GRAFTON, MASS. 9/25/04 - Running his first race of the season, Keene State College All-America Dave Bridgewater (Unionville, Conn.) led the 10-team field to the finish line with a strong first place finish (26:03) on the 8k course at the Tufts Jumbo Invitational in Grafton, Mass. on Saturday.

Keene State placed second overall with 64 points. Tufts, the defending New England Division III Regional Champions captured first (22 points).

Finishing behind Bridgewater were teammates Joseph Hegarty (Springfield, Mass.) (eighth/27:02), Patrick Ard (Kingston, N.H.) (13th/27:17), Ryan Gough (Billerica, Mass.) (27th/28:07), and freshman Mark Garcia (Everett, Mass) (30th/28:13).

The Keene State women's cross-country team placed fifth with 123 points. Amherst College won the women's team honors with 27 points. Erin Landon (Hampton, Conn.) led the Owl women with an eighth place finish (23:38) on the 6k course. Stephanie Gibson (Sanbornton, N.H.) (22nd/24:25), Stephanie Westcott (Bellows Falls, VT) (31st/24:55), Laurie Yorgensen (Wethersfield, Conn.) (32nd/24:55), and Chepina Witkowski (Keene, N.H.) (44th/25:35) round out KSC's top finishers.

Amherst College's Carter Hamill won individual race honors with a time of (21:29).

The Owls host the KSC Invitational on Saturday (11 a.m.).