Belfast’s McAlister leads Iona’s Irish onslaught

He broke the tape in 25:12.5, followed by Dartmouth’s Jarrod Shoemaker in 25:15.4. Iona juniors Mark Smyth, from Sligo, and Sean Connolly, from Tallaght, Co. Dublin, ran third and fourth, respectively. Smyth was timed in 25:21.2, while Connolly was in at 25:22.9.
Loyola of Chicago’s Robert Wade took 21st place in the Roy Griak Invitational at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Minnesota. Wade, a junior from Portlaw, Co. Waterford, ran 8,000 meters in 24:44. Westley Alkin, a senior from Dublin, who transferred to Eastern Michigan from Arkansas, was 57th across in 25:19. Providence junior Patrick Guidera, from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, placed 72nd in 25:28. Wisconsin won the team title with Providence seventh, Eastern Michigan in 11th place and Loyola, 15th.
Western Kentucky’s Enda Grandfield finished sixth in the UALR Collegiate Open at Murray Park in Little Rock, Ark. The senior from Killorglin, Co. Kerry, ran the 8,000-meter course in 26:36.0. UALR’s Dmitry Shokur was the winner in 25:45.0.

MEN’S SOCCER
Old Dominion, ranked No. 4 in Div. I, remains unscored upon after eight matches. The Monarchs prevailed last week over UMBC, 2-0, and Campbell, 5-0. Belfast native Alan Dawson coaches the 8-0-0 Monarchs.
Nova Southeastern improved to 7-2-1 with victories over Eckerd, 2-0, and Florida Southern, 7-1. Nova’s Joe Clancy, a freshman defender from Dublin, helped keep Eckerd off the scoreboard and assisted on the second goal. Clancy also picked up an assist in the Florida Southern win, but teammate Ryan Clancy was the hero of the match. The Dundalk freshman scored Nova’s first, fourth and final goals.
Paul McLaughlin scored two goals to pace Park University of Missouri to a 4-1 victory over Bellevue. The freshman from Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, also assisted on a goal in Park’s 4-0 victory over Benedictine. Park is 7-3-0.
Gerard Brennan put Cumberland College’s final point on the board with his goal in the 77th minute in a 3-1 victory over Montreat. Brennan is a sophomore from Dublin. Cumberland is 4-2-1.
Gareth Aiken fed teammate Diego Rossi in the second minute of overtime for what proved to the winning goal in Judson’s 2-1 victory over Cardinal Stritch. The senior from Glenarm, Co. Antrim also scored one of Judson’s many goals in a 14-3 walloping of Davenport University. Judson is 7-2-0.
Mercer’s Alan Colgan, a sophomore from Dublin, scored the first goal of the match in a 3-2 win over Georgia State. Mercer is 3-4-0.
California-Santa Barbara defeated Sacramento State, 3-0, with Dublin senior David McGill assisting on one goal. The Gauchos (7-0-1, 1-0-0 Big West Conference) are ranked 10th in Div. I.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Chris Butler was named New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for scoring the tying goal in the Spartans’ 2-1 victory over Dominican. Butler, a sophomore from Ballymena, Co. Antrim, transferred to STAC from Findlay in Ohio.
John O’Hara stopped one shot as George Mason (5-3-1) edged Quinnipiac, 1-0. O’Hara is a junior from Foxford, Co. Mayo. The Patriots’ coach, Fran O’Leary, is a Dubliner.
Gary Hamill’s Wingate Bulldogs (7-2-0) won two of their three contests last week. The Bulldogs defeated Belmont Abbey, 3-1, then lost to Lander, 2-1, before enjoying a 4-0 win over Lenoir-Rhyne. Hamill is a Belfast native.
Christian Brothers rolled over Harding, 3-0, in their first Gulf South Conference action of the season. The Bucs (2-4-0 overall, 1-0-0 GSC) are coached by Ballina, Co. Mayo, native Seamus Loftus.
New York University and Joe Behan came up winners last week. The Violets defeated Medgar Evers to improve to 4-1-1. Behan is a Dubliner.
Boston College pulled out a 2-1 win over Syracuse. Dublin’s Ed Kelly coaches the Eagles (4-3-0).
Clemson managed a 3-3 tie with Air Force, then lost to Coastal Carolina, 2-1 in overtime. Trevor Adair’s troops are 3-4-2. Adair is a Belfast native.
Bowdoin dropped to 3-1-2 after a loss to Amherst, 3-1, and a tie with Middlebury, 1-1. Brian Ainscough, a Dublin native, coaches the Polar Bears.
San Diego beat up on a pair of eastern rivals in Albany, 1-0, and Hofstra, 6-1. Seamus McFadden’s team is now 4-2-2. The coach comes from Donegal.

