Four New No. 1 Teams in Final Division I XC Regional Team Rankings
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The Iona College women’s cross country team jumped three spots to No. 1 on the last USTFCCCA Division I Northeast Regional Poll of the 2014 season prior to the championships. The Gaels moved up following their 10th straight MAAC Championship this past Friday.
The Gaels jumped ahead of Syracuse, Dartmouth and Boston College in the Nov. 3 regional poll and have climbed eight spots over the last two polls following its performance at the Wisconsin Inviational and the MAAC Championship.
The Maroon & Gold claimed four of the top five positions at MAACs en route to a team score of 20, the third lowest score in program history and fourth lowest in the history of the championship event. Junior Kate Avery made her season debut and earned the individual title, finishing the 6k event in 19:15.26. It was the fastest time in MAAC Championship history among the four courses the event has been held. Graduate students Tara Jameson and Rosie Clarke took the silver and bronze medals, while classmate Melissa Hawtin was fifth overall.
Iona’s fifth scorer was junior Regina Neumeyer.
The latest USTFCCCA National Poll is scheduled to be released tomorrow (Nov. 4) with the Gaels looking to appear in the Top 30 for the first time since the 2006 campaign. Iona received votes in the Oct. 20 poll.
The Gaels are in action next at the 2014 NCAA Northeast Regional Championship held at Van Cortlandt Park on Nov. 14.
