In their final year at Loyola, history senior Richard Bouckaert and finance senior Matt Cagigal knew that after the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament the ensuing regional meet could be their last.

Fortunately for them, their improved performance over the season led to the ultimate finish line of their accomplished careers at Loyola: the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national meet.

Both Bouckaert and Cagigal, along with mass communication sophomore Mary Erin Imwalle on the women’s team, will make the trip to Louisville, Ky., for nationals.

Bouckaert will be making his second trip to the national trip in only three years of competition. Hurricane Katrina cancelled his junior year of eligibility.

“I feel that it’s good ending my college career at nationals and being able to come back after a year off and compete at the highest level of the NAIA.”

Bouckaert finished fourth in the NAIA Region XIII meet. Fellow teammate Cagigal placed second in the meet.

It will be Cagigal’s third trip to the national meet.

“It means a lot to be one of the top guys in the region. The competition in both the conference and region meet helped me to some of my top times all year so I should be ready for nationals.”

Cagigal ran the 8-km. race in a time of 26 minutes, 46.11 seconds.

Bouckaert finished in 26:54.47.

Imwalle ran the 5-km. women’s race in 19:59.67 to place sixth in the women’s race.

All three earned all-region honors.

The national meet will take place Nov. 18 and the Wolfpack runners will face stern challenges from runners on leading teams such as Virginia Intermont and Concordia College in California.

With even better competition from the regional meet to the national meet, both Cagigal and Bouckaert will hope to post their individual best times and generate a strong finish in the meet.

Harold Kuntz can be reached at [email protected].