May 30, 2007

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Four Providence College track athletes will compete at the 2007 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 6-9 in Sacramento, Calif. On the men's side, junior Max Smith (Dunedin, New Zealand) will run in the 1,500 meter event. On the women's side, graduate student Aine Hoban (Wakefield, England) will compete in the 10,000 meters, while sophomores Katie DiCamillo (Garden City, N.Y.) and Danette Doetzel (Macklin, Saskatchewan) will take part in the 5,000 meter event.

Smith became the first male Providence runner to win an NCAA East Regional title on May 26 after finishing first in the finals of the 1,500 meters in Gainesville, Fla. Smith won the event with a time of 3:41.09. The mark set an East Regional record in the 1,500, which was previously set by Tom Parlapiano of Villanova in 2003 (3:42.93). In 2006, Smith placed third and claimed All-America honors at the NCAA Championships in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:44.42.

Joining Smith as an automatic qualifier is Hoban. Though Hoban finished fourth at the NCAA East Regionals in the 5,000 meters (16:16.05) and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championship, she will compete in the 10,000 meter event while in Sacramento. Hoban enters the NCAA Championships with the third fastest time in the country in the 10,000 meters. Hoban automatically qualified for the NCAAs in the 10,000 meters on March 31 at the Stanford Invitational with a second place finish in a time of 32:45.94. Hoban's time also marks a personal best. Her previous career best time in the 10,000 meters was 33:44.22.

DiCamillo and Doetzel each were at-large selections in the 5,000 meter NCAA Championship field. The at-large selections were announced on Tuesday, May 29. At the NCAA East Regional Championships on May 25, DiCamillo placed ninth in the 5,000 meter final with a time of 16:29.56. Doetzel placed 13th in the East Regional field with a time of 16:36.62. DiCamillo and Doetzel will be making their first career appearances at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held on June 6-9 at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif. For more information regarding the NCAA Championships, please visit www.hornetsports.com. To obtain tickets by phone, please call (916) 566-2400.