WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University will host its popular James Earley Invitational cross country meet on this Saturday at Stanley Park.
This is the 24th 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.
The meet features two divisions for both the men's and the women's races, with the first race starting at 10:30 a.m.
Forty-eight schools are scheduled to participate, with teams from the NCAA Division II and III levels. The meet will be a solid preview of what's to come at the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Championship, at Moore State Park in Paxton, Mass., with all six MASCAC schools attending the Earley meet. Bridgewater State, last year's conference champion Fitchburg State, Framingham State, MCLA, Mass Maritime and Worcester State will all be competing.
Men's Race
So far the Owls have no clear-cut top finisher, unlike last season with senior Tim Forrest leading the Owls in nearly every race. Forrest finished sixth at last year's Earley Invitational with a time of 26:04 on the 8,000 meter course.
This year is a different story, with all of the Owl men being tasked to stick together and improve their finishes from last year.
"Last year, the men finished fifth overall with their top-five finishing in the upper forty of the pack; we're looking for them to compete the way they have been and to improve on their placements from 2018," said Westfield State assistant coach Marlee Berg.
Seniors Kevin Rayner (Pittsfield, Mass.), Zac Bentley (Acushnet/Taunton, Mass.), Brandon Leclair (Goshen, Conn.), juniors Cameron Bean (Stoughton, Mass.) and Conner Grady (Douglas, Mass.), sophomore Collin Rice (Mansfield, Mass.), and freshman Jack Merck (West Springfield, Mass.) make up the core seven for the Owl men. All of these runners have had good finishes in races up to this point, all running together as a group.
"It's a strong group, they have a real connection – you can see the confidence they have within each other," said Berg.
Merck has been a pleasant surprise as a freshman so far, coming in as the top Owl finisher at the Keene State Invitational last weekend.
Women's Race
The Owl women are led by sophomore Amy O'Sullivan (Greenfield, Mass.), who had a stellar year for the Owls last year and is already off to a great start this season, finishing in the top three spots in each of the three races thus far. Last year, O'Sullivan placed 10th individually with a time of 19:00.68, and looks to win the event this year.
The women also have a new standout in freshman Grace Phair (Stockbridge, Mass.), who has been right behind O'Sullivan in each of the three meets this season. Phair has placed within the top ten in each meet, along with a second place finish at Worcester.
"Both Amy and Grace have done tremendously thus far... we'll be looking for consistency going forward and are confident they'll improve upon their times on our home course," said coach Berg.
Senior Andrea Noland (Silver Lake/Kingston, Mass.) has been consistent for the Owls, lowering her time and executing races very well.
In regards to Nolan, Berg exclaimed, "she's been having a strong season so far and we're excited to see what she will produce for her last time around Stanley Park."
The Owl women were sixth as a team in the Earley meet last season, led by the efforts of O'Sullivan and Noland. Christine Myers from the College of Saint Rose won the 2018 Earley in a time of 18:11.97.
The meet brings considerable business to Westfield, as 784 runners competed in the meet last year, plus numerous spectators and families. A similar number of competitors and crowd is expected this year.
"Westfield State is lucky to have a location like Stanley Park on their campus," said Berg, "the course has a lot of great opportunities for spectators to cheer and for the student-athletes to feel the energy."
The race courses 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.
"It has well-maintained trails, thanks to the Park Rangers, that provide that true cross country feel…also the weather has held out for us so far this fall, so we're looking for the course to be quick on Saturday."
The rainy week we have had so far is expected to clear up by the weekend, with forecasts in the mid 60's and sunshine. It should be a beautiful day for a race.
Race Schedule (Corrected)
10:30am Men's Blue Race (sub-varsity)
11:15 Men's White Race (varsity)
12:00 Women's White Race (varsity)
12:45 Women's Blue Race (sub-varsity)
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.
