MCLA Finishes 8th in MASCAC Championships

Westfield State captured its 24^th Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country title with a six-point victory over defending league champion Bridgewater State in the 41^st Annual MASCAC Championship race that took place Saturday afternoon as part of the 15^th Annual New England Alliance Championships on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Westfield State placed all five of its scorers in the top 11 to notch 39 points in the rain-soaked competition, as the Owls bested Bridgewater State's total of 45 points.  Fitchburg State finished in third place with 68 points, while Salem State followed in fourth place with 137 points.  Worcester State edged out Massachusetts Maritime by a point for fifth place (154-155) in the competition, while Framingham State topped MCLA (194-196) by two points to finish seventh overall in the team standings.

Senior Jonathan Joyce (Milford, Mass.), junior Anthony Frissora (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and sophomore Cameron Fairbanks (Hopkinton, Mass.) paced Westfield State's scoring by placing fifth, sixth and seventh respectively over the 8K layout with times of 26:15, 26:28 and 26:56.

Salem State senior Alex Gomes (Peabody, Mass.) successfully defended his MASCAC individual title with a time of 25:04 in the event, as he outdistanced Fitchburg State senior Chris Kibler (Bath, Maine) by 23 seconds to take his second straight crown and earn MASCAC Runner of the Year honors.  Bridgewater State juniors Stephen Wahome (Lowell, Mass.) and David Phipps (Attleboro, Mass.) were next in third and fourth places, respectively, with times of 25:28 and 25:51, while Bears' senior Jeff Sousa (North Dighton, Mass.) was ninth individually with a time of 27:08.  Fitchburg State junior Will Lary (Winchendon, Mass.) rounded out the all-conference honorees with a ninth place individual time of 27:10, as the top 10 individuals in the event earned all-MASCAC accolades.  Bridgewater State freshman Dallas O'Brien (Mansfield, Mass.) earned MASCAC Rookie of the Year honors after placing 14^th individually with a time of 27:26, while Bears' Head Coach Jim Simoneau was tabbed by his peers as the MASCAC Turfer Coach of the Year for a third straight season.

Anthony Cancilla was the top MCLA runner finishing 20^th with a time of 27:49. Peter Mayotte finished 53^rd with a time of 29:46. Cancilla finished 50^th in the New England Alliance Championship.

Southern Maine took top honors in the New England Alliance Championships for the second time in three seasons, as the event combines competition from both the MASCAC and the Little East Conference.  The Huskies topped Keene State by four points (50-54), with Bridgewater State and Westfield State finishing third (103) and fourth (105).