LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The Iona University women's track & field team competed in day one at the 2025 MAAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday. The Gaels tallied points on both the track and the field, with Tyaja Thomas bringing in the first points of the day in the Javelin throw and Madison Klein highlighting the efforts on the track with a bronze finish in the 10-kilometer run. In preliminary events, Ava McAuliffe and Tayla Gunton advanced to the finals in their respective events with impressive top-three finishes.  

woMEN'S 10,000-METER FINAL

Madison Klein handed the Gaels their first medal of the weekend, finishing third with a time of 36.06.67. Klein's time brought in half a dozen points for the team as Muireann Duffy added another three points with a sixth-place finish and a time of 37.44.95.   

WOMen's 1500-meter run Preliminaries

Tayla Gunton took first place in the 1500-meter event preliminaries by less than a tenth of a second, qualifying for Sunday's final with a time of 4:45.72. Lucy Miller was the second Iona athlete to cross the line, finishing 13th with a time of 4:55.18. 

WOMEN'S 3,000-meter Steeplechase final

Kate Tugman finished fourth and added five points to Iona's team tally with a personal best time of 11:10.26. Alexa Doe joined in with another personal best, finishing 10th with a time of 11:39.65.   

WOMEN'S 400-METER PRELIMINARIES

Ava McAuliffe set the second-fastest outdoor 400 in school history on the way to a third-place finishes in the 400-meter preliminaries. Her time of 57.71 qualified her for tomorrow's final. Zaheira Hegazi was the second Gael across the finish, coming in 14th with a time of 59.71. 

WoMEN'S JAvelin Throw

Tyaja Thomas brought in the only points scored from field events on Saturday with a 39.93-meter effort in the javelin throw. Her seventh place finish brought in two points for the Gaels.  

IONA PERFORMERS

200 Prelims: Ava McAuliffe, 21st, 25.62; 400: Ava McAuliffe, 3rd, 57.71, Zaheira Hegazi, 14th, 59.71; 800 Prelims: Lauren Sonski, 11th, 2:17.60, Katie Menard, 12th, 2:17.94, Megan Sterbenz, 37th, 2:31.09; 1500 Prelims: Tayla Gunton, 1st, 4:45.72, Lucy Miller, 13th, 4:55.18; 3kS: Kate Tugman, 4th, 11.10.26, Alexa Doe, 10th, 11.39.65; 10k: Madison Klein, 3rd, 36:06.67, Muireann Duffy, 4th, 37:44.95, JT: Tyaja Thomas, 7th, 39.93 

Up Next

The Gaels are back in action tomorrow at the MAAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, with the women's 4x100-meter relays set for a 12:05 p.m. start 

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