Springfield, Mass. (Oct. 17, 2026) – The UMass Boston cross country programs delivered strong performances at the WNE Golden Bear Invitational on Saturday, with the women's team claiming third place out of 18 teams and Albert Ferreras capturing the individual title in the men's 8k to lead the Beacons into the final stretch of the regular season.
Women's Team — 3rd of 18
The UMass Boston women posted their best team finish of the season, scoring 123 points to land third in a field of 18 programs at the Western New England XC Course in Springfield. Plymouth State won the team title with 26 points, followed by Emmanuel (Mass.) at 99. The Beacons edged host Western New England by just four points — 123 to 127 — to secure third, a margin that speaks to the tightness and determination of every finisher on the roster.
The performance continues a clear upward arc for the women's program: from 25th of 33 at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational in September, to ninth of 14 at the Hopkinton XC Festival, to third of 18 on Saturday.
Jayden LaPlant (Plymouth, Mass.) led the Beacons across the line, finishing ninth overall in the 6k with a time of 24:08.17. Right behind her was Drew Sherman (Sandown, N.H.) in 10th at 24:09.41 — a gap of just 1.24 seconds between the two first-years, whose near-lockstep finish in the top 10 of a competitive field set the tone for the entire team effort.
Anatalya Graham (Minneapolis, Minn.) was the third Beacon scorer, placing 16th overall in 24:34.97 to give UMass Boston three runners inside the top 16. Audrey Connolly (Weymouth, Mass.) crossed 42nd in 25:55.63, and Molly Hilditch (Auburn, Mass.) rounded out the five scorers with a 46th-place finish in 26:12.88 — her inclusion completing the 123-point total that held off the host Golden Bears.
Kylee Browning (Attleboro, Mass.) and Abigail Churchill (Attleboro, Mass.) added valuable depth as the sixth and seventh Beacons to finish, crossing in 28:33.40 and 28:50.78, respectively, and giving the program a seven-runner contingent that will only strengthen heading into the postseason.
Men's Team — 10th of 21
Albert Ferreras (Lowell, Mass.) put the Beacons on the map in the men's 8k, winning the individual title outright among more than 130 competitors with a time of 26:07.39. His victory in a 21-team field is one of the program's signature individual performances of the season and anchored UMass Boston's team score.
The men finished 10th of 21 teams with 292 points — a result that came against a field nearly double the size of the 11-team Hopkinton XC Festival, where the Beacons placed sixth. Plymouth State took the team title at 40 points, followed by Worcester State (93) and host Western New England (116).
Jimmy Gallagher (North Attleboro, Mass.) was UMass Boston's second scorer, placing 56th in 29:46.43. Jayden Ferreras (Lowell, Mass.) followed in 81st at 30:30.90, and Aiden Levin (Bristol, Conn.) contributed a 90th-place finish in 30:54.11. Christian Labadini (Randolph, Mass.) completed the men's scoring five with a 115th-place finish in 31:54.45, helping the Beacons compile their full team total in a deep and competitive field.
Up Next
Both teams return to action Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Little East XC Championships in Castleton, Vt. The men are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and the women for noon.
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