KEENE, NH (Sept. 29, 2007) – Junior Mark Garcia (Everett, MA) topped the field and led four teammates in the top 15 scoring places as the UMass Lowell men’s cross country team placed second at the 13th Annual Keene State Invitational Saturday afternoon.

Garcia won the five-mile race in 26:25 and posted a six second advantage on Keene State’s Craig MacPherson (26:31).

UMass Lowell scored 53 points (1, 10, 13, 14, 15 – 17, 20) and placed second only to the host Owls, who scored 23 points. Tufts (96) placed second and was followed by Stonehill (136), Assumption (140), Fitchburg State (156) and American International (194).

Williams (224), Wheaton (234) and New England College (290) closed out the field, which consisted of 100 runners.

Sophomore Steve O’Brien (Groton, MA) placed 11th overall and 10th among scoring runners in 27:37 while junior Josh Vance (Nashua, NH) took 15th/13th in 27:46.

Freshman Geovanni Timberlake (Brockton, MA) placed 16th/14th in 27:49 and junior Brandon McKinnon (Methuen, MA) capped UML’s scorers in 19th/15th in 28:01. Freshman Greg Wilson (Chelmsford, MA) finished in 24th in 28:19 and sophomore Jason O’Connell (Mansfield, MA) placed 27th overall in 28:38.

UML defends it New England Championship title next Saturday at Franklin Park in Boston.