HOLMDEL, NJ – The Iona College women’s cross country team earned its 10th straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Friday afternoon at Holmdel Park. Junior Kate Avery made her 2014 debut, breezed through the 6k course and defended her 2013 individual title, winning the race by a minute and forty two seconds. The Gaels’ team score of 20 was the third lowest since beginning their run in 2005. The win extended NCAA Division I’s longest active conference championship streak.
Avery’s time of 19:15.26 was 1:42 faster than teammate Tara Jameson, the silver medalist (20:57.82). Grad student Rosie Clarke finished third in her first MAAC Championship event, less than a second behind Jameson (20:58.65). Graduate Melissa Hawtin was Iona’s fourth scorer in fifth place with a time of 21:33.96. The Gaels’ final score was senior Marlene Delices (21:44.02) with a ninth place finish. Rookie Jessica Scheriff (11th, 22:01.60), junior Regina Neumeyer (12th, 22:04.47), freshman Natalie Holder (24th, 22:43.10) and sophomore Zoe Wojtech (25th, 22:44.93) all finished in the top 25 of the event.
Avery extended Iona’s individual title streak to nine straight years. She is just the second performer in school history to repeat as MAAC Champion, following Emily Chelanga’s titles in 2003 and 2004.
Iona’s score of 20 has only been surpassed by 17 points in 2006 and 18 points in 2011. It was the fourth lowest team score in the history of the MAAC Championship, with Holy Cross earning a perfect 15 in the first-ever race in 1983.
Quinnipiac finished second with 73 points and Marist was third with 93, representing the only two schools with a double-digit score.
The Gaels continue their championship season in two weeks at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship at Van Cortlandt Park. Iona currently ranks No. 4 in the region prior to the start of the MAAC Championship.