NEW ROCHELLE, NY - After finishing 16th last season and winning their 21st straight MAAC men’s cross country championship, the Iona College men’s indoor track and field team was ranked 22nd to begin the 2012 indoor season, as announced by the USTFCCCA.
Returning for his final season on the indoor track is senior Leonard Korir, who was named as one of the top runners this season and is a finalist for the 2012 Bowerman award. Korir was last seasons indoor 5K National Champion and was named an All-American in the 3K and 5K events last season. He also holds the Iona record in the indoor 5K.
He Split a 56.18 final lap to claim the outdoor national title. Also finished third outdoors nationally in the 5000 and sixth indoors at 3000 meters. In clocking 27:29.40 in the 10k at Stanford’s Payton Jordan Invitational in May, he moved to second all-time in collegiate history in the event (Sam Chelanga, 27:08.39, 2010).
Leonard Korir's first place finish in the 3000-meter run at the 2011 BU Terrier Invitational, was the second fastest time in the World of the 2010-11 indoor campaign with his 7:51.40.
Korir's time was also the second-fastest in school history, less than two seconds shy of Richard Kiplagat's 7:49.98 at the 2006 NYU Fastrack Invitational.
Joining Korir on the track this season is classmate Alexander Soderberg. Soderberg qualified for the NCAA 10K championships last season and finished 19th and is looking for another impressive season on the oval.
The Gaels will begin the 2012 portion of the season at the New York Road Runner Series on January 14 at the 168th Street Armory in New York City.