Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Captures MASCAC Title

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University men's outdoor track & field team captured the program's fourth straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) championship on Saturday at Swenson Field.

The MASCAC outdoor title marked the seventh in team history as Bridgewater also won outdoor conference championships in 1996, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2021. The Bears tallied 237 points in the team scoring to easily outdistance runner-up Westfield State University (141 pts.).

Bridgewater placed first in 12 events.

Graduate student Trevor Wysong (Taunton, Mass.), sophomore Thomas Barinelli (Tewksbury, Mass.) and freshmen Chigozie Adigwe (Lowell, Mass.) and Kevin McBirney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) each claimed a pair of MASCAC individual titles.

Wysong captured top honors in both the 10,000-meter run (34:12.86) and the 5,000-meter run (15:15.39), while Barinelli placed first in the long jump (21'11.75"/6.70m) as well as the high jump (6'4.75"/1.95m). Adigwe won both hurdle events as he posted a time of 15.01 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles and 59.77 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles. McBirney was the first to cross the finish line in the 1,500-meter run (4:04.82) and the 800-meter run (1:57.95).

Senior Matthew Lighten (Dalton, Mass.), juniors Jacob Belcher (Halifax, Mass.) and Corey Stalters (Norton, Mass.), and freshman Gavin Weldon (Taunton, Mass.) rounded out the Bears' MASCAC Champion performers.

Lighten broke his own school record (non-wind aided) in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.71 seconds. He eclipsed his previous mark of 10.72 seconds set earlier this season at the Corsair Classic. Belcher placed first in the hammer throw with a toss of 146 feet, three inches (44.59m). Stalters broke his owns school record in the javelin with a distance of 207 feet, four inches (63.19m). He eclipsed his previous mark of 205 feet, three inches (62.56m) set earlier this season at the Jerry Gravel Classic. Weldon grabbed top honors in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.06 seconds.

Barinelli was the Bears' top scorer at the meet with 24 team points. He also placed fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (16.16).