WESTFIELD, Mass. –   Westfield State's men's cross country team took a 10th place finish in the men's "white" race at the Connecticut College Invitational at Harkness Park in Waterford, Connecticut on Saturday morning.

 

The Owls' John Nekitopoulos was first across the line for the Owls in 34th place overall with a time 27:37.40 on the 8,000 meter course.

 

Will Buckley was next in 41st in 27:53, and then Matthew Hall in 54th in 28:29.

 

15 teams and 132 athletes competed.   Allegheny (Pa.) won the team race with 72 points, followed by Eastern Connecticut (99) and Brandeis (109).  Westfield finished with a team score of 243.

 

Brandeis' Matthew Driben was the individual winner in 25:25.40.

 

The men's "blue" race was won by Williams' Elias Lindgren in 23:43.  MIT topped the Ephs' 45-78 in the team scoring as 23 teams and 381 athletes traversed the course in the Blue Race.

 

The Owls split the squad on Saturday, with a second group of Owls competing at the Western New England Invitational in Springfield.   Westfield finished fifth among 9 competing teams, led by Brandon Pelkey in 23 and Rowan Gottshall in 24th.   Suny Cobleskill's Nick Logan won the race, while Maine Maritime took the team title 

 

Westfield will be the host site when the Owls next compete at the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championships at Stanley Park on October 29.