The Loyola women’s cross country team had both individual and team success at the NAIA Regional XIII Championships last Saturday, as the ‘Pack placed second in the team standings.

Education senior Jean Cassandra and communications freshman Mary Imwalle led the team, finishing fifth and seventh with times of 19:42 and 19:45, respectively. Both times were personal records, and each qualified for the Nov. 20 national meet in Louisville, Ky.

“It feels good to qualify for nationals,” Imwalle said, the only freshman on the team to advance to the national competition. “It was the ultimate goal of mine for this season.”

Sociology junior Natalie Sargent, who earlier in the year became the first Loyola woman to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference title, finished in ninth place at 19:51 and narrowly missed national qualification.

Other finishers were: Sara Miles St. Clair in 25th at 21:17; Kim Kujanek in 30th at 21:38; Katy O’Flaherty at 21:53 for 34th; Courtney Gist in 48th at 22:46; and Natalie Miller with 23:22 for 53rd. Each girl contributed to Loyola’s second overall finish.

“The team really pushed each other,” Cassandra said. “We tried to grow as close as possible to become a unit. The team knew regionals was going to be tough because we had some good competition.”

In the men’s meet, sophomores Matthew Cagigal, general business, and Richard Bouckaert, history, qualified for the national meet with times of 27:19 and 27:42, respectively. They finished the regional meet in ninth and 10th place.

“I think that my teammate Matt Cagigal and I will perform very strongly at nationals,” Bouckaert said. “It’s a fast course with the best runners in the country to help pull us to some very fast times.”

Chad Bower can be reached at [email protected].