PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Johnson & Wales University Providence Campus President Marie Bernardo-Sousa, LP.D., has announced the addition of women's indoor and outdoor track & field as varsity athletic programs beginning in the fall of 2024, under the guidance of current women's cross country head coach / track & field development Ben Finnigan.

The program will compete in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) next fall before the university moves to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) for the 2025-26 season. The addition of these two programs brings the total number of varsity programs sponsored by JWU at the Division III level to 18: six men, 10 female, and two co-ed.

"At Johnson & Wales University, we are committed to intercollegiate athletics as an enhancement to the holistic student experience," said Bernardo-Sousa. "The addition of women's indoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field will expand opportunities for talented student athletes to engage in intercollegiate athletic competition that will inspire personal growth, discipline and academic achievement."

JWU Director of Athletics Dana Garfield added, "We're pleased to announce the addition of women's indoor and outdoor track & field to our varsity sport offerings. We're excited to be able to create additional participation opportunities for young women to pursue their dream of being an NCAA student-athlete and look forward to building competitive indoor and outdoor track & field programs at Johnson & Wales."
 
Finnigan was tasked last summer with guiding the rebirth of the women's cross country program and developing track & field programs. Managing a 13-woman roster which featured nine student-athletes in their first or second year of eligibility, Finnigan guided the Wildcats to a seventh-place finish at the GNAC Women's Cross Country Championship.
 
"I'm extremely excited about the addition of track and field here at JWU," said Finnigan, who was a standout runner at Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland. "I am incredibly grateful to Dana Garfield, Marie Bernardo-Sousa, and (Assistant Athletic Director) Julie Beer for their vision of not only adding track & field to the slate of athletic programs sponsored by JWU, but for entrusting me to build this program from the ground up. Our cross country program is making great strides heading into year two and many of our current student-athletes are excited about the opportunity to compete year-round. I am already hard at work recruiting the future faces of our track & field programs will provide an exceptional experience for our student-athletes."
 
Johnson & Wales will be partnering with several local educational institutions to utilize both indoor and outdoor track facilities for practice. A nationwide search for a full-time associate head coach for all three programs will begin in the coming weeks.
 
"Our women's athletic programs at JWU have experienced tremendous growth and success over the past 10 years, including conference championships in volleyball, field hockey, women's soccer, women's lacrosse, and softball," said Garfield. "We have also received the GNAC Women's Commissioner's Cup each of the last two years, so I have no doubt that our track & field programs will provide an exceptional experience for our student-athletes."

About JWU
Founded in 1914, Johnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with more than 8,000 graduate, undergraduate and online students at its campuses in Providence, Rhode Island and Charlotte, North Carolina. An innovative educational leader, the university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in arts and sciences, business, engineering, food innovation, hospitality, nutrition, health and wellness. It also offers undergraduate programs in culinary arts, dietetics and design. JWU's unique model provide students with the personalized attention, academic expertise and industry connections that inspire professional success and personal growth. The time students spend at JWU is nothing short of transformative, as demonstrated by career outcomes, expected earnings and economic mobility rankings. The university's impact is global, with alumni in 125 countries pursuing careers worldwide.