O’Neill’s college career off to fast start at Providence

Before leaving for Providence College and the start of his college running career, Middletown North High School’s Tom O’Neill knew what he was up against.

“The next level is really hard and competitive,” he pointed out.

O’Neill also knew that when he sets his mind on something, he leaves no stone unturned to achieve his goal. He embraces hard work.

That goal was to make the Providence College men’s cross country team’s top 10 as a freshman. No small feat, considering the Friars are a nationally ranked program (currently No. 12 nationally and No. 2 in the Northeast Region) that draws the best runners in the country to its Rhode Island campus.

Thus far, O’Neill is right on schedule. He couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to his career than to win his very first collegiate race. He led the Friars to victory in a tri meet against Holy Cross and the University of New Hampshire at Durham, NH. O’Neill won the 6K race in 18:32.90.

For that win, O’Neill was named the ECAC Rookie of the Week.

“It’s a great start for freshman Tom to win his first collegiate race, first time out,” Providence head coach Ray Treacy said in a college press release.

O’Neill followed that win up with a second place at the Wolfie Invitational in Stony Brook, N.Y. Providence runners swept the top three places on the way to the victory with 26 points. O’Neill ran the 8K course in 24:53.61.

At the recent Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown held at Franklin Park in Boston, the Friars finished third, and the ex-Lion was the team’s seventh scorer in 44th place, clocking 25:18.

The Friars will head out to Madison, Wis., on Oct. 17 for the Wisconsin Invitational. The Big East Championships are Oct. 31 in Carmel, Ind.

O’Neill was the Lions’ most successful distance runner in school history. He won multiple Group state championships as well as two NJSIAA Meet of Champions crowns (cross country and indoor track). He was an Indoor All-American at two-miles and holds school records for the 1,600 meters (4:16.37), 3,000 (8:27.66), 3,200 (9:01.34), two-mile (9:06.40) and the 5K (14:51.17).

But it’s the success of his Lion teams that O’Neill was proudest of. In his senior year he led North to three NJSIAA Central Jersey championships.

By far, O’Neill’s most memorable race was the final one of his high school career at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. He anchored North’s Distance Medley Relay Team to a fifth place and All-American honors for himself and his teammates.