Sept. 22, 2005

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The 11th-ranked Providence College women's cross country team and the 27th-ranked men's team will compete at the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday, September 24 at the Les Bolstad Course in Falcon Heights, Minn. The men's race will begin at 10:20 AM EDT, while the women's race will start at 11:10 PM EDT.

The Providence women will be seeking their fifth Roy Griak team title after capturing the championship in 2004. The Friars also won in 1995, 1996 and 1998. Last season, PC was led by All-American Kim Smith (Auckland, New Zealand) who won the individual title for the second consecutive season and became only the second repeat champion in the 19-year-old history of the prestigious event.

This season's Roy Griak field will have 33 of the best teams in the nation. Providence will be led by senior All-American Fiona Crombie (Christchurch, New Zealand), who finished seventh at last season's Roy Griak Invitational. In her first race of the 2005 season, Crombie won the Fordham Invitational on September 10 at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y. In addition to Crombie, PC's squad at the Roy Griak Invitational also will feature graduate students Aine Hoban (Wakefield, England) and Katie Twarog (Albany, N.Y.), as well as senior Ashley Jensen (Lincoln, R.I.), juniors Meghan Owen (Danielson, Conn.) and Laura McCarthy (Edina, Minn.), sophomores Mary Nelle Trefz (Iowa City, Iowa) and Michelle Childs (Cameron, Ontario) and freshman Katie DiCamillo (Garden City, N.Y.).

The men's side will feature 27 of the best teams in the nation. The Friars will be aiming to build on last season's fifth-place finish, their best since 2001. The Friars won the event in 1998 and 2000. In 2000, PC's Keith Kelly (Drogheda, Ireland) became the third Friar to win the individual title. Ben Noad (Bristol, England) captured the event in 1997 and 1998 to become the first athlete to win the Roy Griak Invitational multiple times.

Last season's fifth-place finish was paced by Pat Moulton (Pelham, N.H.), who placed 20th overall. Senior Martin Fagan (Mullingar, Ireland) will lead this season's squad. Fagan finished 24th in last season's race. In his first meet this season, Fagan won the Fordham Invitational on September 10 at Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y. PC's team at the Roy Griak Invitational also will include graduate student Liam Reale (Hospital, Ireland), senior Joe Dionne (Oshawa, Ontario), sophomore Ahmed Haji (West Hartford, Conn.) and Doug Coffed (Norcross, Ga.), juniors Nick Weidman (Sudbury, Mass.) and Matt Kinback (Shrewsbury, Mass.), freshman Richard Yeates (Dublin, Ireland).