WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State men's cross country team took home fifth place honors on their home turf at the 23rd Annual James Earley Invitational Meet at Stanley Park.
Westfield State senior Tim Forrest (Westborough/Grafton, Mass.) led the Owl men, as he placed sixth individually in a time of 26:04 on the men's 8,000-meter course. Forrest settled back in about 20th position in the early running, gradually working his way up into the top 10 by the two-mile mark.
Plymouth State All-American Sam Brunette won the men's meet in 25:08.68, followed in by UMass Dartmouth's Bruno Pires in 25:26.99, and Plymouth's Warren Bartlett in third in 25:43.80. Brunette went right to the front of the race and led wire to wire, pulling away from his rivals before the final mile.
Trinity won the team title with a total of 64 points. UMass Dartmouth was second with 84, followed by Norwich in third with 108. Westfield was fifth with 123 points.
Among 29 competing teams and 210 individuals in the men's White (varsity) race.
For Westfield senior Patrick Brett (Whitman Hanson/Hanson, Mass.) was second among Owls finishers in 28th place with time of 27:11.16, just out kicking teammate Brandon Leclair (Wamogo/Goshen, Conn.) 27:11.19. Kevin Rayner (Pittsfield, Mass.) was 34th in 27:22.10, and Zac Bentley (Achusnet/Taunton, Mass.) and Collin Rice (Mansfield, Mass.)(43rd) rounded out the Owls scoring five.
Westfield State won the men's "Blue" race with 38 points.
Westfield's John Keaney (Dedham, Mass.) placed third and Yuta Suzuki (Worcester Tech/ Worcester, Mass.) fourth individually, but were the top two scoring runner amound competing teams.
Shea Hiltz (Tewksbury, Mass.) (12th) , Casey Lacombe (South Hadley, Mass.) (14th) and Bill Carroll (Southwick, Mass.) (19th) completed the Owls scoring runners.
UMass Dartmouth's George Papoulis won the Blue race with a time of 27:33.32
Among teams, Norwich was second with 48, Westfield State Alumni were third with 90 and Worcester State fourth with 103.
The Owls alumni competed at the race as well. Jon Joyce placed 7th kin 26:11.87 and Derik Noland 10th in 26:17.20 in the white race. Phil Gingras was sixth the blue race in in 28:42.1
and Dan Haryasz was ninth in 29:03.51.
The Owls will be back in action next Saturday, October 13 at the Gettysburg College Invitational meet in Gettysburg, Pa.