NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Iona College men's cross country graduate newcomer Matthew Gillespie was named ECAC and MAAC Men's Cross Country Performer of the Week for his third place finish at the Forth Annual Adidas Invitational at the University of Wisconsin on Friday.
Gillespie finished third overall at the Thomas Zimmer Cross Country Course on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, completing the 8k course in 23:25. Gillespie finished behind NCAA Championship favorites and Arizona duo Lawi Lalang and Stephen Sambu. He nipped Texas A&M senior Henry Lelei by a second for third place.
Competing against 21 of the nation's Top 30 teams and six other squads receiving votes, the No. 5 Iona College men's cross country team finished second overall.
Gillespie is the fourth Iona performer to earn a MAAC weekly honor this season. Sophomore Ethan Heywood, senior Chris Stogsdill, and graduate student Mitch Goose were also honored. Heywood and Goose have also earned ECAC Runners of the Week.
The performance by the Gaels helped move Iona from No. 5 in the USTFCCCA poll up to No. 4 this week.
The next race for the Gaels will be at the MAAC Championships next Saturday (Oct. 27) in Lake Buena Vista, Fl at Disney's Wide World of Sports. The Gaels are the defending MAAC Champions and are looking to win their 22nd straight MAAC title.
USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION I
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL COACHES’ POLL
2012 Week #5 – October 16th
Rk.) School Votes
1.) Oklahoma State 353
2.) Colorado 343
3.) Stanford 339
4.) Iona College 322
5.) BYU 316
6.) Oklahoma 306
7.) Texas 283
8.) Oregon 275
9.) Arkansas 257
10.) Columbia 251
11.) Michigan 227
12.) New Mexico 206
13.) Eastern Kentucky 198
14.) Florida State 186
15.) UCLA 182
16.) Syracuse 165
17.) Portland 159
18.) Duke 146
19.) Tulsa 139
20.) Wisconsin 134
21.) Virginia Tech 131
22.) Northern Arizona 126
23.) Princeton 115
24.) Indiana 103
25.) Iowa State 80
25.) Villanova 80
27.) Georgetown 49
28.) Georgia 47
29.) Texas A&M 38
30.) Kansas 15
Others Receiving Votes: Arizona State 3, Eastern Michigan 3, Florida 2
