NEW YORK, NY — Iona College women’s indoor track junior Kate Avery led 11 Gael competitors at the 2015 New York Metropolitan Championships with a first place finish in the mile event. Iona College men’s indoor track freshman Johannes Motschmann led seven Gael competitors at the 2015 New York Metropolitan Championships with a first place finish in the 3,000-meter event.
Avery cruised to the win in the mile with a time of 4:42.85. It was an ECAC Qualifying time and was 13 seconds faster than the second place finisher from St. John’s. It was Avery’s third fastest mile time while at Iona and a Top 10 time in school history. Sophomore Zoe Wojtech finished seventh overall with a personal best time of 5:15.46.
A trio of rookies earned Top 10 finishes at METS. Freshman Daniele Martino was also seventh in her event, the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:37.96. Freshman Rachel Garn earned an eighth place finish in the 800-meter event (2:19.30) while classmate Danika Jensen finished ninth in the 1,000-meter run (3:08.22).
Motschmann ran a time of 8:27.94, more than four and a half seconds faster than Wagner senior James Naglieri, the second place finisher. It was Motschmann’s 2015 distance debut for the Maroon & Gold and the fifth fastest unconverted time in the MAAC this season. Fellow Rookie Alex Shodai was 10th in the 3k in 8:52.46
Junior Andrew Kowalsky ran a 4:19.36 mile at METS, finishing fifth overall. Sophomore Gabriel Dasilva was first in his heat and eighth overall in the 800-meter event, completing the event in 1:56.70. Freshman Robert Kirsty was 13th in the 800 (1:59.10). Sophomore Thomas McClellan (5k, 16:14.20, 15th) and junior Kolbe Jendzejec (500m, 1:11.70, 17th) rounded out the Gaels performers at the event.
NY Metropolitan Championships
Armory Track & Field Center – New York, NY
Feb. 5, 2015
Iona Women 60m prelim: Marianna Sticca, 31st, 9.22; Danielle Hansen, 33rd, 9.70. 200: Angel Pierre, 23rd, 27.68; Jeannette Ridgeway, 28th, 29.71; Alexa Rossi, 29th, 31.10. 400: Alexandra Naughton, 28th, 1:04.16. 800: Rachel Garn, 8th, 2:19.30. 1k: Danika Jensen, 9th, 3:08.22. Mile: Kate Avery, 1st, 4:42.85; Zoe Wojtech, 7th, 5:15.46. 3k: Daniele Martino, 7th, 10:37.96. 4×400: Iona (Garn, Jensen, Naughton, Pierre), 9th, 4:15.48.
Iona Men:500: Kolbe Jendzejec, 17th, 1:11.70. 800: Gabriel Dasilva, 8th, 1:56.70; Robert Kirsty, 13th, 1:59.10. Mile: Andrew Kowalsky, 5th, 4:19.36. 3k: Johannes Motschmann, 1st, 8:27.94; Alex Shodai, 10th, 8:52.46. 5k: Thomas McClellan, 15th, 16:14.20.
Iona will compete in two events next weekend, the Iowa State Classic (Feb. 13-14) in Ames, IA and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational (Feb. 14) at Boston University.