Head Coach:
Ricardo Santos (6th Year)

 

Last Year:

1st MAAC

3rd Northeast Region

6th NCAA

 

Probable Top Five:

SO Kieran Clements (4:00 Mile; 7:57 3k; 14:10 5k; 29:17 10k; 57th NCAA XC '13)

SR Jake Byrne (4:05 Mile, 8:18 3k; 14:01 5k; 29:42 10k; 71st NCAA XC '13)

SR Andrew Kowalsky (14:06 5k; 29:35 10k; 94th NCAA XC '13)

SR Otis Ubriaco (7:59 3k; 14:17 5k)

JR Xavier King (8:21 3k; 8:58 3k Steeple)

 

Impact Freshman/Recruits:

Alex Carter - Team Bath, UK (8:26 3k; 14:39 5k)

Ryan Sleiman - Kingsville, Ontario (8:28 3k)

Chartt Miller - Perth, Australia (4:00 Mile; 7:57 3k)

Johannes Motschmann - Germany (8:25 3k; 14:32 5k)

Analysis:
Coach Ricardo Santos bleeds Iona Gael yellow. He ran there in 2000 and for the past 6 years, he has put together a very consistent team that projects into the top ten almost every season. He has gone afar to find this year’s team. Three Canadians, an Australian, an Irishman, two Brits, and the lone Yankee in Otis Ubriaco make up the core of his crew.

Santos does have one nice advantage: his conference is so weak that he can run his second string and still win. That gives him a chance to rest his stars, if he so desires, and spare them from one long race before regionals and nationals. His top returner, Englishman Kieran Clements, has nice range with a 4:00 mile and 29:17 for 10k on the track. He was 57th in last year’s championships. Irishman Jake Byrne got it done with a 14:01 5k last year and he finished a respectable 71st in Terre Haute. Canadian Andrew Kowalsky is a very solid number three with a 14:06 5k and 29:35 10k to his name. Otis Ubriaco cracked 8 minutes for 3k last year and, as a senior, brings some important leadership to the team. His American accent will also sound strange on this team.

However, there are two who have a bit of the unknown about them when it comes to cross country. Aussie Chartt Miller has run 4:00 for the mile and a 7:57 3k and show his obvious ability to run fast on the track. But can he do it over 10k on the grass? Canadian Xavier King has steepled 8:58, but again, how will that translate on that tough Terre Haute course?  

 

If Miller and King step up and duplicate their track performances on grass, Iona will be hard to handle on every level of competition, including the big race at the end of the year.

#7 North Carolina Women
#8 Villanova Men