June 2, 2006

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Four Providence College track athletes have qualified for the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Track Championship on June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif. The four Friars who will be competing on June 7-10 are senior Martin Fagan (Mullingar, Irleand), sophomore Max Smith (Dunedin, New Zealand), senior Mary Cullen (Sligo, Ireland) and graduate student Aine Hoban (Wakefield, England).

Fagan, who earned All-America honors in cross country, will run the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Championship Thursday, June 8. He will be making his second appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championship. Last year, he finished 22nd at the NCAA's in the 5,000 (14:27.71). He qualified for the 10,000 by finishing 21st in a time of 29:00.37 at the Stanford Invitational on March 31.

Smith will run the 1,500 at the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive year. The heats for the 1,500 will be run on Thursday, June 8. The 1,500 meter championship will take place on Saturday, June 10. He qualified for the NCAA Championship by placing fourth in the 1,500 (3:45.79) at NCAA Regionals on May 27 in Greensboro, N.C. His best time in the 1,500 this season was 3:41.27 at the Stanford Invitational on April 1.

Cullen, who will running her final race as a Friar, has had an impressive outdoor season, qualifying for the NCAA Championship in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Cullen will run the 5,000 meter heats at the NCAA Championship on Wednesday, June 7. The 5,000 championship will take place on Friday, June 9. She qualified for the NCAA Championship by winning the 5,000 meters in a time of 15:50.18 at the NCAA Regional Championship on May 26. For her efforts, she was named USTFCCA Northeast District Athlete of the Year. Her time of 15:41.43 in the 5,000 at the Mt. Sac Relays on April 13 is the second fastest time in the country this season. She will not run the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Championship, but qualified by finishing second (32:39.59) at the BIG EAST Championship on May 7. Cullen, a five-time All-America selection, will be making her third appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championship.

Hoban will be making her first appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championship when she runs the 10,000 on June 8. She qualified for the NCAA's by running a time of 33:44.22 at the Stanford Invitational on March 31.