Cross Country’s Big East Standouts

by The Cowl Editor on November 3, 2017


Friar Sports


By Meaghan Cahill ’20

Sports Co-Editor

PC cross country
Photo Courtesy of John Connolly

Despite the cold and the wind on Oct. 28, both the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams competed at the Big East Cross Country Championships. It was a successful day with the women’s team clinching the second place spot and the men’s team coming in fourth place.

However, while the teams had great success as a whole, there was also great individual success for each of the teams.

Catarina Rocha ’17GA won the entire women’s race with a time of 19:59.0, which also earned her All- Big East First Team Honors.

On Rocha, Head Coach Ray Treacy stated, “I am especially proud of Catarina for winning the individual title. She has been a standout runner for us.” Rocha is the ninth Friar in history to win the individual Big East title and the second in her family–her father won it for Boston College in 1987.

  Rocha’s individual success was joined by Brianna Ilarda ’18, who had a time of 20.12.0, and Millie Paladino ’18, who had a time of 20.27.9. Ilarda and Paladino came in second and fourth place respectfully. “Great running up front from Catarina, Bri, and Millie,” Coach Treacy declared at the end of the race.

   Abbey Wheeler ’20 rounded out the list of Friars who came in the Top 10 by finishing in tenth place with a time of 20:53.7.

  The men’s team finished fourth behind Georgetown University, Butler University, and Villanova University. While they had no runners finish in the Top 10, they just missed it with runners Marcus Karamanolis ’19, who finished in eleventh place, Aaron Hanlon ’18, who finished in thirteenth place, and Liam Harris ’20, who finished in eighteenth place.

   On the men’s team, Coach Treacy had a positive outlook on their appearance and the future of the team by saying, “The men had a much improved performance today…We will look for them to improve over the next two weeks and compete well at the Northeast Regional in Buffalo.”

  Two weeks from now, on Nov. 10, both cross country teams will compete in the Northeast Regional Championships in Buffalo, New York, where they will be looking to clinch a spot in the NCAA Cross Country Championships.