25. Illinois Fighting Illini
24. Villanova Wildcats
23. Eastern Michigan Eagles
22. Iowa State Cyclones
21. Oklahoma State Cowboys
20. Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
19. Michigan State Spartans
18. Boise State Broncos
17. Washington State Cougars
16. Indiana Hoosiers
15. Washington Huskies
14. Eastern Kentucky Colonials
13. BYU Cougars
12. Wisconsin Badgers
11. Furman Paladins
10. Virginia Cavaliers
9. Colorado State Rams
8. Norther Arizona Lumberjacks
7. Arkansas Razorbacks
6. Colorado Buffaloes
5. Iona Gaels
5. Iona Gaels
Flotrack’s #5: Iona Gaels
Flotrack's Ranking of Iona: 7th
Coach: Ricardo Santos
Flotrack's Ranking of Iona: 7th
Coach: Ricardo Santos
Notable Departures: Mike O'Dowd
Notable Additions: Ehab El-Sandali (transfer via Canada), Jack O'Leary (transfer via Ireland)
Projected Scoring Five: Chartt Miller (JR) [ET#24], Gilbert Kirui (JR) [ET#28], Kieran Clements (SR) [ET#29], Liam Dee (SO), Brandon Allen (JR)
Projected Scoring Five: Chartt Miller (JR) [ET#24], Gilbert Kirui (JR) [ET#28], Kieran Clements (SR) [ET#29], Liam Dee (SO), Brandon Allen (JR)
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When I think of Iona I think of a program with a strong history and legacy. Iona is a team known for it's excellence and it's ability to be one of the best teams in the nation year in and year out. At 9 of the past 10 NCAA championships, Iona has placed among the top 10 teams. Whether we like it or not, the Gaels will be a podium threat every year.
The 2015 season started with the newer and younger guys getting some experience at meets like the Paddy Doyle Invite (hosted by Iona) and Paul Short. We wouldn't see the top guys come out until the Greater Louisville Invite, but the wait was well worth it as the Gaels ran away with the title by putting up a score of 41 points. Michigan, Mississippi, and Louisville would all fall to the Gaels.
Wisconsin, however, was a different story. The top three was very solid, but the fourth and fifth scorers settled around the 90 to 110 range. The result was Iona placing 5th in the team standings and losing to teams they had defeated at GLC.
Iona, of course, would later rebound by cruising through conferences and then doing enough to make it through the Northeast region (losing only to Syracuse). Nationals would be the real test and it wasn't crazy to think that the Gaels had podium potential as a team. Yet, as the way faith has it, Iona placed the dreaded 5th spot in the team results and went home with only one All-American.
In 2016, not much has changed. Yes, the Gaels do lose one guy to graduation, but the core of their team is still their. Miller, Kirui, and Clements might have the best top three in the country after so many other programs lost crucial front-runners.
Last year, I said time and time again that Iona needed to find a consistent low-stick to contend with the top teams in the nation...and they did just that. Chartt Miller proved to be a top-10 runner in nearly every meet while Kirui and Clements gave excellent support not too far behind Miller. Of course, Kirui's 20th place finish at nationals was just another added benefit to show just how good this team really was.
But the issue with these guys is that they haven't been consistent. Rarely does Iona run well on the same day and that was probably the reason why they didn't get a team medal at nationals. If they can all figure out how to run together, then Iona will quickly become a title contender. I do, however, want to see some proof that they can do it first.
As for the fourth and fifth spots, I am very excited to see how Liam Dee and Brandon Allen turn out. Dee was one of the more underrated freshman talents and he gained some huge cross country experience last fall (ran at nationals). He didn't always perform well under the pressure of the big stage, but his 22nd place finish at regionals shows that he has some XC prowess there. It also helps that he ran a 5k PR of 14:04 this past spring. It may have just taken him a year to develop a base.
Brandon Allen is another guy I see potential in. Like Dee, he too gained plenty of experience at the big meets and even got a chance to run at nationals. He made the jump from being a 'B' team guy to someone who was 13th at regionals. He didn't do well under pressure, but now that he understands the expectations, he should thrive throughout 2016.
The common theme with Iona is consistency. They have a championship caliber squad and coach, but they need to tighten up their pack running and stay together. But there is plenty to be excited about this season. They are all another year older and have all run with each other before.
Just remember, one small fix and Iona could pull a major upset somewhere down the line...
When I think of Iona I think of a program with a strong history and legacy. Iona is a team known for it's excellence and it's ability to be one of the best teams in the nation year in and year out. At 9 of the past 10 NCAA championships, Iona has placed among the top 10 teams. Whether we like it or not, the Gaels will be a podium threat every year.
The 2015 season started with the newer and younger guys getting some experience at meets like the Paddy Doyle Invite (hosted by Iona) and Paul Short. We wouldn't see the top guys come out until the Greater Louisville Invite, but the wait was well worth it as the Gaels ran away with the title by putting up a score of 41 points. Michigan, Mississippi, and Louisville would all fall to the Gaels.
Wisconsin, however, was a different story. The top three was very solid, but the fourth and fifth scorers settled around the 90 to 110 range. The result was Iona placing 5th in the team standings and losing to teams they had defeated at GLC.
Iona, of course, would later rebound by cruising through conferences and then doing enough to make it through the Northeast region (losing only to Syracuse). Nationals would be the real test and it wasn't crazy to think that the Gaels had podium potential as a team. Yet, as the way faith has it, Iona placed the dreaded 5th spot in the team results and went home with only one All-American.
In 2016, not much has changed. Yes, the Gaels do lose one guy to graduation, but the core of their team is still their. Miller, Kirui, and Clements might have the best top three in the country after so many other programs lost crucial front-runners.
Last year, I said time and time again that Iona needed to find a consistent low-stick to contend with the top teams in the nation...and they did just that. Chartt Miller proved to be a top-10 runner in nearly every meet while Kirui and Clements gave excellent support not too far behind Miller. Of course, Kirui's 20th place finish at nationals was just another added benefit to show just how good this team really was.
But the issue with these guys is that they haven't been consistent. Rarely does Iona run well on the same day and that was probably the reason why they didn't get a team medal at nationals. If they can all figure out how to run together, then Iona will quickly become a title contender. I do, however, want to see some proof that they can do it first.
As for the fourth and fifth spots, I am very excited to see how Liam Dee and Brandon Allen turn out. Dee was one of the more underrated freshman talents and he gained some huge cross country experience last fall (ran at nationals). He didn't always perform well under the pressure of the big stage, but his 22nd place finish at regionals shows that he has some XC prowess there. It also helps that he ran a 5k PR of 14:04 this past spring. It may have just taken him a year to develop a base.
Brandon Allen is another guy I see potential in. Like Dee, he too gained plenty of experience at the big meets and even got a chance to run at nationals. He made the jump from being a 'B' team guy to someone who was 13th at regionals. He didn't do well under pressure, but now that he understands the expectations, he should thrive throughout 2016.
The common theme with Iona is consistency. They have a championship caliber squad and coach, but they need to tighten up their pack running and stay together. But there is plenty to be excited about this season. They are all another year older and have all run with each other before.
Just remember, one small fix and Iona could pull a major upset somewhere down the line...
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