RALEIGH, N.C. (March 23, 2023) - The 2023 outdoor track & field season got off to a hot start Thursday night at the Raleigh Relays hosted by NC State. Nine Ramblers saw competitive action on the first night, with four of the nine setting personal bests. One Rambler even saw a top-10 performance on the program's 10k all-time list.

The top-10 performance came in the night's final event. Grace Jostock landed ninth on the women's 10k all-time record list. She led the night of Rambler performances with a time of 35:26.23 to finish seventh in her heat.

Before Jostock's record setting run, the night began with the men's 1,500 and Jason Clayton pacing Loyola on the track. Clayton recorded a time of 3:44.43 to place eighth in his heat. He ran two seconds faster in the event than he did last season at the Raleigh Relays.

Miguel Abaitua grabbed second in his heat with a time of 3:48.74. It marks a personal record for Abaitua by three seconds. Alongside Clayton and Abaitua were teammates Gabe Smit and Cameron Arkesteyn. Smit set a PR with a time of 3:50.13 and placed eighth in his heat. Arkesteyn was on his heels with a time of 3:59.21 for 12th place in the event's fourth heat.

A little over an hour later the men took to the track again for the 5k. Fionn Harrington set a personal best with a time of 14:23.63. He shaved eight seconds off his previous best for the new record. Sean O'Connell ran in the fourth heat posting a time of 15:17.34 to cap the Rambler men's performances for the evening.

The first night of action closed with Jostock's all-time performance. She was joined in the event by teammate Sophia Manners. Manners' time of 35:44.05 crushed her personal record by 30 seconds, and she took 10th in her heat. Ali Gillooly wrapped up the 10k with a time of 36:32.37.

Loyola returns to action Friday for the second day of the Raleigh Relays. The Ramblers will participate in the women's 100 meter hurdles, men's 100 meter dash, women's 1,500, and the women's 5k. The events can be streamed beginning at 12:50 p.m. and live results can be followed here.