Tag: Women’s Cross Country
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018
PCI
Abbey Wheeler ’20 and Tiago Mendonca ’20RS Were the Top Athletes for the Fall
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Cross country runner Abbey Wheeler ’20 and soccer player Tiago Mendonca ’20RS are the top two standout athletes of the fall sports season.
This racing season, according to Head Coach Ray Treacy, Wheeler has been Providence College’s top runner for the women’s team. Wheeler finished as the overall winner in the University of New Hampshire Dual Meet, the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown, and the Central Connecticut State University Mini Meet. She finished the CCSU Mini Meet with the fastest posted time by a non-redshirt collegian in the past six years with a time of 9:48.9 for the 5K.
At the Big East Championships, Wheeler finished first for the Friars and fourth overall—an improvement from her 10th place finish last season. Her 20:35.3 time earned her All-Big East honors for this season. At the NCAA Northeast Regional Meet, Wheeler finished second for the Friars and 33rd overall.
The NCAA named Wheeler the Cross Country National Athlete of the Week twice this season. Wheeler was also named Big East Runner of the Week twice this season.
Wheeler deserves best female athlete of the 2018 fall sports season because of the key role she has played in the cross country team’s success these past few months.
Alongside Wheeler, another standout athlete from the fall season is Mendonca, who is a plays midfield for the men’s soccer team.
Arguably, goalie Colin Miller ’19 RS is considered to be the star of the soccer team this year, but no matter how good the goalie is, a team cannot win games if they do not score goals—and that is exactly what Mendonca did this season.
Playing in all 19 games of the season, Mendonca led the team in goals (5), points (10), shots (40), and shots on goal (15). During a season where nine of the team’s wins were decided by just one goal, Mendonca’s value in regards to the team’s success was definitely heightened.
Mendonca is the only member of the soccer team to be named to the All-Big East First Team and earlier in the season, the Portugal native was named to the Capitol City Classic All-Tournament Team.
Both Wheeler and Mendonca were key players in their team’s successes this fall season and it is for that reason they should be recognized as the two athletes with the most successful sports season.
Cross Country Women Secure Third at Big East; Men Finish Fifth
by The Cowl Editor on November 8, 2018
Friar Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams recently traveled to Carmel, Indiana to compete in the 2018 Big East Championships. The event took place on Friday, October 26 and consisted of a women’s 6K race followed by a men’s 8K race. The Friars went up against strong competition, and the women’s team finished in third place overall and the men finished fifth.
The women’s third place finish is especially impressive given the strength of Big East competition. The most dominant women’s team in the Big East is Villanova University, who ranks at number eight overall on the NCAA Women’s Cross Country rankings.
The women finished with 76 points, just three points behind second-place Georgetown University who finished with 73 points. In first place was Villanova, who finished with 21 points and three runners in the top five. Leading the Friars was Abbey Wheeler ’20 who had a strong performance and finished fourth overall among the women.
Wheeler finished with an overall time of 20:35.3 and a mile pace of 5:32. In the Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) Mini Meet the previous week, Wheeler placed second, which was good enough to lead the Friars to first place as a team and earn Wheeler the honor of Big East Female Athlete of the Week.
The next-best finisher for the women was Regan Rome ’19G who finished the 6K with an overall time of 21:22.9 and a pace of 5:45.
The men did not have quite as much success as the women in the Big East Championship, finishing in the middle of the pack at fifth place out of nine teams. The men finished with 117 points in the 8K, the same overall point total as Marquette University, who finished in fourth place. The lead runner for the Friars in the 8K was Ryan Gallagher ’21. Gallagher led the Friars by finishing in 18th place overall with a time of 25:15 and a pace of 5:05. Gallagher’s solid performance at the Big East Championship came just a week after finishing in second place at the CCSU Mini Meet and leading PC to first place as a team. Gallagher also earned the honor of Big East Male Athlete of the Week as a result, meaning PC swept the Big East Athlete of the Week honors for that week.
