Iona Graduate In Rio Places 14th In 10,000-meter Race

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Team USA athlete and Iona College graduate Leonard Korir ran a respectable 10,000-meter race Saturday against the world’s best runners in Rio de Janeiro.

James O'Rourke

08/15/2016 11:48 p.m.

According to a statement from Korir’s alma mater, he finished 14th overall out of 34 athletes in the field with a time of 27:35.65, his fastest time this year and his second fastest ever.

Korir, Iona’s first ever NCAA champion, ran his fastest 10,000-meter race in 2011 while competing with the Gaels at Stanford University, according to the statement.

Thiis latest accomplishment comes at a time of great change for the young athlete, according to Iona, which reported that Korir, a 2012 Iona graduate, joined the U.S. Army earlier this year and became an American citizen before qualifying for the Olympic Games.

Korir was also the champion 5,000-meter racer in the 2011 NCAA championships, according to Iona.

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