MASCAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Preview

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The defending champion Bridgewater State University men's indoor track & field team was set to be the host school at the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships last February.

The Bears were going to be bidding for a sixth title in a row at Wheaton College's Beard Field House, but a winter storm forced the cancelation of the event.

After having the quest for another championship interrupted 12 months ago by the weather, BSU will attempt to add another conference crown to its portfolio on Sunday.

The Bears will join Westfield State, Worcester State and Fitchburg State at the MASCAC Championships at Wheaton with the field events beginning at 5 p.m. and the track events at 5:30 p.m. Westfield State is designated as the host school.

The MASCAC did not have a championship meet in three of the last five indoor seasons.

BSU won the title in 2018, 2019, 2020 and in 2022 and 2024. The Bears are seeking to become the second men's program to earn six championships a row, joining Westfield State. The Owls won the first 14 straight from 1999-2012.

"It goes without saying that with these athletes having been without an indoor championship (meet) two of the last three years, they are ready and eager to go," said BSU coach Christine Kloiber. "That's an understatement."

In the last MASCAC meet in 2024 at Smith College, the Bears had 263 points with Westfield State a distant second with 139.

BSU enters the '26 meet with depth throughout the lineup as it goes for six in a row.

"We have a good number of athletes, but we have a good number of high quality athletes and then the next tier is still at a high level," said Kloiber.

Leading the way for BSU is graduate student Kevin McBirney (East Bridgewater, Mass.), whose athletic eligibility ends when this season concludes.

McBirney ranks 11th nationally in Division III and third in the East Region with a BSU-record time of 1:51.79 in the 800-meter run.

This season, McBirney has been first in races at the River Hawk Invitational, the Suffolk Relays and the Gordon Kelly Invitational and was second at the Boston University Mini-Meet and was the second Division III finisher at the John Thomas Terrier Classic.

Two years ago, McBirney helped BSU win its fifth title in a row by finishing first in the 800 (2:01.39) and the mile (4:34.94). He has been the MASCAC Track Athlete of the Week four times this season.

"He has done the work," said Kloiber. "He's very dedicated and focused on what he needs to do."

Senior Kyle Ackroyd (Charlestown, R.I.) won a MASCAC championship two years ago in the 5,000 with a time of 15:54.59.

He has been a steady performer this winter, finishing with the second-best time in BSU history in the 5,000 (14:53.59) at the John Thomas Terrier Classic. That trails only Bears record-holder Trevor Wysong.

Ackroyd was the first Division III runner to finish at the River Hawk Invitational in the 3,000 (8:39.68), ranking third on the school's all-time list.

"Kyle has just been phenomenal," said Kloiber.

Graduate student Chigozie Adigwe (Lowell, Mass.) is putting together a strong finish to his final season after dealing with a back injury earlier this winter.

Adigwe was second in the 60-meter hurdles at the Wheaton Invitational and won at the Suffolk Relays in the season opener.

"He had some back struggles during winter break and it interrupted his training," said Kloiber. "Right in the middle of the season, he had to take some time off. We had to be patient and ease him back in.

"When things start to click, they start to click and they clicked for him this past weekend at the right time."

Junior Aydan Fournier (Assonet, Mass.) has qualified for the Division III New England Championships and the NEICAAA Championships and is fourth all-time at BSU in the 800.

Junior Matthew Mooney (Douglas, Mass.) won the 300 at the Suffolk Relays and the 200 at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational and has lowered his times this season.

"He's picking up where he left off a year ago and has been very consistent," said Kloiber.

Sophomore Joshua Cardichon (Brockton, Mass.) won the 200 at the Roxbury Community College Tiger Open and the 400 at the BU Mini-Meet.

"Joshua is doing what we'd expect from someone who showed moments of high-level performances a freshman," said Kloiber. "You come back sophomore year and you understand what you need to do. We start building on the fundamentals and he has committed to the fact that "I can be very good.'"

Freshman Tyler Amaral (Dartmouth, Mass.) has been an immediate contributor and was second in the 5,000 at the Branwen Smith-King Invitational. He ranks in the top 10 at BSU all-time in the 3,000 and 5,000.

Graduate student Landon Crowley (West Bridgewater, Mass.), a transfer from Merrimack College, has run the fifth-best time at BSU in the 200 and the sixth-fastest time in the 60.

The Bears won the last MASCAC title on Feb. 10, 2024 and two years later get the chance to defend the championship this weekend.

"The upperclassmen have led the team," said Kloiber. "They've performed at the level that they should be able to achieve success. The freshmen are really stepping up. The juniors and sophomores, they're all doing their jobs."