COLUMBIA, MO - The Iona University men's cross country team finished 24th out of 31 programs in the Gold 8k race at the 2025 Gans Creek Classic, hosted by the University of Missouri. The event was contested at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, the site of this year's NCAA Championships, and featured one of the deepest fields of the season. A total of 23 of the 42 teams in competition were either nationally ranked or receiving votes in the Week 1 USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll. Ranked third in the Northeast Region, the Gaels were one of only two teams from the region in the field, finishing behind No. 12 nationally ranked Syracuse.
IONA PERFORMERS
Sophomore
Bradley Giblin was the top finisher for the Maroon & Gold, placing 89th overall with a time of 23:42.7. Close behind was fellow sophomore
Conan Harper, who crossed in 23:58.3 for 119th place. Junior
Aiden Coles added a 125th-place showing in 24:00.8, while sophomore Oliver Boltz (148th, 24:09.7) and freshman
Billy Coogan (157th, 24:13.1) rounded out the Gaels' scoring five. Senior
Ben MacMillan, junior
Baptiste Cartieaux, and junior
Tristan Coles also competed, giving Iona a strong presence in the deep field.
TOP INDIVIDUALS
The individual race was won by Washington State sophomore Solomon Kipchoge, who clocked 22:24.7 to take the top spot. He was followed by Iowa State's Joash Ruto and Tulane's Bernard Cheruiyot, who battled to the line and finished within half a second of one another. Alabama's Dismus Lokira and Colorado's Dominic Serem rounded out the top five, each breaking the 22:46 mark on the NCAA Championship course.
TEAM TOP 10
Top-ranked Iowa State earned the team title with just 47 points. No. 6 Virginia took second with 107 points, while No. 13 Colorado finished third with 126. The rest of the top five included No. 11 Alabama and No. 4 BYU, separated by just six points. No. 12 Syracuse was the top Northeast squad in the field, placing sixth overall, followed closely by No. 15 Butler, No. 14 Northern Arizona, and No. 9 Wake Forest. Rounding out the top 10 was No. 27 Michigan State, showing the depth of competition in Columbia.
Iona Performers
Top Five Individual Performers
| Place |
Athlete |
Year |
School |
Time |
| 1 |
Solomon Kipchoge |
So. |
Washington State |
22:24.7 |
| 2 |
Joash Ruto |
So. |
Iowa State |
22:32.0 |
| 3 |
Bernard Cheruiyot |
So. |
Tulane |
22:32.4 |
| 4 |
Dismus Lokira |
So. |
Alabama |
22:44.1 |
| 5 |
Dominic Serem |
So. |
Colorado |
22:45.2 |
Team Standings
| Place |
School |
Score |
| 1. |
#1 Iowa State |
47 |
| 2. |
#6 Virginia |
107 |
| 3. |
#13 Colorado |
126 |
| 4. |
#11 Alabama |
193 |
| 5. |
#4 BYU |
199 |
| 6. |
#12 Syracuse |
229 |
| 7. |
#15 Butler |
237 |
| 8. |
#14 Northern Arizona |
239 |
| 9. |
#9 Wake Forest |
311 |
| 10. |
#27 Michigan State |
334 |
| 11. |
#23 Tulane |
366 |
| 12. |
Missouri |
401 |
| 13. |
#20 Princeton |
412 |
| 14. |
#7 Stanford |
451 |
| 15. |
#18 Washington State |
454 |
| 16. |
#24 Air Force |
467 |
| 17. |
#17 Eastern Kentucky |
485 |
| 18. |
RV Michigan |
491 |
| 19. |
Lipscomb |
509 |
| 20. |
#25 Ole Miss |
526 |
| 21. |
#28 Furman |
561 |
| 22. |
RV Gonzaga |
599 |
| 23. |
Florida |
609 |
| 24. |
RV Iona |
615 |
| 25. |
Utah Valley |
645 |
| 26. |
RV Portland |
662 |
| 27. |
Duke |
684 |
| 28. |
Navy |
694 |
| 29. |
RV Weber State |
704 |
| 30. |
Texas Tech |
713 |
| 31. |
Montana State |
752 |
UP NEXT
The Gaels return to action next Friday, October 3, when they travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for the Paul Short Run, hosted by Lehigh University.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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