By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, Ore. -- This has been a breakout season for Willamette University's Patrick Loftus (So., Santa Rosa, CA/Sonoma Academy) in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. He began the year having never competed for the Bearcats in the event.

In his first race in the steeplechase, Loftus recorded a respectable time of 9:56.04 in the Willamette vs. Corban Dual. He quickly reduced the time by nearly 35 seconds in his next competitive race, as he took first place at the Willamette Invitational in 9:21.56. He placed second at the Northwest Conference Championships, earning All-NWC honors, with a time of 9:32.39.

He achieved his lowest time of the season at the West Coast Invitational on May 12, when he completed the race in 9:07.23. His time is fifth on Willamette's all-time list. He has lowered his personal record by 48.81 seconds in about two months.

Loftus has earned his way into the 2016 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the steeplechase. He will compete in the preliminary heats on Thursday, May 26 with the chance to advance to the steeplechase final, set for Saturday, May 28. The NCAA Championships will be held at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

The prelims will start at 3 p.m. CDT/1 p.m. PDT on Thursday. The championship race is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. CDT/10:30 a.m. PDT on Saturday. Loftus is one of 20 athletes participating in the event.

During the cross country season this past fall, Loftus finished in seventh place at the NWC Championships, helping the Bearcats win their fourth straight NWC team title. He was named First Team All-NWC after receiving Second Team All-NWC recognition in 2014.

Loftus took 21st place at the NCAA West Regional, earning All-Region honors for the second year in a row. He also competed for the Bearcats at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships, as he helped Willamette finish 28th in the team standings.