Fitchburg State Rolls At MASCAC/Alliance Championships

Kibler posts 2nd place MASCAC individual finish; Roy places 22nd overall on women’s side

N. DARTMOUTH, Mass. (October 29, 2011) – After a two week layoff, the Fitchburg State men’s and women’s’ cross country teams were in action this afternoon as they competed in the 2011 MASCAC/Alliance Championships hosted by UMass Dartmouth.

On the men’s side, Westfield State captured its 24th MASCAC Men’s Cross Country title with a six-point victory over defending league champion Bridgewater State. Fitchburg State finished in third place with 68 points, while Salem State followed in fourth place with 137 points. 

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/Morse) 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./Murdock) 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. Other notable runners for the Falcons were freshman Brandon Davis (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg), classmate Eric Ouellette (Ashburnham, Mass./Oakmont) and junior Mike Grasela (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) who finished with times of 27:31, 27:57 and 28:29 respectively.

On the women’s side, the Owls claimed their eighth straight MASCAC Women’s Cross Country title with a 28-point victory over runner-up Worcester State. Bridgewater State finished third overall with 72 points, while  Salem State and Fitchburg State followed in fourth and fifth place, respectively, with scores of 130 and 135 points.

Bridgewater State junior Molly Rouillard (Dartmouth, Mass.) successfully defended her MASCAC individual crown with a time of 18:37 to take MASCAC Runner of the Year honors for a second straight season, while senior Sarah Lagasse (Rehoboth, Mass.) was fifth for the Bears with a time of 19:35. Worcester State juniors Erin Donohue (Saugus, Mass.) and Brittany Grueter (Foxboro, Mass.), along with sophomore Ali Barrett (Hingham, Mass.), rounded out the all-conference honorees.

For the Falcons, junior Bralia Roy (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) earned the top spot for Fitchburg State, finishing 22nd  in the MASCAC with a time of 21:03. Senior Katelyn Page (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) sported a 26th place finish, completing the 5K course in a time of 21:14, while juniors Emily Lane (Clinton, Conn./The Morgan School), Chenice Branquinho (E. Freetown, Mass./Old Colony) and Kelsey Chand (Middleboro, Mass./Bristol Plymouth) finished with times of 21:51, 22:16 and 22:59 respectively,