By Jim Fenton

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Senior Naomi Cass (Westport, Mass.) recorded an impressive victory for the Bridgewater State University women's outdoors track & field team Friday night.

Cass finished first and set a personal-best time in the Elite 10,000-meter race at the Silfen Invitational, hosted by Connecticut College in New London, Conn.

The winning time was 36:02.48 for Cass, who moved into the lead after being in second place with 400 meters remaining.

Cass was in fifth place before moving to fourth at the 4,000-meter mark. She improved to third place at the 5,200-meter mark with a time of 18:46.30.

At 9,600 meters, Cass took over the second spot and finished the final 400 meters in 1:22.02 for the victory.

Kate Stevens of the Garden State Track Club was second in 36:05.87 followed by senior Kathleen Healy of Molloy University in 36:48.04.

It was the second race of the spring for Cass who was less than 13 seconds shy of BSU Hall of Famer Molly Rouillard's school record time of 35:49.99.

She finished seventh in the 5,000-meter run at Emory Thrills in the Hills in Georgia with a time of 17:58.31 last month.

TUFTS SPRING INVITATIONAL

The Bears are taking part in the two-day Tufts University Spring Invitational.

The meet opened on Friday and will conclude Saturday at the Ellis Oval/Zimman Field/Dussault Track.

On the first day, freshman Madison Campbell (Weymouth, Mass.) and sophomore Jane Sitek Shaver (Burlington, Vt.) took part in the javelin for the Bears.

Campbell finished ninth with a personal-best throw of 106 feet, seven inches (32.50m) while Sitek Shave was 13th with a throw of 92 feet, six inches (28.21m).

In the 1,500 race, sophomore Olivia Downin (Hudson, Mass.) was 21st with a PR of 5:08.46.

Sophomore Rhiannon Vos (Marstons Mills, Mass.) finished 21st in the 5,000-meter run as she crossed the line in 19:28.54.

The events on the second day will begin at 9 a.m.