By Jim Fenton

KEENE, N.H. -- The Bridgewater State University men's cross country team finished fourth at the Keene State Invitational on Saturday afternoon.

Led by senior Kevin McBirney (East Bridgewater, Mass.), the Bears had 158 points.

They were behind champion and nationally ranked #16 Williams College (15), Eastern Connecticut State (152) and Plymouth State (156). The Bears finished ahead of regionally ranked Keene State College and UMass Dartmouth.

A year ago, BSU was eighth in this race that was won by Plymouth State.

McBirney finished 11th overall as Williams secured the top nine places.

McBirney covered the 8-kilometer course in 25:30.7, which was 10 seconds faster than a year ago when he was third overall.

In three meets this season, McBirney has been the Bears' top finisher.

He was fourth at the Wheaton/Babson Season Opener and 51st out of 342 runners at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational, which included all divisions.

Junior Kyle Ackroyd (Charlestown, R.I.) was the second fastest runner for the Bears, finishing 18th out of 237 runners in a time of 26:11.2.

Senior Kenny Goodwin (Chelmsford, Mass.) was 38th in 26:56.8 and junior Mitchell Parent (Cumberland, Maine) placed 57th in 27:14.

The next BSU runner was sophomore Aydan Fournier (Assonet, Mass.), who was 62nd in 27:20.5 while junior Alexavier Almeida (Attleboro) took 76th in 27:37.6.

The other three BSU finishers were freshman Jaycob Carpenter (Plymouth, Mass.), who was 130th in 28:54.7; freshman Alex Flores Chavarria (Chelsea, Mass.), who was 144th in 29:30; and sophomore Nicholas Rodden (Plymouth, Mass.), who was 172nd in 30:29.6.

Ackroyd, Goodwin, Parent, and Fournier all recorded personal-best times.

BSU is idle until Saturday, Oct. 19 when it will be in Waterford, Conn., for the Connecticut College Invitational. That will be followed by the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship race on Nov. 2.