Providence, R.I.- The Providence College men's and women's track and field teams travel to Geneva, Ohio for the BIG EAST Championships on May 14-15. The meet will take place at SPIRE Institute and broadcast live on FloTrack and YouTube.
For the women, the headlining events will be the 800 meter, 1,500 meter, 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter. Alex O'Neil (Ennis, Ireland) and
Halle Atkinson (Franklin, Mass.) lead the Friars in the 800 meter. O'Neill won her heat in the 800 meter at the Virginia Grand Prix on May 1 (2:08.09). Atkinson finished in 2:10.49 at the Raleigh Relays on March 25-27.
Tessa Hunt (Wellington, New Zealand) will be running the 1,500-meter. Hunt won the 1,500 at the Brown vs. Providence College meet on April 30 (4:34.56). In the 5,000 meter,
Maria Coffin (Annapolis, Md.) and
Lilly Tuck (Sunderland, Canada) will be competing. Coffin ran a personal-best, 16:02.91, in the 5,000 meter at the Ocean State Invitational on April 9. Tuck set a personal-best in the 5,000 meter at the Raleigh Relays on March 25-27 (16:09.56). Both times will qualify for the NCAA First Round in Jacksonville, Fla. on May 27-29. The trio of
Abbey Wheeler (Elmira, N.Y.),
Laura Mooney (Cappincur, Ireland) and
Orla O'Connor (Waterford, Ireland) pace the Friar women in the 10,000 meter. Wheeler is running her first ever 10,000 meter race and is expected to battle for the title. Mooney and O'Connor ran personal bests in a variety of distances over the past month and are expected to be big factors in the race.
On the men's side,
Liam Back (New Plymouth, New Zealand),
Jack Carleo (Newburyport, Mass.) and
Ryan Jendzejec (Chappaqua, N.Y.) will be running the 800 meter.
AJ Ernst (Marblehead, Mass.) and
Angus White (New Plymouth, New Zealand) are running the 1,500 meter. Both runners are coming off fast mile times over the past couple of weeks. Ernst is coming off of a 4:00.64 mile time at the Ocean State Invitational on April 9. White ran a 4:02.69 when winning his section of the mile at the Virginia Grand Prix on May 1.
Marcelo Rocha (Peabody, Mass.) will be running the 5,000 meter. Rocha ran a personal best, 13:55.98, in his victory at the Ocean State Invitational on April 9.
Ryan Gallagher (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) will be competing in the 10,000 meter. Gallagher ran a personal-best 5,000 meter (13:49.02) at the Virginia Grand Prix on May 1 and will be racing in his first ever 10,000 meter.
Chris Shanahan (Westwood, Mass.) will be throwing the javelin for the Friars and he is presently ranked fourth in the conference in the event.
Daniel Rooney (Rochester, Mass.) is running the 400 meter hurdles and is ranked 10
th in the conference.
For more information on the Providence College men's and women's track and field, follow @FriarsXCTrack on Twitter and Instagram.
-GO FRIARS-