BOSTON, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University men's indoor track & field team opened the 2023-2024 season on Saturday at the non-scoring Suffolk Relays held at The Track at New Balance. The meet featured schools from all three NCAA divisions as well as unattached athletes from track clubs.

The Bears' foursome of juniors Stephen Spofford (Chelmsford, Mass.), Charles Dakai (Millville, Mass.) and Kevin McBirney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and sophomore Nicholas Grace (Acushnet, Mass.)  captured the meet title in the 4x400-meter relay with a winning time of 3:32.15.

Junior Chigozie Adigwe (Lowell, Mass.) placed second in the 60-meter hurdles with a finals time of 8.33 seconds as he qualified for the Division III New England Championships in the event.

The Bears had three sprinters finish in the top ten in the 300-meter dash. Spofford placed fourth with a time of 35.70 second while graduate student Mason Matias (New Bedford, Mass.) crossed the line in 35.77 seconds to finish fifth. Graduate Jacob DeAndrade (Taunton, Mass.) checked in at ninth place with a time of 36.26 seconds. Both Spofford and Matias recorded personal best times.

The 4x400-meter relay team featuring freshmen Owen MacKenzie (Plainville, Mass.) and Aydan Fournier (Assonet, Mass.), junior Kenny Goodwin (Chelmsford, Mass.) and graduate Jack Owen (Weymouth, Mass.) finished tenth in the event with a time of 3:55.79.

In the field events, graduate student Corey Stalters (Norton, Mass.) placed seventh in the shot put with a personal-best heave of 47 feet, 4.5 inches (14.44m), while senior Jonathan Quigley (Haverhill, Mass.) finished 13th in the shot put with a personal-best mark of 44 feet, seven inches (13.59m). Stalters and Quigley qualified for DIII New Englands in the shot.

Senior Jason Dann (Reading, Mass.) placed eighth in the weight throw with a career-best toss of 48 feet, five inches (14.77m) while Quigley finished tenth in the event with a career-best throw of 47 feet, five inches (14.45m). Dann and Quigley qualified for DIII New Englands in the weight throw.

Senior Thomas Barinelli (Tewksbury, Mass.) placed seventh in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, two inches (6.45m).

Adigwe currently ranks ninth in all of Division III in the hurdles while Stalters is 22nd in the shot put.

The Bears are back in action on Sunday, December 10th when they compete at the UMass Boston Beacons Open held at The Track at New Balance.