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Emer McAuley scored a goal as Thomas University defeated Clayton State, 3-0. The senior from Stamullen, Co. Meath, then accounted for all of Thomas’ output in a 3-2 win over Mobile. McAuley has 15 goals this season. Thomas is 8-2-1.
Grace Evers had two goals and an assist as Virginia Intermont (3-1-1) walloped Bluefield, 9-0. Evers is a freshman from Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.
Franklin Pierce, ranked sixth in Div. II, cruised over Stonehill, 10-1, and American International, 4-0. Sophomore Laura Hislop set a school record with 13 points in the Stonehill blowout. The Belfast resident converted five of her nine shots on goal and assisted on three other goals. Teammate Sonya Hughes, a Balbriggan sophomore, also had two assists for Pierce (8-1-0 overall, 7-0-0 New England 10). Hughes was the star in the AIC win, as she scored both of Pierce’s first two goals. Hislop later had a goal, as well.
Barry’s Mairead McLaughlin found the net from 19 yards out in a 5-1 win over North Florida. The Derry junior also earned an assist in Barry’s 4-0 shutout of St. Leo, when the rebound of her shot was booted in by a teammate. Barry is 4-2-2 overall and 2-0-0 in the Sunshine State Conference.
Nadine McCorry had a goal and an assist in Lee University’s 5-2 victory over Martin Methodist. The Belfast junior then converted a penalty kick against Bethel but Lee lost, 2-1, to drop to 8-1-0.
Jennifer Kett and Christian Brothers earned two victories last week as they downed Harding, 3-0, and Kennesaw State, 2-1. Kett, a senior from Dublin, had five saves in each of the matches. CBU improved to 7-0-1 for coach Seamus Loftus.
Debbie McGuinness, a junior keeper from Dundalk, racked up four saves in Lindsey Wilson’s 5-0 win over St. Francis (Ind.). Wilson, ranked third in the NAIA, is 9-1-0.
Denise Thomas assisted on the lone goal of the match as Central Connecticut State defeated Massachusetts, 1-0. Taylor is a junior from Rotherham, England, who has played for the Irish National team by virtue of holding an Irish passport. Ireland’s Mick D’Arcy coaches CCSU (7-1-1).
Akron came out on opposite ends of 1-0 scores. Kent State victimized the Zips by that score, but Catherine Byrne’s team came back to nip Buffalo by the same score in overtime. Akron is now 3-6-1 and 2-4-0 in the Mid-American Conference. Byrne is a Dublin native.
A tie was the best that Tracy Cross got last week. The Limerick native saw her Northwest Missouri State team play even against Missouri-Rolla, 1-1, before falling to Minnesota-Duluth, 2-1. The Bearcats are 2-6-1 overall and 1-2-1 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Assn.
Hamilton experienced a little of everything last week. A scoreless tie with Hartwick was followed by a 2-0 win over Vassar and a 1-0 loss to Rensselaer Poly. Dublin native Colette Gilligan coached Hamilton (3-1-1).
St. Francis (Pa.) was unable to bring in a win for coach Michael Coll, a Derry native. St. Francis (3-5-1, 0-3-1 Northeast Conference) tied Monmouth, 2-2, then lost to Sacred Heart, 2-1.
Keene State is in danger of falling from its no. 18 ranking as a result of a 3-2 loss to Middlebury and a 1-1 tie with Western Connecticut State last week. Denise Lyons, a native of Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, coaches the Owls (5-3-1).

GOLF
Gareth Maybin won individual honors at the First Reliance Intercollegiate at the Country Club of South Carolina in Florence, S.C. The junior from Ballydome, Co. Antrim shot four-under-par 212 (71-71-70) for a two-stroke victory over Tulane’s Bill Roach, Jr. South Alabama finished third in the team standings, one stroke behind Jacksonville State and Southern Mississippi. The latter two decided title honors in JSU’s favor.
Iona’s Angus McAllister had sixth place to himself at the McLaughlin Tournament, held on Long Island at Bethpage State Park’s Red Course. McAllister, a sophomore from Dublin, was one stroke under par for 54 holes with 200 (72-65-72). Iona finished seventh among teams.
Rhode Island’s Kenneth Fahey tied for 21st place in the Mason Rudolph Collegiate Championship at the Golf Club of Tennessee in Nashville. Fahey, a sophomore from Clifden, Co. Galway, carded 146 (71-75) for 36 holes. Texas A&M’s Stephen Reed won individual honors in a playoff after tying for low score at 136. Rhode Island took 13th place among teams.
Dublin seniors Martina Gillen and Michelle Carroll finished in ties for 11th and 35th places, respectively, at the Lady Northern, played at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio. Kent State’s Gillen shot 226 (79-73-74), while Illinois’ Carroll carded 237 (76-79-82). Texas’ Janice Olivencia won medal honors after a three-way tie at 218. Kent finished tied for fifth place among teams. Illinois placed 11th.
Suzie Hayes tied for 30th place in the Notre Dame Invitational at Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Ind. The Dublin sophomore shot 245 (77-88-80). Western Michigan’s Stephanie Donkin was low woman at 228. Notre Dame was the winning team.

TENNIS
Evansville’s Derek Boland split four matches to finish fourth in the A Flight bracket at the Charles Fluitt Invitational in Lexington, Ky. Boland, a junior from Dublin, was a first-round winner over Southern Illinois’ Bojan Ilievski, 6-2, 6-4. Kentucky’s Evan Austin then knocked Boland out of title contention, 6-4, 6-3. The consolation bracket saw Boland lose to Illinois’ Pramod Dabir, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, before salvaging seventh place with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Wright State’s Brian Butt.
California’s Conor Niland won two of three singles matches at the Napa Valley Tennis Classic recently. The Dublin junior began with a victory over Georgia’s Matias Ormaza, 6-3, 6-1. A three-set loss to Texas A&M’s Lester Cook, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, ensued, but Niland then defeated Illinois’ Chris Martin, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. Niland also teamed with Balazs Veress for doubles victories over Georgia’s Ormaza and Strahinja Bobusic, 8-5, and Texas A&M’s Cook and Marvin Rolle, 8-2.