TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Providence won the 2013 NCAA National Championship on Saturday with 141 points in cold and windy conditions at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center (6k).
A year removed from a second-place finish, the Friars took the title, its first since 1995. Senior Emily Sisson was the Friars' top finisher with a seventh place finish with a time of 20:17.5.
Senior Laura Nagel was the second Friar to cross the line (20:38.8), finishing 27th overall. Sophomore Sarah Mary Collins finished in 39th with a time of 20:44.9. By virtue of their top-40 finishes, Sission, Nagel and Collins earned All-America honors."The women were brilliant," head coach Ray Treacy said. "It was a difficult course with tough conditions. Sarah really pulled through at half-way mark."
Arizona (197), Butler (200), Michigan (215) and Georgetown (226) rounded out the top five teams in the field of 31. Providence held down second place at the 2000m and 4000m marks en route to its capturing the crown.
Also scoring for the Friars were freshman Catarina Rocha, who ran to a 62nd finish with a time of 20:59.9 and senior Grace Thek, who finishing in 76th (21:08.0). Sophomore Molly Keating rounded out all finisher for the Friars, crossing the line at 22:21.4 (224th).
"It was a great win today for Ray and the team," Nagel said. "We really wanted to bring home the win and we did."
The Friars won seven of the nine races they competed in this season. Providence was guided by head coach Ray Treacy and assistant coach Kevin Myles. The coaching staff earned the Big East Staff of the Year, in additional to Treacy's Northeast Women's Coach of the Year honor.
