WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University will host its annual men's and women's cross country meet this Saturday, October 8, as they compete in the 26th annual James Earley Invitational meet from Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass. The women will begin at 10:30 A.M., followed by the men at noon.
This is the 26th renewal of the meet, which is named in memory of Westfield State runner James Earley, who lost his life in a motorcycle accident in 1995 just weeks before his senior year at Westfield State.
36 Division III teams from around the region are raring to run. The meet will serve as a solid preview of what's to come at the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, which will also be hosted at Stanley Park, with six of the seven MASCAC schools attending the Earley meet. 2021 MASCAC Champions Worcester State along with Fitchburg State, Bridgewater State, Framingham State, Mass Maritime, and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will all be competing.
Men's Race
The Owls have found consistent results out of sophomore Will Buckley (Plymouth, Mass.) and senior Mike Maher (Attleboro, Mass.). The two have finished top three amongst Westfield men in every one of their meets this year. Buckley's season best in the 8k is a blistering 28:21.1, while Maher's season best is 29:10.1.
Junior John Nekitopoulos (West Springfield, Mass.) has strung together consecutive strong performances. In the UMass Dartmouth Invitational, Nekitopoulos finished third amongst the Owls, finishing the five-mile course in 27:42.7. The following meet, Nekitopoulos finished first for the Owls, clearing eight kilometers in just 28:15.5 at the Purple Valley Classic this past weekend.
Last year, Westfield State University finished 13th out of 21 schools to compete in the James Earley Invitational, with Vassar University winning the meet outright with four out of the top ten finishers. Buckley finished first for the Owls last year, with a finishing time of 26:54.3.
Women's Race
The women's cross-country trio of Julianne Kelly (Natick, Mass.) Tealei Chandonnet (Dracut, Mass.) and Ariann LeCours (Haverhill, Mass.) have consistently led the Owls throughout this season, filling Westfield State's top three marks at each meeting.
Kelly and Chandonnet are leading Westfield State women's cross country as first-year student-athletes. Their best mile splits came from the Keene State Rust Buster Invitational where they ran two miles. Kelly's mile split was 6:02, while Chandonnet's mile split was 6:00, their best of the season so far.
Both Kelly and Chandonnet have earned MASCAC recognition this past year with Chandonnet earning the MASCAC Runner and Rookie of the Week after her fourth-place finish at the Keene State Invitational. Kelly is entering the race after back-to-back conference Runner and Rookie of the Week honors.
Last year for the woman, Westfield State finished 7th amongst 24 other teams behind Amy O'Sullivan's top-four finish overall as she finishing first for the Owls with a time of 18:29.9.
The meet brings notable business to Westfield, as 526 runners competed in the meet in 2021, plus numerous spectators and families. A similar number of competitors and crowd is expected this year.
Course Summary
The racecourses start and finish in the great field of Stanley Park, adjacent to Western Ave. The men's 8,000-meter race does several laps of the field before descending into the trails of the wildlife sanctuary. The runners climb back up for a half lap of the field before finishing almost opposite the Woodward Center fieldhouse. The women's 5,000-meter course starts with a half lap of the great field, then descends into the trails, before returning to the upper field with a half lap to the same finish line.
Forecast
Saturday's forecast shows sunny skies with a high of 56 and a low of 39. Spectators are encouraged to park at the Westfield State commuter lot, just down the street from Stanley Park. Plan to arrive early, as traffic on Western Avenue may be slowed due to the size of the meet and the other athletic events at Westfield State University.
