May 10, 2008

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Junior Jessie Morgenthal and seniors Amanda Domich and Sam Romanoski paced the Loyola University Chicago track and field program at the Horizon League Championships as Romanoski and Domich won the men's and women's 10,000-meter and Morgenthal captured first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Domich claimed her third straight 10k title as she finished first with a time of 31:55.82. Running the 10k for the first time in her career, junior Genevieve Binnie garnered a second-place finish in the 10k with a time of 36:53.87. Romanoski posted a time of 31:55.82 in the men's 10k to win his first-ever conference title.

The Rambler women dominated the steeplechase as Morgenthal won the event with a personal-best time of 11:22.75, which now ranks her third on Loyola's all-time list. Freshman Danielle Locascio earned a second-place finish bettering her previous personal-best by three seconds (11:39.21). She now ranks sixth all-time for the Ramblers.

Morgenthal also turned in a strong performance in the women's 1,500-meter, as she recorded a new personal-best time of 4:46.77 to place sixth. Ashley Raymond (4:47.81), Alison Rack (4:48.56) and Locascio (4:51.91) followed Morgenthal as they finished seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.

Junior Pam Staton led Loyola in the women's 800-meter with a personal-best time of 2:12.27 for a second-place finish. She now ranks third on Loyola's all-time charts.

In the women's 5k, Domich (17:41.71) paced the Ramblers with a fourth-place finish out of 25 competitors. Raymond (17:51.43), Binnie (17:55.55) and Rack (18:18.10) rounded out the Loyola women as they all finished in the top ten.

Tiffany Johnson placed fourth in the women's 400-meter hurdles with her second fastest time ever (1:04.98). She bettered her personal-best time by two seconds (1:04.40) in the qualifying round.

The women's 4x100 team of Rebecca Taylor, Christina James, Julia Higgins and Lauren Smith posted their second fastest time in school history (48.88) to take third. The women's 4x400 squad of Smith, James, Higgins and Staton placed fourth with a time of 4:00.55. That mark is good for eighth in the Loyola all-time charts.

Jordan Rohlfing recorded a new personal-best mark of 79-09 in the javelin. She also led the Rambler women in the hammer throw with a 128-11 mark. Leili Khorassani posted a mark of 109-05 and Jessica Sheahan set a new personal-record with a toss of 105-06 in the hammer.

On the men's side, Donte Prisby registered a new personal-best time in the 400-meter. His time of 49.16 earned him a fourth-place finish in the event and seventh-place on Loyola's all-time list. Sophomore Tom Andreoni garnered second-place in the 400-meter hurdles as he posted a new personal-record of 54.08.

Freshman Anthony Wile knocked 18 seconds off of his previous personal-best time in the steeplechase, as he placed fifth with a time of 9:52.46. Senior Joe Mahalick garnered third in the men's 800-meter (1:53.29) and junior Jimi Bleicher shaved a half-second off his previous personal-record to earn seventh-place with a time of 1:56.82.

Edmund Blankson finished sixth in the men's 100-meter dash with a time of 11.32. The men's 4x100 team of Jimel Denham, Gary Gentry, Blankson and Prisby finished second with a time of 42.23, which is good for fifth on Loyola's all-time list. The men's 4x400 squad of Prisby, Andreoni, Denham and Demetri Lambros placed fourth with a time of 3:18.57.

Jamar Johnson earned a fifth-place finish in the men's triple jump with a personal-best mark of 44-00.75. He now ranks second on Loyola's all-time list. Johnson also took fifth in the men's long jump with a mark of 6.80-meters only three inches shy of his personal-best.

The Loyola women finished fifth with a team score of 64, while the Rambler men placed sixth with a team score of 50. The Milwaukee men and Youngstown State women claimed the Horizon League track and field titles.