Next up for the Friars is the NCAA Northeast Regional, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 9 at the Audobon Golf Course in Buffalo, New York. The Northeast Regional is one of nine NCAA Regionals and consists of a women’s 6K at 11 a.m. followed by a men’s 10K at 12 p.m.
The women won regionals last year and will be in contention to repeat and punch another ticket to the NCAA championship. The men are looking to improve from their 12th place finish.
In order to qualify for the NCAA Championship the following week, the Friars must either finish among the top two teams overall at the Northeast Regional or receive one of 13 at-large bids. The top 38 individual runners are also selected to compete in the NCAA Championship.
The women have been working all year to make it to their seventh straight NCAA appearance and have the talent to do so. While it may be a lot to expect a young men’s team to upset multiple teams in order to make to it to the championship, there is plenty of potential for the team to find themselves in front of the pack.
Wheeler Wins Battle in Beantown
by The Cowl Editor on October 4, 2018
Athlete of the Week
By Liza Sisk ’19
Sports Staff
Abbey Wheeler ’20 is sprinting into a successful third year, leading the Providence College Track and Cross Country teams to glory. Wheeler, a native of Elmira, New York, was recruited by the Friars her senior year of high school and has been an asset to the team ever since.
Wheeler proved that she will reach new heights this season as she earned first place in the 5K at the Cross Country Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown hosted by Boston College on Sept. 21. This was the first time Wheeler won an event at an invitational at the collegiate level. Wheeler said, “[the win] gave me a lot of confidence and I think it was a great learning experience.” She credits the culture of Friar cross country, her teammates, and the coaching staff for her success in the race.
“I am fortunate enough to be at a place, in a program, and surrounded by the right coaching staff and teammates that can help me make improvements from season to season. It always feels good to be moving forward,” said Wheeler.
Last season, Wheeler came in sixth place in this race while battling an iron deficiency. Her health has since been restored as she took the top spot this year, finishing the 5K in 17 minutes and 10 seconds.
Although her season is off to a successful start, Wheeler reflects on the difficulty that comes with losing powerful runners and leadership to graduation each year. When asked about her goals for the team this year she explained, “The girls before us have created high expectations and standards for the program and we hope to continue in that tradition.”
On Sept. 28, the Friars competed in the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin. The women’s team placed 20th overall, with Wheeler leading the pack for the Friars. She placed 37th overall in the 6k, improving significantly from her 67th place finish in the race last season.
The Friars will take a short break in competition, returning with a Mini Meet at Central Connecticut State University on Oct. 19. This is their last meet until the Big East championships and NCAA tournament season begins.
Wheeler believes the secret to Friar cross country success is consistency. “The success and history behind the cross country and track programs here was why I committed to PC to begin with,” said Wheeler. Led by Wheeler, Friar cross country will undoubtedly continue the historical success of the program.
Cross Country Off to a Great Start
by The Cowl Editor on September 13, 2018
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
On your mark, get set, go! The 2018 cross country season has officially begun for the Providence College men’s and women’s teams.
On Sept. 1, both teams traveled to Durham, New Hampshire to compete in the University of New Hampshire dual meet, which included both men’s and women’s teams from the College of the Holy Cross.
In a Northeast Regional poll taken just before the meet, PC’s men’s team was ranked No. 4 and the women’s team was ranked No. 1.
The meet was a success; the men’s and women’s teams both captured their first wins of the season. The men gained a total of 15 points and swept the top eight spots. The women came in positions one, two, and four in the top six—they would go on to win the meet with a total of 22 points.
Abbey Wheeler ’20 was the top runner for the Friars after gaining a lead early on and winning the entire race with a time of 17:21.37. Wheeler finished her previous cross country season in 10th place at the Big East Championship and earned All-Big East First Team Honors.
Finishing closely behind Wheeler, Maria Coffin ’21 finished strong with a time of 17:21.45 to secure second place overall. Last season, Coffin was a top-eight runner for PC all throughout the season and was a member of the Big East Runner-Up team.
