Upcoming Event: Men's Cross Country at Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational on October 3, 2025
Men's Cross Country
at Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational
Providence College Athletics
Friar Women Ranked No.1 and Men No.3 In USTFCCCA Northeast Region
8/29/2023 3:52:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The USTFCCCA released the preseason Regional Rankings today (Aug. 29) for Men's and Women's Division I Cross Country. The Providence College women's cross country team is ranked No.1 in the Northeast Region, while the men's team is ranked No.3 in the region.
This year, the Friars will be led by sophomore Jane Buckley (Cork, Ireland) and senior Shannon Flockhart (Longstanton, England). Buckley finished first at the 2022 BIG EAST Cross Country Championship in a time of 20:06, making her the first Friar freshman and second freshman in league history to win the BIG EAST Cross Country title. Buckley was also the top finisher for the Friars at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship this past year, when she placed 49th in a time of 20:16.2, leading the team to a 16th place finish.
Shannon Flockhart had a strong junior season for the Friars after earning her third All-BIG EAST accolade for her fourth place finish (20:18) at the BIG EAST Cross Country Championship. At the NCAA Cross Country Championship, Flockhart was the second Friar to finish with a time of 20:24.4 for 69th place. Flockhart also earned First-Team All-America honors after placing sixth (4:10.78) in the 1,500 meters at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track Championship.
The men's cross country team will be led by senior Liam Back (New Plymouth, New Zealand) and junior Abdel Laadjel (Lucan, Ireland). Back finished first for the Friar men at the 2022 Friar Invitational and Lehigh Paul Short where he placed third (24:40.84) and 12th (23:17.3), respectively. Back earned a personal best in the 5,000 meters of 13:39.75, after redshirting the outdoor track season.
Laadjel enters his junior season following an impressive outdoor track season. Laadjel placed second in the 5,000 meters with a personal best time of 13:44.28 and marked a personal best in the 10,000 meters of 29:12.50 at the BIG EAST Outdoor Track Championship. Laadjel also competed for Ireland at the European Athletics U23 Championship in July 2023. He entered the 10,000-meter race with the 15th seeded time and finished fourth at the Championship in a time of 29:23.33 to close out a successful year.
The Friar men and women open their season at Brown University's Rothenberg Invitational on Sep. 1 at the Mark Coogan Course at Highland Park in Attleboro, Mass.
For more information on Providence College men's and women's track and field teams, follow @FriarsXCTrack on Twitter and Instagram.
-GO FRIARS!-
This year, the Friars will be led by sophomore Jane Buckley (Cork, Ireland) and senior Shannon Flockhart (Longstanton, England). Buckley finished first at the 2022 BIG EAST Cross Country Championship in a time of 20:06, making her the first Friar freshman and second freshman in league history to win the BIG EAST Cross Country title. Buckley was also the top finisher for the Friars at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship this past year, when she placed 49th in a time of 20:16.2, leading the team to a 16th place finish.
Shannon Flockhart had a strong junior season for the Friars after earning her third All-BIG EAST accolade for her fourth place finish (20:18) at the BIG EAST Cross Country Championship. At the NCAA Cross Country Championship, Flockhart was the second Friar to finish with a time of 20:24.4 for 69th place. Flockhart also earned First-Team All-America honors after placing sixth (4:10.78) in the 1,500 meters at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track Championship.
The men's cross country team will be led by senior Liam Back (New Plymouth, New Zealand) and junior Abdel Laadjel (Lucan, Ireland). Back finished first for the Friar men at the 2022 Friar Invitational and Lehigh Paul Short where he placed third (24:40.84) and 12th (23:17.3), respectively. Back earned a personal best in the 5,000 meters of 13:39.75, after redshirting the outdoor track season.
Laadjel enters his junior season following an impressive outdoor track season. Laadjel placed second in the 5,000 meters with a personal best time of 13:44.28 and marked a personal best in the 10,000 meters of 29:12.50 at the BIG EAST Outdoor Track Championship. Laadjel also competed for Ireland at the European Athletics U23 Championship in July 2023. He entered the 10,000-meter race with the 15th seeded time and finished fourth at the Championship in a time of 29:23.33 to close out a successful year.
The Friar men and women open their season at Brown University's Rothenberg Invitational on Sep. 1 at the Mark Coogan Course at Highland Park in Attleboro, Mass.
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
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
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