Loyola’s Varsity Track & Field team concluded a stellar season with a state title in the 4x400m relay, two individual podium appearances and a fourth place team finish overall at the 2019 CIF State Division I Championships in Clovis on Saturday (May 25). The final meet of the year was held at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan HS, and though just a handful of Cubs had advanced to the State finals, each would contribute to Loyola’s fourth place finish with 20 team points.
The senior group of pole vaulter Will O’Brien ’19, distance runner Mason Ratkovich ’19 and sprinters Andrew Arth ’19 and Jeremy Davis ’19 did the heavy lifting for the Cubs.
The lone field event representative for Loyola, O’Brien kicked things off in the pole vault after advancing from the prelims with a vault of 15-03. He would clear 14-11 and 15-05 in the finals before missing at 15-09, which would have been a personal best. Still, his 15-05 clearance on Saturday was enough to earn him a spot on the podium in 5th place, ending his Loyola career with a state medal. O’Brien, who leaves as the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet champion, Southern Section Division I runner-up and Mission League champion, is now headed to Columbia University where he will compete in the Ivy League.
Next to score for the Cubs was middle distance specialist Mason Ratkovich ’19, who placed third overall in the 800m with a time of 1:52.22. He too would wind up on the podium in his return trip to the State Finals. Ratkovich did not have much time to rest, however, as he would later run the second leg of Loyola’s 4x400m relay.
The 4x4 was the final event of the season and was scheduled to start after 10 p.m. on the track. Loyola had posted the top overall time in Prelims (3:15.38) across all three heats, earning a spot in Lane 5 in the Finals, and it would be more of the same the following day as the Cubs’ team comprised of first leg sophomore Ceyair Wright ’21, Ratkovich, Jeremy Davis ’19 and anchor Andrew Arth ’19 captured the state title in the mile relay with a time of 3:17.56. The quartet essentially closed the 2019 Track & Field season and ended the year for Loyola Athletics on a high note with a CIF State Championship.
4x400 Relay VIDEO:
Congratulations to all of our Cubs, seniors and coaches on a fantastic season!
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