In the fourth and sixth positions were graduate student Regan Rome (17:50.58) and Alex DeCicco ’20 (18:00.26). Much like Coffin, DeCicco was a consecutive top-eight runner last season for the Friars and she finished in the Top 50 at the Big East Championship.
The men’s team finished in the top spots as well. Michael Wyman ’19G finished his first race as a Friar in first place overall with a time of 15:05.63. Marcelo Rocha ’21 finished three seconds behind Wyman with a time of 15:08.23. This was Rocha’s first meet as a Friar. Less than a second after Rocha crossed the line, David Rosas ’21 finished third with a time of 15:08.71. Rosas’s time showed an impressive improvement, shaving off over 30 seconds from his time at last year’s dual meet.
The men’s team will be looking towards their seasoned runners to aid them the rest of the season. Austin Scola ’19 is coming into his senior year after being a repeated top eight finisher for the men’s team all throughout last year. He also finished 27th overall at the Big East Championships.
Along with Scola, Liam Harris ’20, who won the UNH dual meet last year, was also a solid top eight finisher and placed 18th overall at the Big East Championships. Harris’s cross country season concluded last year with him earning Big East Second Team honors.
While the men will be looking to their upperclassmen to guide them to a successful season, the women’s cross country team will be looking down to their underclassmen.
Hanna Johnston ’21, who redshirted last season, is expected to have a big inaugural season along with Hannah McReavy ’22.
Prior to joining the Friar Family, Johnston, a Thunder Bay, Ontario native, was a member of the 2017 Canadian Junior Cross Country Team that finished sixth at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Uganda.
McReavy, who is from Colorado, was the Tri-Peaks runner of the year for cross country two consecutive years in a row (2016 and 2017) and finished fourth overall in the Colorado State Cross Country Championships.
PC’s men’s and women’s Cross Country teams will be competing next on Sept. 21 at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown Meet, hosted by Boston College.
Women’s Cross Country Shooting for the Stars
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
Friar Sports
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Cross Country Team has definitely proved their worthiness through their preseason eighth place ranking in the NCAA National Coaches’ Poll. The Friars are expected to have yet another successful season and the veterans that returned this year have already pushed the team in the right direction.
At the University of New Hampshire Annual Dual Meet the Friars reminded the league of their talents. In their opening match, PC runners Brianna Ilarda ’18, Catarina Rocha ’17RS, Mackenzie Barry ’18, and Maria Coffin ’21, crossed the finish line first, second, third and fourth consecutively. Alexandra DeCicco ’20, and Dara Cuffe ’19, followed up in seventh and 19th place.
An overwhelming amount of Friars in the top ten guaranteed the team’s first victory of the year over competitors from the College of the Holy Cross and the University of New Hampshire.
On Sept. 9, at the Nassaney Invitational in Smithfield, Rhode Island the Friars faced off against Brown University. The first three spots were filled by Millie Paladino ’18, Abbey Wheeler ’20, and Mackenzie Barry ’18. Paladino turned it on at the end and pulled away from the pack. She ran past the finish line at an impressive time of 16:58. Coach Treacy decided to rest five of his top eight runners, so the Friars were unable to grab the team win over Brown.
Regional rankings have listed PC at number one, and national rankings have placed the team eighth overall. Teams ahead of PC include the University of Colorado-Boulder, at number one.
In the team’s latest match at the Boston College Battle in Beantown Invitational on Friday, September 22, the women achieved the team title in the women’s 5,000 meters
The consistency in Rocha, Ilarda, Wheeler, and Paladino is what sets this team apart and is what enables them to keep winning their meets. Rocha, Ilarda, and Wheeler placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the 17th minute.
The women won the team title with 71 points over Indiana University and Georgetown University which tied in second with the same score of 78. This is the third season in a row that the women have claimed the team title and the fourth time in five years.