On Jan. 29 the women’s track team competed at the 2011 N.Y. Metropolitan Championships at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City.

The Gaels were lead by a newcomer who made her Iona debut in the 3000-meter run. Junior Teegan Schoch was victorious in her race racing to a personal best time of 10:06.46. Schoch blew out the competition by crushing the second place finisher by 19 seconds.

Graduate student Siobhan Dwyer was the other Gael in the race and was fourth overall in the event finishing in 10:33.05.

Head Coach Ricardo Santos commented on Schoch’s performance by saying, “I thought Teegan ran a solid race for her first as a Gael.  She ran a comfortable race for the win, but we know that there is more there from her.  She was a bit tentative, being her first race in a while, but it was good that she now knocked some rust off her race legs.”

In the 400-meter run, freshman Reilly Sullivan finished in 1:03.61, while senior Gina Rahon finished in 1:14.49. In the 800-meter run freshman Leigh Mazzella crossed the line in 2:43.25 and junior Jenny Kurz finished in 2:51.09.

In the 1000-meter run three Gaels finished in the top ten. Sophomore Luci McLoughlin finished sixth in 3:03.58. The senior pair of Chelsea Borbolla and Kristen Peluso took seventh and eighth in the race respectively. Borbolla finished in 3:04.06, while fellow Gael Peluso finished in 3:04.28. Kerri Gallagher of Fordham was first in 2:54.21.

In the mile race Iona’s strong freshman Tara Jameson finished ninth in 5:20.12, while Kerri Gallaher won the mile. Courtney Veilleux was another freshman racing for Iona and she finished ninth in the 5000-meter run in 18:59.67.

In the 4×800-meter relay Iona took third at the Armory. Coming off her victory in the 3000-meter run, Schoch anchored the relay team to a 9:38.55 finish. Junior Heidi Gregson, senior Natalie Finnerty and freshman Kirsten Stewart were the other members of the relay team.

Coach Santos mentioned, “I felt we had an okay day on the women’s side.  We got hit by the flu bug during the week and had to hold 4-5 girls out of the races.”

Iona heads to Boston on Feb. 11 for the St. Valentine’s Invitational. The Gaels will also look to prepare themselves for the MAAC championship which begins on Feb. 18 at the Armory  on 168 st. New York, N.Y.