By Jim Fenton

KEENE, N.H. -- Bridgewater State University senior Naomi Cass (Westport, Mass.) was a top-10 finisher for the women's cross country team at the Keene State Invitational.

Cass placed ninth on Saturday afternoon in a field of 288 runners.

Cass was the first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference runner to cross the finish line on the 6-kilometer course with a career-best time of 21:56.20.

She has been selected the MASCAC Runner of the Week twice already this season.

The next BSU runner to finish was sophomore Rhiannon Vos (Marstons Mills, Mass.), who was 21st with a career-best time of 22:29.80.

Also placing for the Bears were freshman Olivia Pendleton (Yarmouthport, Mass.), who was 109th, and sophomore Olivia Downin (Hudson, Mass.), who was 152nd. Pendleton recorded a career-best time of 24:57.40 while Downin cross the finish line in a career-best time of 25:48.20.

Williams College won the event with 18 points followed by Tufts University with 60. BSU did not place in the team standings.

Williams had the first four runners finish, led by junior Tamar Byl-Brann (Amherst, Mass.), who covered the course in 21:13.40.

Finishing second was junior Morgan Eigel (Bedford, N.Y.) in 21:28.40 followed by teammates Charlene Peng (Franklin, Mass.), a senior who ran in 21:33, and sophomore Kate Tuttle (Alexandria, Va.), who finished in 21:43.20.

BSU is idle until Saturday, Oct. 18 when it takes part in the Connecticut College Invitational in Waterford, Conn., followed by the MASCAC Championships on Nov. 1 in Westfield.