PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- It was announced on March 22 that Providence College sophomore Heather Cappello (Lockport, N.Y.), junior Rachel Hixson (Media, Pa.) and sophomore Katie Willett (Biddeford, Maine) earned 1999-00 GTE Academic All-District I Fall/Winter At-Large honors. Cappello and Hixson were named to the First Team and Willett received Second Team accolades.

Cappello, a computer science major, has earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.329 in her two years at Providence. It marks the first time Cappello has received GTE Academic All-District I At-Large honors. This year, Cappello finished 29th (17:31) at the NCAA Cross Country Championship and earned All-America honors. She also won (17:12) the NCAA Northeast Cross Country Regional Championship and finished third at the BIG EAST Cross Country Championship.

Hixson, a humanities major with a 3.507 cumulative grade point average, was one of PC's top cross country runners this season. A 1998 All-American in cross country, Hixson placed 35th at the 1999 NCAA Cross Country Championship. She also placed eighth at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship. Hixson is a two-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star. In 1998, she represented the U.S. at the 1998 World Junior Cross Country Championship.

Willett, a marketing major with a 3.88 grade point average, was also named to the 1999 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I Academic Squad in December 1999. At the conclusion of the 1999 season, she earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors. Last season, the sophomore back started all 19 games and notched one assist and made one defensive save. In 1998, she was named to the All-BIG EAST Rookie Team.

Since being named to the District 1 At-Large First Team, Cappello and Hixson will now be considered for GTE Academic All-America At-Large National Team honors, which will be determined Thursday, April 20.

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