Benedictine sends 17 athletes to NAIA track and field nationals
Seventeen Benedictine athletes reached NAIA nationals, giving the Ravens multiple medal chances in Asheville and making Joe Loughman and Cecilia Campos key names to watch.
Benedictine sent 17 athletes to the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Asheville, a deep roster that gave Atchison multiple chances to see the Ravens factor on the national stage rather than lean on one star. With qualifiers spread across several events and three days of competition at Karl Straus Track on the UNC Asheville campus, the size of the group signaled a program that arrived in North Carolina with team depth, not just individual qualifiers.
The championships ran May 20-22 in Asheville, which the NAIA said will also host the outdoor meet in 2027. The men’s championship was the 74th annual and the women’s the 45th, and official qualifiers were announced May 13 before final rosters and entry lists were set. For Benedictine, qualifying 17 athletes meant the Ravens had representation in a meet where entry is earned through standards and official selection, not reputation.
That national push came after a strong spring in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Benedictine won the 2026 Heart men’s outdoor title with 147 points, moving up from second in 2025 and third in 2024. Jacob Connealy was named Coach of the Year after guiding the Ravens to the conference crown, and the Heart said Benedictine piled up 24 all-conference performances at the men’s meet.
Joe Loughman emerged as one of Benedictine’s clearest breakthrough threats. He won the javelin at the UCM Mule Relays with a throw of 68.82 meters, hitting the NAIA A Standard and moving to the top spot in the NAIA and Heart rankings. That kind of mark put him among the Ravens’ best medal hopefuls heading into nationals, especially with the national field now set.
The women’s side gave Benedictine another strong watch list. The Ravens finished second in the 2026 Heart women’s outdoor championship with 198.83 points, led by Cecilia Campos, who scored 24.5 points by winning the 800 meters and 1500 meters and helping a relay to victory. Mary Lorang also added to the national picture by hitting NAIA standards in both the discus and javelin.
For Atchison, the headline is bigger than a trip to nationals. A 17-athlete delegation means Benedictine was not just represented in Asheville, it was positioned to matter, with several athletes carrying conference titles, top standards and the sort of depth that can turn a college team into a national factor.
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