By Jim Fenton

WATERFORD, Conn. -- Senior Kevin McBirney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) led the Bridgewater State University men's cross country team at the Connecticut College Invitational.

McBirney was the first runner from the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference to complete the 8-kilometer course.

He finished 74th overall in a field of 269 runners with a time of 25:42.10.

The Bears were 24th in the team standings. New York University won the invitational with 80 points followed by St. Olaf College of Minnesota (95) and Williams College (127) in a field of 35 teams.

McBirney has been the top BSU runner in all four meets this season, including the Wheaton/Babson Season Opener, the UMass Dartmouth Invitational and the Keene State Invitational.

The race's overall winner was junior Nathan Tassey (Whitman, Mass.) of Roger Williams University in 24:05.30.

The second BSU runner to cross the finish line was junior Kyle Ackroyd (Charlestown, R.I.), who was 127th in 26:23.50.

Placing 168th was junior Mitchell Parent (Cumberland, Maine) with a time of 26:59.60 while senior Kenny Goodwin (Chelmsford, Mass.) was 173rd in 27:02.30.

Sophomore Aydan Fournier (Assonet, Mass.) took 202nd place in 27:30.10 while junior Alexavier Almeida (North Attleboro, Mass.) was 217th in 27:41.40.

Freshman Alex Flores Chavarria (Chelsea, Mass.) finished 242nd in 28:31.30 and freshman Jaycob Carpenter (Plymouth, Mass.) was 252nd in 28:47.60.

Parent, Flores Chavarria and Carpenter each recorded personal-best times.

BSU will take part in the MASCAC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster.

The Bears placed second to Westfield State a year ago. BSU has won two of the last four conference titles in 2019 and 2022.