PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Iona University men's outdoor track teams competed in arguably the fastest College Men's 4xMile Championship of America event in history at the 2024 Penn Relays finishing in fourth place in school record time.

THE RUNDOWN

Senior Nick Soldevere, sophomore Aiden Coles, freshman Bradley Giblin and senior Damien Dilcher combined to run a 16:07.39, topping the program's best time by eight seconds. Prior to this year's race, the time would have been good for the second fastest recorded time in the history of the event.
 
The top three schools in the event were Villanova (15:51.91), Virginia (15:52.30) and Georgetown (15:52.56) and were the first three schools to post a sub 16-minute time in Penn Relays history. Michigan's quartet in 2005 held the previous standard of 16:04.54. The Gaels' time was just ahead of the previous second best time set by Arkansas (16:07.96) in 1999.
 
Soldevere blazed a sub-4 minute mile for the leadoff leg with a 3:59.78, his first-ever as a Gael. Coles ran a 4:05.36 in the second leg keeping the Gaels in fifth place through the first half of the race. Giblin, who ran the Maroon & Gold's first-ever outdoor sub-four mile earlier this season, put his team in the fourth place position after the third leg, posting a 3:58.35, his fastest ever mile. Dilcher closed the race in the anchor leg with a 4:03.91 to seal fourth place for Iona.
 
Iona finished ahead of Notre Dame (16:08.65), Michigan (16:16.38), Wisconsin (16:18.64), Michigan State (16:34.29), Duke (16:39.74), Georgia Tech (16:50.15), and Clemson (17:08.28).
 
The remarkable race saw 13 racers run sub-4 miles in this event including Soldevere and Giblin.
 
Iona's previous fastest time in the Penn Relays 4xMile came in 2006 with former Gael Greats Stephen Chemlany, Tim Bayley, Sean Connolly, and Richard Kiplagat posting a 16:15.40. For Soldevere, it was his third appearance in the event, all three results rank in Iona's top four all-time efforts.
 
Soldevere and Dilcher teamed with Matt Rankin and Mael Goyette last year and ran a 16:17.46. Soldevere and Gouyette competed with Joshua DeSouza and Jamie Dee in 2022 and ran a 16:22.09. The two sub-four minute mile splits this year were the fastest recorded by an Iona runner since Kiplagat's 4:00.00 in 2006.

CHAMPIONSHIP OF AMERICA 4XMILE TEAM RESULTS

Pl.)	Team	Conference	Time
1.)	Villanova	Big East	15:51.91
2.)	Virginia	ACC	15:52.30
3.)	Georgetown	Big East	15:52.56
4.)	Iona	MAAC	16:07.39
5.)	Notre Dame	ACC	16:08.65
6.)	Michigan	Big Ten	16:16.38
7.)	Wisconsin	Big Ten	16:18.64
8.)	Michigan State	Big Ten	16:34.29
9.)	Duke	ACC	16:39.74
10.)	Georgia Tech	ACC	16:40.15
11.)	Clemson	ACC	17:08.28

IONA TOP TIMES SINCE 2006

Year	Place	Time	Runners (split if available)
2024	4th	16:07.39	Nick Soldevere (3:59.78), Aiden Coles (4:05.36), Bradley Giblin (3:58.35), Damien Dilcher (4:03.91)
2006		16:15.40	Stephen Chemlany (4:07.1), Tim Bayley (4:02.4), Sean Connolly (4:05.9), Richard Kiplagat (4:00.0)
2023	10th	16:17.46	Mael Gouyette (4:03.53), Nick Soldevere (4:00.18), Matt Rankin (4:05.24), Damien Dilcher (4:08.52)
2022	8th	16:22.09	Nick Soldevere, Jamie Dee, Joshua DeSouza, Mael Gouyette
2018	4th	16:25.26	Ehab El-Sandali (4:10.3), Gilbert Kirui (4:04.4), Liam Dee (4:05.2), Chartt Miller (4:05.4)
2007	6th	16:28.33	Abraham Ng'etich (4:07.9), Mohamed Khadraoui (4:06.5), Phil Burkart (4:12.9), Tim Bayley (4:01.0)
2016	4th	16:29.12	Johannes Motschmann (4:08.8), Sebastian Hendel (4:07.4), Chartt Miller (4:09.4), Liam Dee (4:03.5)
2008	7th	16:36.47	Evan Garber (4:09.9), Mohamed Khadraoui (4:06.7), Dan Wallace-Periac (4:12.1), Abraham Ng'etich (4:07.8)
2017	6th	16:36.78	Johannes Motschmann (4:09.0), Gilbert Kirui (4:08.4), Kieran Clements (4.09.2), Chartt Miller (4:10.2)
2014	12th	16:42.85	Xavier King (4:11.7), Daniel Clorley (4:11.8), Chartt Miller (4:10.9), Matthew Gillespie (4:08.5)
2009	11th	16:47.44	Jason Weller, Ryan Sheridan, Matt Bayley, Alexander Soderberg
2010	14th	16:54.49	Jason Weller, Christopher Stogsdill, Matt Bayley, Daniel Lipus

SOCIAL MEDIA

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