By Jim Fenton

DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Kevin McBirney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) was the top finisher for the Bridgewater State University men's cross country team at the 51st UMass Dartmouth Invitational.

The senior placed 51st in a field of 342 runners who completed the rain-soaked and muddy 8-kilometer course on Saturday.

Teams from Divisions 1-3 competed in the meet with Boston University finishing first followed by fellow Division 1 teams Brown, UMass Lowell and the University of Rhode Island.

The race was won by Jake Velazquez (Keene, N.H.) of Keene State in 24.41.64. Worcester Polytechnic Institute was the top Division 3 team to finish, placing eighth.

Bridgewater State was 21st overall with McBirney completing the course in 25:59.44. He ranked 11th among Division 3 runners.

McBiriney had opened the season by finishing four out of 98 at the Wheaton & Babson Season Opener last month.

The second runner to cross the finish line for the Bears was junior Kyle Ackroyd (Charlestown, R.I). He was 117th overall in a time of 26:59.74.

BSU junior Mitchell Parent (Cumberland, Maine) was 136th overall in 27:17.87 while senior Kenny Goodwin (Chelmsford, Mass.) was 166th in 27:36.45.

The other Bears in the men's varsity race were sophomore Aydan Fournier (Assonet, Mass.), who was 190th in 27:54.45, and junior Alexavier Almeida (North Attleboro, Mass.), who was 228th in 28:41.78.

Parent, Goodwin and Fournier each recorded personal-best times in spite of the conditions.

BSU is idle until traveling to New Hampshire for the Keene State Invitational on Oct. 5.