Owls Men's XC Active at WNE, Conn College on Saturday
John Nekitopoulos was first home for the Owls in 131st place in 26:28.6, a personal-best time on the 8-kilometer course
The Westfield State men's cross country teams competed in a pair of meets on Saturday, with runners competing at both the Conn College Invitational and the Western New England Invitational.
At Conn College, the Owls battled through a rough day that saw several runners fall in the big 276-runner field that included six teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation.
John Nekitopoulos was first home for the Owls in 131st place in 26:28.6, a personal-best time on the 8-kilometer course, with Nathan Sylven next in 157th with a time of 26:47.
Despite the rough racing, the Owls had four season best times while finishing 33rd as a team.
NYU, ranked 11th nationally, won the team meet, while Roger Williams College's Nathan Tassey won the individual race in 24:05.
Tyler Meunier led Westfield's efforts at the WNE Invitational meet in Springfield, Mass. as he placed 32nd with a time of 29:01. Colin Mahoney was next for the Owls in 29:22 in 37th place.
Troy Silvestri of UNE took the top spot with a time of 25:56, with Endicott taking the team title. Westfield finished 10th among 17 scoring teams. 169 runners contested the race.
Westfield will take a break next weekend while prepping for the MASCAC Championship meet on Nov. 2.