CHICAGO (September 30, 2022) – Led by a trio of finishers in the top five, the Loyola University Chicago men's cross country team secured its first Loyola Lakefront Invitational team title since 2005 this afternoon at the 43^rd edition of the event at Montrose Harbor on Chicago's North Side.
 
Loyola totaled 26 points to finish well clear of Ohio State (61 points) and DePaul (67 points), who came in second and third, respectively.  On the women's side, the Ramblers took third with 93 points, besting the Blue Demons (131 points) and Northwestern (195 points), along with Atlantic 10 Conference rival Saint Louis (226 points).
 
Running on a picturesque afternoon just north of downtown Chicago, graduate student Ryan Martins was the first Rambler across the finish line in the men's 8k race.  Making his Loyola debut, the Green Brook, N.J. product came up just four tenths of a second shy of a new personal best, posting a time of 24:10.5 to earn a runner-up finish. 
 
Fellow graduate student Chris Devaney, also making his first appearance with the Maroon & Gold, came in 15 seconds back of Martins in 24:25.7.  Graduate student Blake Buysse rounded out Loyola's trio of finishers inside the top five, placing fourth at 24:36.5. 
 
The pairing of graduate student Chantz Visse and sophomore Gabe Smit also carved out spots in the top 15.  Visse checked in 12^th with a time of 25:02.9, with Smit close behind in 25:08.3 to land 14^th.
 
In the women's 6k race, Loyola was led by a breakout performance from sophomore Nora Wollen.  Out of Oak Park, Ill., Wollen shaved over 40 seconds off the previous top time of her career, racing through in 21:41.5 to place eighth overall. 
 
Graduate student Kathleen Simms landed 15^th after crossing in 22:00.7, while sophomore Grace Jostock continued the terrific start to her 2022 campaign, running a one-minute personal best of 22:04.0 en route to finishing 18^th.
 
Closing out the Ramblers top five on the afternoon were sophomore Ali Gillooly and graduate student Sophia Manners.  Two weeks removed from a runner-up finish at the Billiken Invitational, Gillooly turned in a time of 22:26.7, claiming 28^th.  Manners placed 35^th in her Loyola debut in 22:47.2.
 
Running unattached, freshman Lily Mataway turned heads, running a scintillating 21:53.9 to finish 13^th on the individual leaderboard.
 
Loyola wraps up its regular season slate in two weeks when it visits Peoria, Ill. for the Bradley Pink Classic on Friday, October 14.