Davenport, Iowa – Senior Isaac Sytsma (Highland, Ind./Indiana Tech/Calumet St. Joseph, Highland) broke the program record in the Mile that stood for over 10 years and he hit the NAIA 'B' Standard with his first-place time of 4:11.12, and he also posted the best time in the 3000m, recording his second-fastest mark in the event at 8:43.28 to help the Saint Xavier University men's track & field team set a program record with 242 points enroute to the team's first-ever first-place finish at the St. Ambrose University (Iowa) Finals Week Invitational Saturday afternoon. It is just the second time that the Cougars recorded over 100 points in a meet, topping the mark of 126 points and the programs best-finish at the Lake Michigan Open on January 22, 2022, since they started competition in 2006-07.

• Senior Lendale Franklin (Chicago, Ill./Roosevelt/Argo Community) broke the school record in the finals of the 60m Dash with his first-place time of 6.90 seconds. He is the first Saint Xavier runner to ever win the event. Franklin was also sub-seven seconds in the preliminaries, qualifying with the top time of 6.97 seconds, the third-fastest in team history. Sophomore Nazheer Moore (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South) placed fifth with his second-best career time at 7.15 seconds and he was fifth in the prelims at 7.20 seconds. Sophomore Jamaurien Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Ogden International) was sixth overall and he also recorded his second-fastest career mark at 7.18 seconds and he was also sixth in the prelims at 7.21 seconds. Junior Ryan McFadden (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) posted a season-best time of 7.19 seconds to claim seventh-place after just making the cut in the prelims at 7.23 seconds. Also running in the prelims, sophomore Charles Campbell (Chicago, Ill./Quincy/Reavis) recorded a time of 7.26 seconds, sophomore Marquise Hurst (Berwyn, Ill./Morton West) checked in at 7.33 seconds in his debut in the race, senior Gavin Dudley (Berwyn, Ill./Morton West) crossed at 7.38 seconds for a new personal record (PR) and freshman Nate Kalk (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point), making his collegiate debut, registered a time of 7.73 seconds.
• Junior Sean Harris (Blue Island, Ill./Eisenhower) ran the fastest time in the 200m with a time of 21.99 seconds, surpassing his own program record set last year. He also took home first place on the same track last season on January 27. Campbell finished in sixth-place and he tallied four points with a time of 22.49 seconds to record the ninth-quickest time in team history. Moore crossed the line in 10^th with a PR time of 22.84 seconds. Sophomore T.J. Matthews (Chicago, Ill./Westinghouse) recorded a time of 23.29 seconds, and Hurst clocked with a new PR at 23.83 seconds. Kalk posted a mark of 24.55 seconds, while sophomore Faruq Sulaimon (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) checked in at 25.39 seconds in his first collegiate appearance in the event.
• Matthews earned eight points after taking second with his second-fastest mark in the 400 with a time of 51.18 seconds. Hurst picked up five points with a fourth-place time of 52.30 seconds to come away with another PR on the day. Dudley added three points after placing sixth at 53.23 seconds and Kalk chipped in a point with his seventh-place mark of 54.34 seconds.
• Running in the 600m, junior Charlie Watson (Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central) claimed eight points with a second-place time, and third-best of his career, of 1:28.38, while redshirt sophomore Karam Jaber (Palos Heights, Ill./Shepard) tallied six points after taking third with a time of 1:33.13, topping his old PR by over four seconds.
• The Cougars featured four runners in the 1000m and they were the only participants in the event. Senior Jonathan Jacobo (Blue Island, Ill./Eisenhower) set a new PR with his first-place time of 2:33.62, the seventh-fastest all-time in team history. Junior Rohindeep Bhattel (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence) wasn't too far behind in second place with a time of 2:34.55 for a new PR by over 13 seconds and the eight-quickest in team history. Senior Josiah Sianez (Blue Island, Ill./Eisenhower) followed with a time of 2:38.84 with his new PR by over seven seconds and sophomore Andy Damon (Crestwood, Ill./Oak Forest), running in the event for the first time, clocked in at 2:43.43.
• Senior Julian Rosenbach (Joliet, Ill./Joliet JC/Joliet West) also ran the Mile, smashing his old PR by nearly 23 seconds, as he placed seventh to earn two points with a time of 4:35.19. Junior Ben Morrey (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) was ninth overall, crossing at 4:40.21, and setting a new PR.
• Senior Luke Snedden (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) placed third in the 3000m, crushing his previous best by almost 34 seconds, with his time of 8:49.45 to come away with six points.
• Freshman Joey Lagattolla (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) became the first Cougar runner to win the 5000m, since former All-American Abel Hernandez (2013-17) did so on February 17, 2017. Lagattolla was the only runner under 17 minutes with a time of 16:33.98 in his debut in the event.
• Franklin won the 60m Hurdles for the fifth time in his career after he crossed the finish line at 8.24 seconds, his and the team's fifth-best mark in the event. Harris placed second and earned eight points with a time of 8.43 seconds.
• The 4x400 Relay Team of Matthews, Jaber, Watson and senior Ronnie Foster (Peoria Heights, Ill./Peoria Heights) collected eight points with their second-place time of 3:34.25, the 10^th best in program history.
• Freshman Tracy Lee (Chicago, Ill./Proviso West) made his collegiate debut while competing in the High Jump and he set the program record. Lee finished third to earn six points with a mark of 1.78m, topping the height of 1.70 set by Malik Coleman (2021-24) at the Lake Michigan Open.
• In the Long Jump, Sulaimon established a new PR with a third-place distance of 6.33m for his best career finish. Foster was fourth with a jump of 6.25m.
• Foster won the Triple Jump for the fourth time in his career, posting his and the programs fifth-best career jump at 13.59m. Sulaimon recorded his second-best career mark while claiming third at 12.27m.
• Junior Riley Lundgren (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) took second in the Shot Put after he registered the second-best throw of his career wat 14.96m. Sophomore Thomas Imburgia (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) PR'd for the second consecutive meet, taking third with a distance of 14.21m. Junior Donovan Jackson (Milwaukee, Wis./Rufus King) came away with his second-best toss while taking sixth with a distance of 13.66m. Senior Mark Pinnock (Miami Gardens, Fla./Krop) set a new PR with his seventh-place throw of 13.24m, and senior Isaac Adams (Mackinaw, Ill./Dee-Mack) also had a Top-10 draw with a ninth-place distance of 12.42m.
• Jackson became just the second SXU thrower to win the Weight Throw, joining former teammate Nick Alvarez (2021-24), who won at the Windy City Classic on December 2, 2022, after recording a toss of 15.74, the third-best in team history. Adams came away with a new PR with his second-place throw of 14.76m to earn eight points. Sophomore Freshman Connor Whalen (Burbank, Ill./Reavis) topped the 14.00m mark for the first time in his career with a PR of 14.49m to place thrid. Junior Justin Laws (Roxana, Ill./Roxana) also had a throw of 14.49m and was credited with fourth place.

Saint Xavier is scheduled to return to Davenport, Iowa next month to compete in the St. Ambrose Fighting Bee Invite that begins on Friday, January 24.