By Jim Fenton

KEENE, N.H. -- Junior Naomi Cass (Westport, Mass.) was the top Bridgewater State University cross country runner at the Keene State Invitational on Saturday afternoon.

Cass completed the 5-kilometer course in 18:05 to finish sixth in a very tough field of 240 competitors.

A year ago, Cass ran the Keene State course in 19:43.9 and was second out of 184.

Kate Tuttle (Alexandria, Va.) of Williams College won the race in a time of 17:55.2.

Williams had the top three runners and won the team event with Keene State finishing second. BSU did not place in the team standings.

Cass has been the Bears leading runner in all three meets this season.

She was first overall at the Wheaton/Babson Season Opener in Attleboro and the first Division 3 finisher at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational, winding up 19th overall.

Three other BSU runners completed the course, including senior Kate Brown (Acushnet, Mass.), who was 112th in 21:14.8; senior Ana Imrie (Arlington, Mass.), who was 151st in 22:07.3; and graduate student Lisa Jaeger (Medfield, Mass.), who was 165th in 22:29.8.

Cass, Borwn, Imrie and Jaeger all recorded personal-best times.

The Bears travel to Waterford, Conn., on Saturday, Oct. 19 for the Connecticut College Invitational.

That will be BSU's final meet before the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship meet on Nov. 2 in Leominster, Mass.