Completed Event: Men's Track and Field at Boston University Season Opener on December 6, 2025 ,
Men's Track and Field
at Boston University Season Opener
Final
Providence College Athletics
Wednesday, June 9
Eugene, Ore.
Providence College
at
NCAA Championships
Three Friars Qualify For NCAA Track Championship
6/5/2021 12:04:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Friars will run in Eugene, Oregon on June 9-12
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Providence College's outdoor track runners AJ Ernst (Marblehead, Mass), Marcelo Rocha (Peabody, Mass) and Abbey Wheeler (Elmira, N.Y.) will travel to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship which will take place June 9-12. Rocha and Wheeler are set to compete in the finals for the 10,000-meters and Ernst will be competing in the semifinals for the 1,500-meters. Ernst's race is set for 5:02 p.m. and Rocha's is set for 7:38 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9. Wheeler's race is set for 6:08 p.m. on Thursday, June 10. All times listed above are in Pacific Time.
Wheeler is a three time All-American (2018 Outdoor 5,000-meter, 2019 Outdoor 5,000-meter and 2021 Indoor 5,000-meter), a three-time BIG EAST Champion (2020 Indoor 3,000-meter, 2020 Indoor 5,000-meter and 2021 Outdoor 10,000-meter) and a two-time ECAC Champion (2018 Indoor 3,000-meter, 2020 Cross Country). Wheeler ran a PR for the 10,000-meters with a time of 33:18.34 on Thursday, May 27 at the first round of the NCAA Championship.
Rocha finished ninth in the 10,000 meters (PR 28:58.92) in the first round of the NCAA Championship on Wednesday, May 26. Rocha also had a strong finish in the 5,000 meters (13:49.79), placing fourth in the Big East Championship on Saturday, May 15.
This is Ernst's first year competing as a Friar, after running at the University of Virginia for the past four years. Ernst earned All-ACC Honors during the 2020 Indoor season in the mile. Ernst placed second in the prelims for the 1,500 meters (3:43.52). He went on quarterfinals and placed third in his heat (PR 3:39.14) to qualify for the semifinal in Eugene. At the Big East Outdoor Championship this year, Ernst placed second in the 1,500 meters in a time of 3:44.85.
For more information on Providence College men's and women's track and field teams, follow @FriarsXCTrack on Twitter and Instagram.
-GO FRIARS!-
Players Mentioned
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and FieldOcean State Invitational
Friday, April 12
