CONTOOCOCK, N.H. – Sophomore Naomi Cass (Westport, Mass.) earned All-East Region honors to lead the Bridgewater State University women's cross country team at the 2023 NCAA Division III East Region Cross Country Championships held on Saturday at Hopkinton State Fair Grounds.

Cass covered the six-kilometer course in a time of 22:23.42 to place tenth out of a field of 231 runners as she also qualified for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships which will take place next Saturday at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pennsylvania. The top seven individuals from each region across the Division III landscape that are not part of the automatic qualifying team earn a trip to the national championship meet.

Cass is the Bears' highest placewinner at a regional championship since BSU Hall of Famer Molly Rouillard finished seventh at the DIII New England Championships in 2012.  

Senior Nicole Major (Andover, Mass.) placed 53rd with a time of 23:31.88 while junior Lily Valcovic (East Taunton, Mass.) crossed the finish line in 24:36.93 (94th overall) to round out the Bears' top three harriers.

Cass, Major and Valcovic all posted personal-best times for a 6K race.

Graduate Student Grace Hadley (North Reading, Mass.) of WPI won the individual championship with a time of 20:48.86.

MIT captured the team title, while Bates College and WPI rounded out the top three. MIT automatically qualified for the NCAA DIII Championships.

The Bears finished 15th in the team standings.