Providence College Athletics
Women's BIG EAST Track Preview
4/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
April 28, 2003
Providence College Women's Track
2003 BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Preview -
The Friar women's track team will compete at the 2003 BIG EAST Outdoor Track Championship on May 3-4 in Storrs, Conn.
Senior Roisin McGettigan (Wicklow, Ireland), the only woman to ever win the BIG EAST 3,000 meter steeplechase, won the inaugural race in 2001 and successfully defended her title last year. She will be looking to capture her third straight BIG EAST steeplechase title this year. She qualified with a time of 10:28.34 at the Brown Invitational. Last year, McGettigan earned All-America honors in the steeplechase at NCAA Championship as she placed eighth in a personal best time of 10:08.24. McGettigan has captured three All-America honors in her career.
Junior Brooke Freeburg (Waterford, Pa.), the 2001 BIG EAST javelin champion, placed second in the javelin last year at the BIG EAST Championship. In 2001, she earned All-America accolades in the javelin and last year she placed 19th at the NCAA Championship. Freeburg qualified for the 2003 BIG EAST Championship with a season-best throw of 48.51 meters at the Penn Relays on April 24.
Sophomore Mary Cullen (Sligo, Ireland) will run the 5,000 meters for the Friars. Cullen has qualified for the BIG EAST Championship by finishing second in the 5,000 (16:09.49) at the Penn Relays on April 24. Last year at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championship, she finished fifth in the 5,000 in a time of 16.44.73. Cullen earned her first All-America honor in the fall when she finished 28th at the NCAA Cross Country Championship.
Graduate student Heather Cappello (Lockport, N.Y.) will run the 5,000 or 10,000 meters at the BIG EAST Championship. Cappello qualified in the 5,000 by winning the Brown Invitational in a time of 17:00.07 on April 12. Last year, Cappello finished third in the 10,000 at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championship (35.33.23). A 1999 All-American in cross country, Cappello placed third in the 2003 BIG EAST Indoor 5,000 meter championship (16:57.63).
Sophomore Deirdre Byrne (Avoca, Ireland), freshman Fiona Crombie (Christchurch, New Zealand) and senior Emer O'Shea (Limerick, Ireland) will run the 1,500 meters at the BIG EAST Championship. Byrne qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship with a third place finish (4:26.86) at the Raleigh Relays. Crombie ran a time of 4:33.25 in the 1,500 at the Raleigh Relays and placed 11th. Crombie earned All-BIG EAST accolades in the indoor mile after finishing second (4:52.01) at the 2003 BIG EAST Championship. O'Shea qualified for the 1,500 by finishing third at the Brown Invitational in a time of 4:28.30. With her time of 4:28.30, she qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships.
