STILLWATER, OK – The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Track & Field and Cross Country Committee announced Sunday the team and individuals who qualified for the NCAA D1 Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships.
For the 19th straight season, the Iona College men's cross country program will be taking part in the NCAA D1 Cross Country Championship. On the women's side, Gemma Nuttall was selected as an individual participant to compete in the sport's culminating event. It is Nuttall's first trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championship.
On Friday, March 5, the Gaels men's program won their 30th straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title with a perfect team score of 15. Jack O'Leary earned Most Outstanding Performer honors claiming first place with a time of 24:28.10. It was his second gold medal of the 2021 spring campaign with a rust-busting win at the Spider Patriot Classic in late February.
The women's team, led by Nuttall and her first place finish, won it fifth straight MAAC crown and 15th in the last 16 years on Friday. Nuttall led two teammates across the finish line as Iona swept the podium and lifted the trophy with a team score of 36 points.
At the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championship the Maroon & Gold men's program placed 12th as a team. John Millar was a United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-American and Ehab El-Sandali was one place away from joining him, finishing 41st. The Gaels have finished top-12 in the nation in six of the last seven seasons, and nine of the past 11. On the women's side, Egle Morenaite represented Iona and earned her second All-American honor with a 24th place finish.
As of the latest USTFCCCA rankings, Iona's men's team ranks first in the Northeast Region and No. 13 in the national poll. Iona's women's program sits fifth in the Northeast before winning the MAAC Championship.
Oklahoma State will host the men's and women's cross country championship races on Monday, March 15. The women's race will begin at 12:50 p.m. ET, while the men's race will start at 1:40 p.m. ET.
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