back in action close to home on Friday, December 9 when it visits the Track & Field Center at Gately Park on Chicago's South Side for the Blue Demon Holiday Invitational.