GORHAM, Maine -- The Westfield State Owls claimed their second title in the past three years at the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Men's Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Gorham, Maine in conjunction with the New England Alliance meet.
Finishing a staggering 50 points ahead of the runner-up, the Owls had the top two runners in the race and landed seven in the top 10. Fitchburg State came in second with 68 points while last year's champion Bridgewater State finished with 99 points. Worcester State and Massachusetts Maritime came in fourth and fifth third with 118 and 124 points, respectively. MCLA followed with 151 points good enough for sixth while Salem State finished seventh with 153. Framingham State posted 223 points for eighth spot.
Westfield State sophomore Tim Shea was the overall meet champion with a time of 26:14.63 and earned MASCAC Runner of the Year honor. Next was the Owls Ben Parzich with a time of 26:37.63 and was named MASCAC Rookie of the Year.
Grabbing fourth, fifth and sixth place and a spot on the All-Conference team were Chris Williams, Mike Skelly and Cameron Fairbanks of Westfield State with finishing times of 27:11.38, 27:17.23 and 27:25.14, respectively. Steven Connoly and Zach Gross nabbed two more All-Conference spots for the Owls in eighth and ninth, crossing the line within milliseconds of each other at 27:40.15 and 27:40.83.
Earning a second straight All-Conference nod with a time of 26:54.89 was Eric Ouellette of Fitchburg State who finished in third. Bridgewater State sophomore Mark Waller came in seventh 27:29.49 getting himself a second straight All-Conference nod. Stephen Trainor of Salem State rounded out the top ten and earned the final spot on the All-Conference squad with a finish of 27:41.81. Westfield State's Bill Devine was named the MASCAC Coach of the Year by his peers.
Winning the Alliance was Keene State with 16 points. Westfield State finished third overall while MASCAC champion Tim Shea was fifth.
The Bears did not have an All-New England Alliance honoree which goes to the top twenty finishers in the Alliance individual results.