WESTFIELD, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's cross country team placed third at the 2022 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Cross Country Championships held on Saturday at Stanley Park in Westfield, Massachusetts.

BSU junior Nicole Major (Andover, Mass.) garnered All-MASCAC honors as she placed second overall at the meet. Major covered the five-kilometer course in a career-best time of 19:20.84. She was also selected as the MASCAC Co-Rookie of the Year along with freshman Shea Hamel of Westfield State University.

Senior Maura Bruns (Franklin, Mass.) also earned All-MASCAC accolades for the Bears. Bruns, who picked up all-conference honors for the second straight season, placed ninth at the meet with a career-best time of 19:58.92. Bruns also broke the 20-minute mark in a 5K race for the first time in her career.  

Westfield State (31 pts.) captured the team title as the Owls outdistance runner-up Fitchburg State University (63 pts.). Bridgewater State (68 pts.) rounded out the top three teams.

Senior Abby Murphy (Greenfield, Mass.) of Fitchburg State won the individual title with a time of 19:16.25.

Sophomore Lily Valcovic (East Taunton, Mass.) and senior Allison Raposo (Cumberland, R.I.) rounded out the Bears' top for runner at the meet. Valcovic placed 18th with a time of 20:43.99, while Raposo crossed the finish line in a time 20:53.59 to place 19th overall.

"We are very proud of both squads today," said Head Coach Christine Kloiber. "We came into the meet knowing we had not yet achieved our potential and really emphasized within the past couple of weeks what our focus needed to be. Both the men and women did a phenomenal job of executing their race plans, working together with their teams and staying calm under pressure. Coach (John) O'Leary and I know each athlete walked away having given everything that they could and so each success, whether it was a personal best, high-scoring position or the men's championship overall, belongs to each and every person who was on the team today."

Following a week off, the BSU cross country teams will compete at the New England Division III Championships hosted by Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine on Saturday, November 12th.