PROVIDENCE, R.I.- A pair of first-place finishes at the National Catholic Championships on Sept. 14 earned Notre Dame seniors Jeremy Rae and Rebecca Tracy BIG EAST Cross Country Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Athletes of the Week honors.  

Rae finished first with a time of 24:16.00 in a field of 276 runners on the five-mile course on the campus of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. The senior helped Notre Dame to a first-place finish at the National Catholic Championship out of 34 teams. The Fighting Irish finished with 31 points, 57 points ahead of the second place team.

Tracy recorded a first-place finish for the Fighting Irish on the women’s side at the National Catholic Championship. Her time of 17:11.80 bested the field of 232 on the 5K course in South Bend, Ind. The senior led Notre Dame to first place of 34 teams. The Fighting Irish totaled 21 points, beating out the next closest opponent by 41 points.

Notes From Around the League:

BIG EAST Competes at National Catholic Championships

• Notre Dame’s men’s and women’s squads both took the top spot at the National Catholic Championships in South Bend, Ind.
• The Notre Dame women had five finishers in the top 8.
• On the women’s side, Marquette finished 3rd and DePaul rounded out the BIG EAST in 20th of 34 teams.
• For the men, Marquette finished 4th and DePaul took 8th.

Providence Records a Pair of First-Place Finishes

• Providence junior Shelby Greany won the Stony Brook Wolfie Invitational 5K for the women in 17:14.48, while sophomore Shane Quinn took the 8K on the men’s side in 25:24.45 on Sept. 15 in Stony Brook, N.Y.
• Providence claimed first for the women and second for the men.

Kibet Makes it Two Firsts

• Louisville freshman Ernest Kibet ran in his first collegiate race last weekend in Winthrop, S.C., at the Adidas/Winthrop Invitational, taking first with a time of 24:13.17
• His finish helped Louisville capture first place with 44 points for the team’s second victory of the season.

Cincinnati Posts Strong times at Commodore Classic

• Cincinnati competed in the Commodore Classic on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
• Sophomore Colin Cotton finished first for the Bearcats on the men’s side and 13th overall with a time of 25:04.57 on the 8K course.
• Sophomore Emily Clay finished 32nd overall for the women in the 6K race with a time of 22:23.65.
• Longtime Cincinnati cross country and track & field coach Bill Schnier announced he will retire at the end of the 2012-13 track season after 33 years with the Bearcats