Iona Gael Mohamed Khadraoui has placed 23rd and 46th at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in the past few years and looks for a high-place finish. The Gaels will also be looking for a top-five finish in the team standings.

What kind of preparation did you do for this season?

I stayed in New Rochelle. I got a lot of training in July and August. I took two weeks off after nationals, got good mileage in, with hills and tempos. I don't do any racing or anything during the summer. I just train and get ready for the cross country season.

How is Iona program different from other Division I programs?

There are big differences. The Iona program is diverse. We have people from all over the world. We have about six different nationalities on our team. We don't have the reputation that big schools like Wisconsin, Colorado and Arkansas have. But we are definitely one of the best programs in the nation. Lots of people don't know about us. For a small school we have a huge running program and a lot of people don't realize that.

What kinds of goals do you and your team have this cross country season?

We definitely have high hopes of winning nationals. Every year for the last three years we go into the race thinking we can win. That's how Coach Mick (Byrne) teaches us. Whatever the outcome is, as long as the guys put their best effort into it, we will be happy. But top four is definitely the standard we set for ourselves. It's not going to be lower than fourth. If it is, it's going to be a disappointment. Everybody's training and summer went well, so we have a good team returning from last year. We have Pre-Nats coming up next and it will be a good debut for our team. It will be the first time we are running a full squad. It's going to be a good measuring stick for our, if you want to call it that. At the Meet of Champions, we didn't run our full team. We ran me and the guys that could be our potential five-six-seven guys.

What individual goals do you have this cross country season?

I definitely want to be in the top-15. I feel like last year I could have been there but unfortunately I was sick and stayed most of the week in the hotel room. I started feeling better for the race, but still wasn't feeling great. This year I'm capable of top-15, if not top-10. At Pre-Nats I just want to go out there and mix it up with the guys. I want to get a feel of the fast pace. I usually hold back on the first and second mile and start picking it up. I usually go out in 60th or 70th and come back with whatever I can. This year I feel like I'm one of those top guys and I should be up there. I belong in that front pack. It's going to be a good one this year. Sometimes I just spend hours thinking about it. But it's too early to start thinking like that.

What is the hardest workout you've ever done?

I've ran eight by one miles before in high school. I started out slow, but by the end I was really pounding them. I was running about 4:40 for the last three reps. That's with a two-minute rest. In high school, I trained hard. At Iona, we train smart. I have a different approach. I really looked out for my body so I don't get exhausted.

So, are there any other ways your training has changed?

I increased the mileage a bit. I used to run up to 85 miles a week in high school. Now I run about 100 or 105. We do longer intervals with shorter rests. As we go on, we run harder and shorter.

Do you have an all-time favorite pair of shoes?

I like the Puma Harambees. I love those for racing. Puma is really coming around. They are really improving their shoes. They're improving each year.

What plans do you have for after college?

My dream has always been to be a professional athlete. We will see how it goes in the next couple of years. I've still got plenty of time.

What does your diet consist of?

I make my own stuff because we live off campus at the track team house. We cook pasta, rice, beans, the usual stuff for college kids. Also, I always have a little bit of salad. We try to exercise healthy diets. I had a problem with that my freshman year. I broke down: five days out of the week I was eating pizza for lunch.

Who's your favorite runner of all time?

Definitely Hicham El Guerrouj. If you got to see my room you'd see that I have pictures of him all over. El Guerrouj is my idol without a doubt. He's a national hero for me because I'm originally from Morocco. I feel that national connection with him. I haven't got to meet him yet, but I would love to. If I get to shake his hand I'll definitely feel like I've accomplished something.

So, what's your perfect distance?

I think I'm a 10K and up guy. I think I'm the slowest miler in the 10K field. At nationals this year, the guys ran 4:09 for the last mile. My personal best is 4:06. There was no way I was able to handle that kind of turnover. I'm working on that though. I'm going to move onto to the half marathon/marathon eventually. I'm sticking with the 10K for now. I definitely believe I'm going to make a great marathoner. Three times a week I go 12 miles and up. I'm on my 10th week of 100 miles plus. I can definitely handle the high mileage.

How is it living in the track house with all the guys?

If you spent two days in the house, you would find it to be hilarious. We fight every day and we're always wrestling. Just in our house alone we have five different nationalities. We've got American, Ugandan, Kenyan, Moroccan, and Irish. You would definitely leave with a smile on your face. That's what college is about.