June 11, 2006

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Providence College men's and women's track teams competed at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship on June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif. The men's team (14 points) earned its best result ever at the NCAAs by finishing in a tie for 16th-place. The women's squad recorded 10 points and finished in a tie for 25th-place.

Three All-Americans were crowned led by senior Mary Cullen (Sligo, Ireland). Cullen, who was competing in her final collegiate race at PC, captured the 5,000 meters in a time of 16:01.39 on Friday, June 9. With her first-place finish, Cullen earned all 10 points for the PC team, whose 25th-place finish was its best since placing 22nd in 2004. It marked the ninth time a PC female athlete won a NCAA championship. Cullen, who earned her sixth All-America honor (four in track, two in cross country), joins an impressive list of Geraldine Hendricken, Amy Rudolph, Marie McMahon and Kim Smith as PC athletes to win a NCAA individual crown. She also is the first PC athlete to claim a NCAA track title since Kim Smith captured the 5,000 meters in the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championship.

On the men's side, senior Martin Fagan (Mullingar, Ireland) and sophomore Max Smith (Dunedin, New Zealand) also garnered All-America accolades and led the PC squad to a tie for 16th-place, its best finish ever. Prior to this season, PC's highest finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championship was in 1993 when it placed in a tie for 18th-place. Fagan finished second in the 10,000 meters on Thursday, June 8. He ran a personal best time of 28:41.41 and finished just under four seconds behind Arkansas' Josphat Boit and two seconds ahead of Wisconsin's Simon Bairu, who won the 2005 NCAA cross country title. Fagan's All-America selection was the second of his career. He also earned the honor in cross country in 2005. Smith, who is only in his second season at PC, placed third in the 1,500 meters in a time of 3:44.42 on Saturday, June 10. It marked his second All-America honor. He also was an All-America selection in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Track Championship.

Head Coach Ray Treacy, who is in his 22nd season with the men's and women's programs, has now coached 120 All-Americans at PC, including three at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. In addition, he has coached 12 NCAA individual champions.

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