MIDDLETOWN, NY - The Iona University women's cross country team won the 2026 Metro Conference Championship with a first-place finish in the 6k event at the Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown, NY. Junior Sofia Lumbreras led the Gaels with a runner-up finish in 21:31.5, as Iona placed five runners among the top eight finishers to secure its 17th overall Metro Conference Championship and first conference crown since 2021.
 
The championship marks Iona's seventh conference title in the last 11 years. The Gaels finished with 23 team points, their lowest total at the event since scoring 21 points in 2018.

IONA PERFORMERS

Lumbreras paced the Gaels with her second-place finish, crossing the line in 21:31.5. Junior Kiera Atkinson followed closely in third at 21:34.1, while sophomore Alex Schulz secured fourth in 21:37.3 to give Iona three runners among the top four.
 
Junior Muireann Duffy finished sixth in 21:45.1, and sophomore Kayleigh Atkinson completed Iona's scoring lineup with an eighth-place finish in 21:52.2. The five Gaels combined to produce a championship-winning score of 23 points, with all five earning All-Metro Conference Championship recognition.
 
Junior Ruby McPhillips placed 22nd in 22:32.5, followed by senior McKenna Arguien in 24th at 22:37.4. Freshman Allison Oram finished 29th in 22:43.3 to round out Iona's top eight.
 
The Gaels' 23-point performance ranks as the fifth-lowest team score in program history and is tied for the eighth-lowest winning score in Metro Championship history.

TOP INDIVIDUALS

Fairfield's Hannah Snayd captured the individual championship in 21:25.2. Lumbreras finished second, followed by Kiera Atkinson and Schulz in third and fourth, respectively, as Iona claimed three of the top four individual positions.
 
Quinnipiac's Zoe Merryman placed fifth in 21:41.3, ahead of Duffy in sixth. Rider's Liz Fis finished seventh in 21:51.7, while Kayleigh Atkinson took eighth in 21:52.2. Niagara's Alexa Briggs finished ninth in 21:58.0, and Sacred Heart's Emma Daley completed the top 10 in 22:04.7.
 
The top 15 finishers earned All-Metro Conference honors, recognizing Iona's four runners among the top six and five among the top eight.

TEAM SCORES

Iona claimed the team championship with 23 points, comfortably ahead of runner-up Quinnipiac, which finished with 67. Marist and Rider tied for third with 118 points, followed by Fairfield in fifth with 130.
 
Sacred Heart placed sixth with 173 points, narrowly ahead of Merrimack's 176. Siena finished eighth with 227 points, followed by Niagara with 246. Mount St. Mary's placed 10th with 283, Manhattan finished 11th with 293, Canisius took 12th with 325, and Saint Peter's rounded out the 13-team field with 404 points.

Iona Performers

Pl.	Runner	Time
2.)	Sofia Lumbreras	21:31.5
3.)	Kiera Atkinson	21:34.1
4.)	Alex Schulz	21:37.3
6.)	Muireann Duffy	21:45.1
8.)	Kayleigh Atkinson	21:52.2
22.)	Ruby McPhillips	22:32.5
24.)	McKenna Arguien	22:37.4
29.)	Allison Oram	22:43.3
59.)	Amanda Knapp	23:25.0
61.)	Arabella Dickfos	23:29.3
77.)	Alyssa Dovico	23:52.7
86.)	Gabrielle Carroll	24:11.9
111.)	Sarah Wisnieski	25:09.4
131.)	Adyson King	26:00.2
137.)	Lyla Masson	26:43.7

Top 25 Performers

Pl.	Runner	School	Time
1.)	Hannah Snayd	Fairfield	21:25.2
2.)	Sofia Lumbreras	Iona	21:31.5
3.)	Kiera Atkinson	Iona	21:34.1
4.)	Alexandra Schulz	Iona	21:37.3
5.)	Zoe Merryman	Quinnipiac	21:41.3
6.)	Muireann Duffy	Iona	21:45.1
7.)	Liz FIS	Rider	21:51.7
8.)	Kayleigh Atkinson	Iona	21:52.2
9.)	Alexa Briggs	Niagara	21:58.0
10.)	Emma Daley	Sacred Heart	22:04.7
11.)	Abigail Kowalczyk	Marist	22:05.7
12.)	Bailee Christofis	Manhattan University	22:08.1
13.)	Madeleine Maddie O'Neil	Quinnipiac	22:09.2
14.)	Emily Litke	Marist	22:09.7
15.)	Avery Palmucci	Quinnipiac	22:13.3
16.)	Ashley Carillo	Quinnipiac	22:14.9
17.)	Maddie Dischert	Rider	22:16.3
18.)	Kadence Williams	Quinnipiac	22:19.9
19.)	Alexa Ciccone	Quinnipiac	22:21.4
20.)	Grace Del Giorno	Sacred Heart	22:26.9
21.)	Helena Szep	Marist	22:31.5
22.)	Ruby McPhillips	Iona	22:32.5
23.)	Caroline White	Merrimack	22:35.3
24.)	McKenna Arguien	Iona	22:37.4
25.)	Avaline Fihlman	Merrimack	22:39.9

Team Scores

Pl.	Team	Score
1.)	Iona	23
2.)	Quinnipiac	67
3.)	Marist	118
4.)	Rider	118
5.)	Fairfield	130
6.)	Sacred Heart	173
7.)	Merrimack	176
8.)	Siena	227
9.)	Niagara	246
10.)	Mount St. Mary's	283
11.)	Manhattan	293
12.)	Canisius	325
13.)	Saint Peter's	404

 

UP NEXT

The Gaels turn their attention to the postseason national qualifying races, returning to competition on Friday, November 13, at the 2026 NCAA Northeast Regional Championship. Iona will compete at Bethpage Polo at the Park in Farmingdale, NY, as the team looks to carry its conference championship momentum into the regional meet.

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