Providence College Athletics
Providence College Track and Field to Compete at NCAA's
3/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
March 11, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - Four members of the Providence College Track and Field teams have arrived at the NCAA Indoor Championships, hosted by Texas A&M, to vie for national championships and All-America status.
Two Friar men and two PC women will compete in the distance events. On the men's side, juniors David McCarthy (Waterford, Ireland) will battle the 3000-meter field while Julian Matthews (Nelson, New Zealand) begins his quest for the mile crown. For the women, junior Hannah Davidson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) and sophomore Shelby Greany (Suffern, N.Y.) will each contend in the 3000-meters.
"They've all had experience in NCAA Championships before on the track and in cross country, which certainly does help," explained PC Director of Track/Field and Cross Country Operations Ray Treacy, who has coached Friars to eight, individual NCAA track titles. "I don't think (nerves) come into the equation at all, really. For them it's just another race where they're trying to run their best and get the most out of themselves on that particular day."
Matthews will be the first to step to the line, running in the mile preliminary Friday night. If he can secure a top 10 finish Friday, the lanky junior will earn a place in what is expected to be an ultra-competitive final on Saturday.
"There are 16 people in the field and the slowest time is 3:59.03, so it's by far the most competitive NCAA indoor mile ever," explained Treacy.
Matthews earned a spot among the nation's best with a run of 3:58.57 last month at Boston University's Valentine Invitational.
The field will be equally stacked in McCarthy's race, Saturday's 3000-meters. Since it is one of the final events of the championships, many distance runners pull double duty, coming back to run the 3K after competing in an early event like the 5000-meters or distance medley relay.
"So all the best athletes seem to converge in the 3K at the end of the meet," said the coach. "The positive thing is that David will be fresh. He won't have raced before that, so that's the really positive thing for him when he gets on the line. It's just a matter of executing when he gets there."
This will be McCarthy's second, indoor NCAA's. He placed fourth in the mile two years ago to achieve All-America status (which is awarded to the top eight in each event). He qualified this season with a blistering clocking of 7:53.33 last month at BU.
Also Sunday, the women's 3000-meters, the one race where two Friars will be able to work off each other. Davidson qualified with a brilliant run in last week's Last Chance Meet in New York City, crossing the line in 9:12:53. The posting was the 11th best 3000 in the country this season.
Greany also has impressed, entering with the 14th best time in the nation thanks to a 9:14.06 last month at Boston University.
"They are two very good runners and both are in good form," lauded Treacy. "If they duplicate what they have done this season, both will do very, very well. I think there will be a lot of tired bodies on the line because a lot of people will be doubling up with the 5K, the mile, and the distance medley relay. So they will be two of the freshest bodies on the line. That certainly will help them."
"I just want to get good performances out of everybody; to have the four people who are going to run to the best of their ability. This time of the year, you want everybody to be running at their best when they get to NCAA's. I think we're very close to that right now and expect very good performances."
- Go Friars -
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