WESTFIELD, Mass. – Junior Shea Hamel (Longmeadow, Mass.) topped the individual performance list with a first-place finish and for the third straight season, Westfield State women's cross country placed first as a team at the Keene State Alumni meet from Keene, N.H. to open the season on Saturday afternoon.

Hamel cruised to a first-place finish with a time of 12:00.73, distancing herself from Rose Karow of Plymouth State who placed eight seconds behind Hamel for a second-place mark.

The Owls dominated the meet, placing six runners in the top ten to pull away with the team victory. Junior Tealei Chandonnet (Dracut, Mass.) earned a top-three finish, posting a time of 12:13.04 as the second Owls athlete to cross the finish line.

The quartet of Julianne Kelly (Natick, Mass.), Alison Downin (Hudson, Mass.), Brynne LeCours (Haverhill, Mass.) and Molly Kennedy (West Springfield, Mass.) finished sixth through nine overall in the above order with the group placing within six seconds of each other and 18 seconds ahead of the tenth-place competitor, Jaden Johnson of Keene State.

Westfield State will carry their momentum from a strong season-opening showing into next weekend as the Owls travel to Hartford, Conn. for the Trinity Invite at 10:30 A.M.