The NCAA News - News Features

Division I

Providence has tools to defend title

OVERVIEW: A year after ending Villanova's six-year stay at the top, Providence is looking to establish its own dynasty. Providence returns five of seven runners from its championship team, including the squad's top performers. Marie McMahon and Maria McCambridge -- who individually placed fourth and sixth, respectively, at the 1995 championships -- should again finish near the top of the field. Joining that duo will be seniors Susan Murnane and Krissy Haacke, who were the squad's third and fifth finishers, respectively, in 1995 .... Providence will have to fend off several challengers, including Villanova, Georgetown and Stanford. Villanova, which placed third in 1995, is ranked No. 2 in the coaches' top-25 poll and appears to be peaking at the right time, judging from the Wildcats' victory over a 30-team field at the Pre-NCAA Invitational last month at Arizona. The Wildcats' title hopes are led by Kristine Jost, Carrie Tollefson and Krestena Sullivan. Georgetown returns three top-40 finishers from the 1995 championships, including standouts Miesha Marzell and Kate Landau, while Stanford looks to Mary Cobb, fifth overall in 1995, and transfer Jessica Fry in its bid for its first team title.

FIELD: A total of 184 individual competitors will be selected. Twenty-two teams of seven individuals -- at least two teams from each of eight districts -- plus 30 individuals (at least three individuals from each district) will make up the field.

DATES AND SITES: District qualifying will be November 16 at eight sites. The championships will be November 25 at Arizona.

INFORMATION/RESULTS: The fax-on-demand telephone number is 770/399-3060 (passcode 1915); request numbers are 1279 for dates/site/schedule, 5075 for qualifiers and 5076 for championships results. District and championships results also will be available on the World Wide Web at www.ncaa.org. Championship results will be published in the December 2 issue of The NCAA News.

CHAMPIONSHIPS NOTES: Amy Skieresz of Arizona, the 1995 individual runner-up, won the individual crown at the Pre-NCAA Invitational.