ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University men's cross country team opened the 2022 season at the 8th Annual Wheaton & Babson Season Opener held at the Mark Coogan Cross Country Course in Attleboro.

Junior Sam Steere (West Kingston, R.I.) paced the Bears as he placed 12th out of a field of 44 runners. Steere completed the five-kilometer course in a time of 17:18.1.

Freshman Braden Boucher (Lowell, Mass.) was the next BSU harrier to cross the finish line as he checked in with a time of 17:55.5 in his first collegiate meet to place 18th overall, while classmate Kyle Ackroyd (Charlestown, R.I.) also made his collegiate and finished 19th with a time of 18:04.7. Senior Ryan Goldman (Franklin, Mass.) posted a time of 18:15.9 to place 21st.

Freshman Alexavier Almeida (North Attleboro, Mass.) and senior Jack Owen (Weymouth, Mass.) also finished among the top 25 runners for the Bears as they finished 23rd and 25th, respectively. Almeida recorded a time of 18:22.4 in his first collegiate meet, while Owen checked in at 18:40.6.

Junior Chris Vayda (Southampton, Mass.) of Springield College won the meet with a time of 15:39.7 as he edged last year's champion, junior Anthony Rodriguez (Prairie View, Ill.) of Babson College, by less than five seconds. Rodriguez recorded a time of 15:44.2.

The Bears placed fourth in the team standings with a score of 90. Springfield cruised to the meet title with a low score of 29.

Following a weekend off, the BSU men's cross country team will compete at the 49th Annual UMass Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday, September 17th.