Castleton, VT (Sept. 5, 2026) – The UMass Boston Beacons opened the 2026 cross country season at the Castleton Invitational on Saturday, with junior Albert Ferreras (Lowell, Mass.) winning the Men's 5K outright and first-year Jayden LaPlant (Plymouth, Mass.) finishing second in the Women's 5K to highlight a strong season debut.
Men's Race
Ferreras set the tone for the Beacons, crossing the finish line first in the Men's 5K with a time of 16:41.7 to claim the individual title. The junior was the lone upperclassman among UMass Boston's top five men's finishers, leading a group of freshmen competing in their first collegiate cross country race.
First-year Jimmy Gallagher (North Attleboro, Mass.) was the second Beacon across the line, placing 25th in 18:43.0. Jayden Ferreras (Lowell, Mass.) (26th, 18:57.0) and Aiden Levin (Bristol, Conn.) (28th, 19:17.0) followed in their collegiate debuts, with Christian Labadini (Randolph, Mass.) rounding out the group at 19:50.8. Junior Justin Riley (Weymouth, Mass.) completed the Beacons' men's lineup in 22:09.7.
Women's Race
On the women's side, LaPlant turned in a standout collegiate debut, finishing second in the Women's 5K with a time of 21:06.7. Fellow first-year Anatalya Graham (Minneapolis, Minn.) was right behind her, placing fifth in 21:28.8 to give the Beacons two top-five finishers in the women's race.
First-year Audrey Connolly (Weymouth, Mass.) was the Beacons' third women's finisher, placing 12th in 22:10.8. Drew Sherman (Sandown, N.H) (20th, 23:10.2) and sophomore Molly Hilditch (Auburn, Mass.) (23rd, 23:36.2) continued the strong showing, with junior Kylee Browning (Attleboro, Mass.) finishing in 26:02.4.
Season Outlook
Four of the six men competing and five of the seven women competing were first-years running in their collegiate debuts, signaling a deep and talented incoming class ready to contribute from day one.
With Ferreras leading the men and a pair of first-years already cracking the top five on the women's side, the Beacons head into the rest of the season with plenty of momentum.
Full meet results are available on here.
UMass Boston returns to action on Sept. 19 at the UMass Dartmouth Cross Country Invitational in North Dartmouth, MA.
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