WESTFIELD, Mass. – After taking a week off, the Lasell University men's and women's cross country teams got back into action Saturday at the annual James Earley Invitational, hosted by Westfield State University.

The Laser men finished 10th out of 14 schools in the junior varsity race, with several career-best times, while the women were shorthanded due to illness and did not post a team score.

Junior Geralson Withrow (Mystic, Conn.) paced the Laser men, placing eighth out of 129 runners on the 8K course in a career-fastest 28 minutes, 34 seconds. His time would have been good for 73rd out of 206 runners in the varsity race. Senior Matt Holden (Methuen, Mass.) was next across the line for Lasell, placing 45th in a career-best time of 30:43. Junior David Jean (Malden, Mass.) and freshman Zach Kirsch (Winsted, Conn.) came in 64th and 66th, respectively, with career-best times of 31:52 and 31:55, followed by sophomore Joan Guzman (Nantucket, Mass.), 71st in a career-best 32:20, senior Kyle Mullen (West Newbury, Mass.), 79th in a career-best 32:56, and senior Kevin Wallin (Billerica, Mass.), 120th in 39:38.

Sophomore Emma Murray (Wethersfield, Conn.) was the top finisher for the Laser women, finishing the 5K race in 44th place in 22 minutes, 41 seconds. Sophomore Shakira Henriquez (Methuen, Mass.) was the second-highest Laser finisher, placing 56th in a season-best time of 23:31, followed by freshman Devin McCarthy (West Bridgewater, Mass.), 68th in 24:12, and sophomore Emma Vierling (Monmouth, Maine), 70th in a season-best 24:24.

The Lasers squads will compete again next Saturday, October 19, at the Suffolk University Invitational, held at Franklin Park in Boston, the final tune-up for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference championships on November 2.

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