Men’s Cross Country wins Nicholls Invitational Saturday

THIBODAUX, La. – The Loyola University New Orleans men's and women's cross country programs made the drive to Thibodaux, Louisiana, on Saturday to compete in the Nicholls XC Invitational. Loyola's competition included teams from across the state, also battling NCAA Division I programs in Southeastern (La.), Nicholls, Southern University, and Alcorn State, as well as NAIA rivals in Xavier and Dillard. 

The Loyola men won Saturday's meet by a significant margin, leaving the 4-mile run with a score of 18, passing Nicholls State's 51 and Southeastern's 100 score. Loyola had four finishers within the top-10 racers, including three within the top five. The Wolf Pack women ended Saturday's meet as the top NAIA program, finishing sixth in the meet with a score of 126.

The Wolf Pack will return to competition in October, when Loyola makes its way to the Warhawk Invite in Oakville, Alabama, on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 4:30 p.m.

In back-to-back weeks, freshman Meera Hijazi was the Maroon and Gold's top finisher in the women's race. In the 55-runner 5-kilometer run, Hijazi ended the event with a 20:29.2 time, racing past many NCAA Division I student-athletes. Caitlyn Summers and Emma Meneses were Loyola's next finishers, taking 27th and 28th places, recording times of 22:00.4 and 22:04.9, respectively.

Sela Myers and Sophia Freeze were the Loyola women's final runners in the event. Myers clocked a time of 22:17.7, ending the race in 31st place. Freeze helped Loyola secure its top NAIA spot, recording a mark of 23:37.5 in 39th place.

Among 68 runners, Jace Luckoski claimed second in the men's 4-mile run, taking a time of 21:00.6, the second-best time by a Loyola athlete in program history. Luckoski's time is second to Loyola Hall of Famer Sean Fitzwilliam's 20:39 record set in 1999. Connor Meigs ended the race in fourth place, clocking 21:17.1, the sixth-best time in program history. Meigs' 21:17.1 is his first top-10 time in the Loyola record book. Jacob Kennedy finished in fifth, recording a mark of 21:19.2, the eighth-best time by any Loyola runner in school history. 

The Loyola freshmen highlighted the top-20 runners, starting with Adam Merkle. Merkle was seventh in Saturday's race, ending the event in 21:36.3, which would have been a top-10 time before today's race. Freshmen Dylan Brown and Alastair Casler were next up, taking 11th and 14th places with marks of 21:55.7 and 22:08.0, respectively. First-year student-athlete Aubrey Gibson was Loyola's final finisher in the top 20, notching a time of 22:15.2 and taking 18th place.

Cole Savoy completed the race in 22nd for a time of 22:31.9. Elijah Reeves and Drake Breland were the next Loyola runners to end the event, taking 30th and 34th places, recording times of 23:15.6 and 23:38.3. In 35th place, Jacob Mullis ended Saturday's race with a time of 23:39.8. 

Freshmen Matthew Doland and Landon Dixon ended Saturday in 40th and 49th places, taking times of 23:58.9 and 25:06.6, respectively. Carter Scheuermann, Cris Velasquez, and Bryce Darensbourg secured the first-place finish for the Wolf Pack, ending the event in 50th, 55th, and 60th, clocking 25:09.9, 25:43.8, and 26:56.2, respectively.

Women's 5K Results

12. Meera Hijazi, 20:29.2
27. Caitlyn Summers, 22:00.4
28. Emma Meneses, 22:04.9
31. Sela Myers, 22:17.7
39. Sophia Freeze, 23:37.5

Men's 4-Mile Results

2. Jace Luckoski, 21:00.6
4. Connor Meigs, 21:17.1
5. Jacob Kennedy, 21:19.2
7. Adam Merkle, 21:36.3
11. Dylan Brown, 21:55.7
14. Alastair Casler, 22:08.0
18. Aubrey Gibson, 22:15.2
22. Cole Savoy, 22:31.9
30. Elijah Reeves, 23:15.6
34. Drake Breland, 23:38.3
35. Jacob Mullis, 23:39.8
40. Matthew Doland, 23:58.9
49. Landon Dixon, 25:06.6
50. Carter Scheuermann, 25:09.9
55. Cris Velasquez, 25:43.8
60. Bryce Darensbourg, 26:56.2