'NORTH DARTMOUTH, MASS.. 9/17/05 - Senior Ryan Gough (Billerica, Mass.) raced to a first place finish and the Owls placed four runners in the top-20 to capture the 33rd Annual UMass-Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday.  The Owls had 73 points to edge Tufts University (75 points) for the team title.

Gough covered the five mile course in a time of 24:27 to post his first collegiate individual championship.  Joseph Hegarty (Springfield, Mass.) was fifth (25:32), Pat Ard (Kingston, N.H.) took ninth (25:44) and Kevin Kelleher (Rocky Hill, Conn.) was 18th (25:57).  Brock Welch (Merrimack, N.H.) was the top freshman finisher for KSC (40th) with a time of 26:28).

The KSC women's team finished seventh in the large 35 team field with 241 points.  Colby won the women's championship with 43 points.

For the second week in a row, sophomore Jennifer Adams (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)  (sixth) was the top finisher for the Owls.  Shannon O'Brien (Tilton, N.H.) was 32nd, Erin Landon (Hampton, Conn.) placed 49th, Stephanie Holly (Ledyard, Conn.) took 73rd and Stephanie Westcott (Bellows Falls, Vt.) was 86th.  (No times were available for the women's race.)

Jessica Minty of Colby won the race.

Keene State competes next Saturday at the Tufts Invitational.