Closing out the 2011 track season, Iona raced in a pair of championships held in Boston, Mass.

The Gaels sent male runners to the IC4A Championships and female runners to the ECAC Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.

On day one of the IC4A Championships, junior Matthew Bayley finished fourth in the 3000-meter run crossing the finish line in a career-best 18:14.31.

Senior Matt DeSilva of Cornell took first place in 8:12.56 just two seconds ahead of Iona’s Bayley. Sophomore Craig Murphy also ran in the race and finished in 8:35.73.

The race was a positive for Bayley as he ran a personal best time and ran well according to Head Coach Ricardo Santos.

Santos said, “I felt that Matt did a good job tactically, and just got out kicked in the last 100 meters of the race.”

Sophomore Christopher Stogsdill raced in the mile run, and finished fourteenth running 4:09.81 and junior Riley Masters of Maine placed first with a 4:03.45 finish.

Junior Jason Weller was the other Gael in the race and had a tough race, but gutted out a 4:21.20 finish for the Gaels.

Iona continued their presence at the front of the pack with a strong showing from a pair of Gaels. Graduate student Ben Lindsay captured the 5000-meter run title with junior Alexander Soderberg runner-up.

Lindsay had a personal best time of 14:04.45 with All-American Soderberg running 14:10.36. Santos was happy how both runners worked together to pull away from the field.

The DMR of freshman Kirsten Stewart, senior Chelsea Borbolla, senior Kristen Peluso and freshman Tara Jameson ran 11:57 to finish 12th overall.

Santos said, “I was very pleased with this run by the members of this team. I felt that if they would run under 12:05 that would have been good, so going under 12 was awesome!”

Senior Natalie Finnerty ran a new personal best time of 9:48 to finish fourth in her heat of the 3000-meter run. Her performance was a 14 second personal best.

Santos said, “We knew that Natalie was in great shape and she went out there and proved it today. It was a big step for Natalie and I know she will have a great outdoor season!”

At the Columbia Last Chance Meet, Iona’s top runner, junior Heidi Gregson raced to a 4:41.29 finish in the mile race. Gregson finished sixth overall and was fourth collegiately.

Santos said, “Heidi ran a solid race, unfortunately she is on the bubble for the NCAA Championships so we will have to wait and see what happens there.”

If Gregson makes it she will run in the NCAA Championships on March 11 and 12 for a second straight season.

The cross country season has been full of success, receiving accolades and honors from all over the men’s and women’s roster.

The NCAA championships will just be another chance for the Gaels to close out what was a great cross country season.