Records were meant to be broken seems to be the personal mantra of many members on the Loyola Track and Field team this season.

Following an indoor season where the men’s team broke nearly every school record in the event that they participated in and the women broke a few of their own, the team’s successes have carried over greatly into the outdoor season.

The Wolf Pack has broken a total of 21 records during this outdoor season, many of them being marks that current members of the team set during this season.

“I’d say it’s definitely focused us in a way. It’s like a tangible result of the hard work we put in practice and what we can do together as a team,” William Maye, sprinter, middle-distance and economics sophomore said.

Maye, along with general business freshman Piero Ramirez, general business sophomore Mario Ramirez, and management senior Claude Nelson have broken the school record for the outdoor 4×400 meter relay on five different occasions this season in addition to breaking the indoor record. As it now stands at the end of the season, they have lowered the mark by fourteen seconds, a significant drop in time.

The women’s team has broken records in relays as well in the 4×100 and 4×400 meter. The two relay teams are nearly the same, consisting of psychology senior Alexandra Lain, visual arts senior Sarah Tortorich and accounting freshman Candace Johnson. The third legs differ with biological science sophomore Harley Augustine in the 4×100 and visual arts sophomore Emma Larson in the 4×400.

The only individual sprinter to have broken a record this season is Piero Ramirez, who did so in the 400 meters. He has broken the record on twice this season.

Records have not just been limited to sprinting events. In middle distance, biological science junior Denise Powell lowered the mark for the 800 meter by two seconds after beating the record twice earlier this season.

Long distance and history sophomore Paul Freese in the 5,000m and general business junior Annie Hills have rewritten the record books in the 1500 meters. They each took the previous records set by three and four seconds respectively. Additionally, management junior Elizabeth Gienger, who was the first to run in the event in the program’s history, set a new school record for the women’s 3,000m steeplechase.

“Once you get it out of the way, you’re free to write your own path from there. You’re just worried about yourself. You’re not worried about anyone in front of or behind you,” Freese said.

The final event in which school records have fallen this season has been the shot put circle. Criminal justice freshman Christina Guzman has set the record for the women’s shot put at six different meets this season, beating it by over four feet with her most recent put.

Guzman adds that seeing the seniors like Nelson and Tortorich being a part of these records motivates other athletes.

“I guess everyone wants to take after them,” Guzman said.

The success that the Wolf Pack has seen this season was helped in part by the hiring of new coaches before this season started. This season, the team added Matthew Shelton, assistant coach, and senior assistant student coach and psychology senior Neal Outland to the staff this season.

Shelton works primarily with the multi-event athletes and sprinters. Outland has been mainly involved with the weight training of the athletes. The athletes appreciate these changes along with the work Andy Canegitta, head cross country and track coach, and aquatics coordinator, puts in.

“I think they’re the ones that really make this team special,” Maye said.

As for improving further in the future, Freese thinks higher attendance at meets from Loyola students would be instrumental.

“A way to definitely make it better is definitely support from kids that actually go to your school. They’d only help further motivate everybody,” Freese said.

Etefia Umana can be reached at [email protected]