Nov. 21, 2004

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The second-ranked Providence College women's cross country team and the 11th-ranked men's squad will compete at the NCAA Championships on Monday, November 22 at the Lavern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. The women's race will begin at 11:00 a.m., while the men's race starts at 12:15 p.m.

The women's team will be making its 16th consecutive appearance at the NCAA's. Providence won the NCAA title in 1995, marking the College's only NCAA crown. Last season, the Friars finished third as All-Americans Kim Smith (Auckland, New Zealand) and Mary Cullen (Sligo, Ireland) finished second and fifth, respectively. This season, Smith will be one of the favorites to win the individual title.

"This is my last race at Providence," Smith said at the NCAA Championship press conference on Sunday, November 21. "I hope to do well for my team and my coaches."

Smith has won all four of her races this season and has helped the Friars to an undefeated mark this season. Most recently, Smith won the NCAA Northeast Regional on November 13.

"I feel like I'm in good shape," Smith continued. My workouts show that I'm fitter then when I ran the 15:09." Smith ran a time of 15:09 at the NCAA Indoor 5,000-meter Championship in which she set an NCAA record. She is trying to become the first Providence female athlete to win an NCAA Cross Country Championship.

Providence as a team also has a chance at winning its second NCAA Championship.

"We have an outside shot of winning tomorrow," Head Coach Ray Treacy said. "Everything will have to go perfectly for us tomorrow to cause an upset."

The men's team will be making its 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA's. Providence's best finish was in 1981 and 1982 when it finished second. Last season, the Friars placed 24th and the team will be looking to improve upon last season's finish. The Friars, who were ranked 22nd in the national poll a month ago, have climbed 11 spots since to earn their current No. 11 ranking.

The Friars are led by seniors Patrick Moulton (Pelham, N.H.) and Dylan Wykes (Kingston, Ontario) as well as junior Martin Fagan (Mullingar, Ireland). Moulton and Wykes will be competing in their fourth consecutive NCAA Championships, while Fagan will run in his second overall national championship.

In the Friars' last meet, the team captured the NCAA Northeast Regional title on November 13. Moulton, Wykes and Fagan finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively to pace the Friars to their fifth NCAA Northeast Regional title. Providence has won four of its six meets this season and finished third at the BIG EAST Championships.

Providence's team also features senior Patrick Guidera (Clonmel, Ireland), junior Joe Dionne (Oshawa, Ontario), graduate student Michael DeCoste (Duxbury, Mass.) as well as freshmen Ahmed Haji (West Hartford, Conn.) and Max Smith (Dunedin, New Zealand).