RALEIGH, N.C. - The Iona University men's outdoor track team competed on Day 1 of the 2024 Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State University at the Paul Derr Track. The opening day of the competition on Thursday saw the men's team compete in three different events.
1500-METER RUN
The Gaels kicked off the meet with the 1500-meter run and were paced by senior
Damien Dilcher, who got the team off to a hot start. Dilcher ran a personal best time of 3:41.04 to finish as the seventh fastest collegian and 11th overall. He topped his previous best mark of 3:41.67 set last year at Stanford. Dilcher finished third in the 14th of 15 sections of the race behind Bradley's Jack Crull (3:40.83) and Stony Brook's Colin Gilstrap (3:41.03).
Dilcher's time is also the second fastest time at Iona in the Maroon & Gold uniform, topping Iona Hall of Famer Tim Bayley's at No. 3 and sitting behind former teammate
Mael Gouyette's 3:40.48 at NCAA's last season.
Two other Gaels, senior
Nick Soldevere and sophomore
Aiden Coles also competed in the event. Coles ran 3:47.33, enough for 43rd overall, and Soldevere was just behind at 3:47.54. The pair finished 1-2 in section 12.
5,000-METER RUN
Next up was the 5000m with four Maroon & Gold harriers competing. Rookie Bradley Gilbin had a strong outdoor debut for the Gaels as the team's top finisher in 15th place overall. His time of 13:47.92 made him the 17th Iona performer to run a sub-14-minute 5k outdoor time and seventh fastest all-time. He was third overall in the eighth of nine sections. Sophomore
Tadhg Donnelly finished 31st overall and seventh in section 7. He ran a personal best time of 13:53.12. Donnelly finished the last 400 meters of the race in 1:02.32. Sophomore
Scott Fagan kicked off the event, running a personal best time of 14:28.17, enough for 135th overall and finishing third in the first section.
10,000-METER RUN
The final Gael to compete on the first day of competition was junior
Lachlan Wellington in the 10k. Wellington ran a time of 28:52.19 which was the 19th fastest time overall in the three sections. He finished third in the second section of the event. It was a huge personal best time for Wellington, topping his previous best by more than 28 seconds. He is the 10th Gael to run a sub 29-minute 10k effort and ran the sixth fastest time in school history.
IONA PERFORMERS
1500:
Damien Dilcher, 11th, 3:41.04;
Aiden Coles, 43rd, 3:47.33;
Nick Soldevere, 47th, 3:47.54.
5k:
Bradley Giblin, 15th, 13:47.92;
Tadhg Donnelly, 31st, 13:53.12;
Scott Fagan, 135th, 14:28.17.
10k:
Lachlan Wellington, 19th, 28:52.19.
UP NEXT
Tomorrow, it is the turn of the men's sprinters in the 100-meter event and Iona women's contingent to compete. Freshman Lily Overton run in the 1500-meters while redshirt freshman Tayla Gunton, junior Holly Smith and graduate Madison Klein go in the 5k.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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