By Jim Fenton
EASTON, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University senior Kyle Ackroyd (Charlestown, R.I.) is once again an All-New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association long-distance runner.
For the second year in a row, Ackroyd earned that honor during the NEICAAA Championships, held Friday at Stonehill College's WB Mason Stadium.
Ackroyd finished third in the 10,000-meter race in a field of runners from all three divisions in New England.
He ran a time of 31:40.49, one of three runners to finish under 32 minutes.
A year ago in a meet held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ackroyd placed seventh with a time of 32:53.18. The top eight finishers in each event are All-NEICAAA honorees.
Ackroyd's previous best in the 10,000 was earlier this season at the Tufts Snowflake Classic when he finished in 32:29.89.
Ackroyd was first in the 10,000 to help the Bears win the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference title last month with a time of 31:58.11.
The third-place finish by Ackroyd gave BSU six points in the NEICAAA meet after one day.
Mark Rodriguez of Central Connecticut State was first in 31:11.60 followed by Dylan Brilliant of the host Stonehill team in 31:18.72.
The Bears will have six individuals and two relay teams competing in the NEICAAA meet on the final day Saturday.
Freshman Clayton Pastor Norales (New Bedford, Mass.) will be in the long jump at 10 a.m. and junior Aydan Fournier (Assonet, Mass.) runs in the 800 at 12:10 p.m.
Junior Matthew Mooney (Douglas, Mass.) will race in the 100 preliminary race at 11:40 a.m. and the 200 at 1:10 p.m.
Senior Jayvon Epps (Brockton, Mass.) is also in the 100 preliminary late in the morning.
Graduate student Landon Crowley (West Bridgewater, Mass.) and senior Dasean Peters-Wolfe (Mansfield, Mass.) are in the 200.
The 4x100 relay team of Crowley, Peters-Wolfe, Mooney and junior Zachary Feist (Stoughton, Mass.) runs at 10:50 a.m. while the 4x400 team of senior Nicholas Grace (Acushnet, Mass.), senior Chris Beaulieu (Monson, Mass.), Fournier and senior Ryker King (Wareham, Mass.) race at 2 p.m.