The Iona University men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams completed action at both the 2024 MAAC and IC4A Championships.
Beginning with the MAAC Championships, which lasted from Feb. 24-25 at the Armory Track & Field Center, the Gaels’ men’s team finished second out of eight competing colleges. The women ended up in fifth place, ahead of Siena College, Marist College, St. Peter’s University and Canisius College.
On the first day of the meet, the men picked up 25 of their 35 points in the 5,000-meter run, taking all three podium spots. In graduate student Lachlan Wellington’s first MAAC Indoor Championship event, he took home gold after posting a scorching 14:15.12 time. Joshua and Jonathan DeSouza followed shortly thereafter to cap off Iona’s sweep.
The Gaels’ quartet of seniors Matt Rankin and Jeremy Scott, sophomore Tristan Coles and graduate student Damien Dilcher combined for a 10:00.31 time in the distance medley relay final, earning first-place honors. It marked the men’s third win in the event dating back to 2021.
Graduate student Jadyn Tabois excelled in the 200-meter dash preliminary, owning a 21.48 time, and the 60-meter dash, where his 6.87 mark was a season-best.
On the women’s side of things, senior Holly Smith’s 16:51.00 time was good for second in the 5k-run, just two seconds behind the Manhattan winner.
Sophomores McKenna Arguien and Nadine Jefremow, junior Katie Menard and graduate student Kate Tugman won fifth place in the distance medley relay, combining with Smith for their squad’s points on the evening.
Both of Iona’s teams dominated the track on Day 2 of the MAAC Championships, highlighted by the men scoring 11 of the 27 available medals handed out.
The Gaels swept the podium in the men’s mile and 3,000-meter runs. Dilcher scored his second first-place finish of the event in the former, topping a career-best time by .04 seconds, and freshman Bradley Giblin was awarded his first MAAC medal in the latter. Dilcher later won the Most Outstanding Track Performer, while Coles – who won two golds and a silver – was named Track Rookie of the Meet.
Smith led the way for the women with a gold medal performance in the 3,000-meter, which happened to be her third sub-10-minute 3k of the season.
Moving towards the 2024 IC4A Championships, held from March 2-3 in Boston, Dilcher repeated his first-place finish in the mile run from a week earlier, owning a 4:04.01 time.
Giblin, Tristan and Aiden Coles, and sophomore Scott Fagan brought Iona four team points in the 3,000-meter.
Rookie Claragh Keane was the women’s top performer after ranking sixth as one of two Gaels in the 5k event.
After a brief break, the Iona track and field program will make its way to Brighton, Mass., for the NCAA Championships from March 8-9.
