Winter 2005/2006

Greetings from the Mulcahy Center!

With the school year in full swing and the fall seasons wrapping up, there is much to report on from the Iona Athletic Department.

I often speak of our student-athlete centered vision - where we are going as a department. There is no better evidence of this than looking at our achievements to date, and the progress on the Iona College campus as a whole.

Athletic Achievements

This fall we have continued our history of success. Coach Mick Byrne's men's cross country team once again is nationally ranked and won the MAAC Championship for the 15th consecutive year. They continued success and won the fourth ever Northeast Regional title and head into the NCAA Championship ranked #13 in the country. The women's cross country team won its second MAAC Championship and has begun building a tradition to rival that of the men. They also had an exceptional showing at the Northeast Regionals finishing sixth, the highest ever in school history. In soccer news, Emma Hayes' women's team finished up a great season with a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Fairfield at the MAAC Championships in Florida. The team enjoyed another wonderful year, finishing in the top four in the MAAC regular season for the second consecutive time. Our volleyball team started the year 6-0 in MAAC play and earned a fourth straight berth in the conference championship as the third seed - another fine season for second year coach Kris Zeiter to go along with his MAAC Championship from a year ago.

The coming months are shaping up to be an exciting time for Iona fans as the winter sports swing into action. The women's basketball team welcomes a wealth of new talent to go along with several veterans who are ready to take the team to unprecedented heights. On the men's side, we are the early favorite, coming in first in the MAAC preseason coaches' poll. A challenging schedule and a quintet of senior leaders make this year potentially one of the best.

Facility Enhancements

Anyone who has been on campus recently has seen the tremendous growth. In addition to new dorms, the LaPenta Student Union has become the place to be on campus with constant activity surrounding it.

The new Hynes Athletics Center will also complement what is already a remarkable growth period for Iona. With state of the art equipment, aerobics studios, and multi-purpose courts, we are anxiously awaiting its opening. In addition, we will be adding much-needed office space for our Division I coaches.

The completion of the Hynes Athletics Center will also give us the chance to provide better use for the existing Mulcahy Center. Once coaches move into their new offices, we will be converting space in the Mulcahy Center into a Division I academic center. The center will feature computer stations, study tables, and will house our Academic Services office. Our enhanced Student Services office will now be able to provide even better access to life education, academic support, and community involvement opportunities. Continuing with these improvements, we will also over time update several offices to continue to reflect our organizational pride.

In closing, I believe that our work continues to position Iona College athletics well for the coming years. Our number one goal is to have an Athletic Department that our family, alums, and friends of Iona athletics are most proud of. I am happy to say we are well on our way. I would be remiss if I did not thank the Athletic Department staff for all their hard work and willingness to be open-minded during a period of change. I also remain ever-grateful to all the loyal alumni and friends behind Iona athletics.

Go Gaels!

If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please click here to e-mail
Athletics Director Patrick Lyons