MONTGOMERY, NY (Oct. 28, 2023) – Iona University secured its NCAA record 33rd-straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Cross Country Championship on Saturday, October 28 at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, New York.
Leading the Gaels was 2023 Men’s Most Outstanding Runner and individual champion, Damien Dilcher, who paced Iona with a finishing time of 24:25.0 on the 8K course. Dilcher became Iona’s 23rd consecutive individual champion dating back to 2002.
Iona secured five of the top-six spots and seven out of the top-10 positions, garnering a team score of 19. Dilcher was joined in the top-five by teammates Lachlan Wellington (24:36.4) in third-place, Nick Soldevere (24:41.9) in fourth-place, and Matt Rankin (24:45.9) in fifth-place. Additionally, Siena’s Jackson Cayward finished as the silver medalist with a time of 24:33.4, to round out the individual top-five.
The 2023 MAAC Men’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year was Aiden Coles from Iona. Coles placed just outside the top-10, crossing the finish line in 25:13.1, placing 11th overall. Along with Coles, members of the All-Rookie Team featured, Scott Fagan of Iona, Niels Peeters of Mount St. Mary’s, and the Marist duo of Sean Dearie and Raffi Buchakjian.
Full results for the 2023 MAAC Men’s Cross Country Championship can be found
here.
Postseason competition continues on Friday, November 10 at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship which takes place at Van Courtlandt Park in New York, NY. The NCAA Division I Cross Country Men's and Women's Selection show will air live on ncaa.com on Saturday November 11 at 5:00 p.m. The NCAA Division I Championship will take place November 18 in Earlyville, Virginia at Panorama Farms.
All results and MAAC awards from the 2023 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships, can be found at
maacsports.com/xc.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
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