GAELS FINISH FOURTH AT REGIONALS

BOSTON, MA- Graduate Anna Holm-Joergensen finished third overall in leading the Iona College women's cross country team to a fourth place finish at the 2009 NCAA Northeast Regional Championship at Franklin Park. Joergensen joined fellow All-Region honoree, freshman Marion Joly-Testault who finished 16th overall.

Joergensen finished the 6k course less than a second out of second place with her time of 22:08. Joly-Testault was the second Gael finisher in 22:45. Iona's other scorers included junior Kristen Peluso in 37th place (22:45), senior Ashling Baker in 39th (23:24) and graduate Leonie Smith in 49th place (23:34).

Ranked ninth in the region heading into the race, the Gaels finished behind nationally ranked No. 10 Syracuse, No. 21 Providence and regionally ranked No. 5 Stony Brook. Iona was just four points behind the Seawolves with a team score of 144.

With the third place finish, Joergensen qualifies for the 2009 NCAA Championship that takes place next Monday (Nov. 23) in Terre Haute, IN

NCAA Regional Championship
Franklin Park - Boston, MA
November 14, 2009 - 10k

Iona Finishers
Pl  Name                   Time
3.  Anna Jorgensen        22:08
16. Marion Joly-Testault  22:45
37. Kristen Peluso        23:21
39. Ashling Baker         23:24
49. Leonie Smith          23:34
76. Annelore Desaedeleer  24:05
80. Siobhan Dwyer         24:11

Top 25 Finishers
Pl  Name                  School           Time
1.  Katie Hursey          Syracuse        21:57
2.  Shelby Greany         Providence      22:08
3.  Anna Jorgensen        Iona College    22:08
4.  Catherine Desarle     Syracuse        22:11
5.  Hannah Davidson       Providence      22:15
6.  Kailyn Kuzmuk         Harvard         22:25
7.  Jillian King          Boston College  22:27
8.  Claire Richardson     Harvard         22:28
9.  Corey Conner          Maine           22:29
10. Breffini Twohig       Providence      22:31
11. Sammy Silva           Harvard         22:35
12. Stephanie Pancoast    Cornell         22:40
13. Lauren Penny          Syracuse        22:42
14. Holly Van Dalen       Stony Brook     22:43
15. Lucy Van Dalen        Stony Brook     22:44
16. Marion Joly-Testault  Iona College    22:45
17. Ariel Wright          Brown           22:46
18. Laura Huet            Stony Brook     22:46
19. Maegan Krifchin       Syracuse        22:48
20. Emma Perron           Providence      22:51
21. Jackie Drouin         Columbia        22:54
22. Natalie Busby         Syracuse        22:55
23. Courtney Baldwin      Massachusetts   22:55
24. Genna Hartung         Cornell         22:56
25. Paige Sutherland      Holy Cross      22:57

Team Scores
Pl. Team                Score
1.  Syracuse               59
2.  Providence             70
3.  Stony Brook           140
4.  Iona College          144
5.  Harvard               149
6.  Cornell               153
7.  Boston College        184
8.  Columbia              210
9.  Brown                 215
10. Maine                 352
11. New Hampshire         390
12. Dartmouth             398
13. Quinnipiac            439
14. Vermont               451
15. Yale                  474
16. Connecticut           480
17. Marist                496
18. Army                  507
19. Holy Cross            545
20. Massachusetts         587
21. Boston University     607
22. Fordham               636
23. Sacred Heart          647
24. Northeastern          675
25. Buffalo               678
26. Binghamton            681
27. Colgate               683
28. Canisius              689
29. Rhode Island          784
30. Central Connecticut   855
31. Fairfield             900
32. St. John's            931
33. Niagara              1009
34. Hofstra              1086
35. Siena                1101