Sylven, Coach Berg-Haryasz Sweep Top Awards for MASCAC Men's Cross Country

WESTFIELD MA – Westfield State men's cross country reined in awards, as first-year Nathan Sylven (Wrentham, Mass./King Phillip) was named Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Runner of the Year along with an All-Conference recognition on Thursday, as the league formally announced it's all conference award winners from the championship meet held last Friday in Devens, Mass.

Coach Marlee Berg-Haryasz took home the BSN Coach of the Year Award as she led the Owls to a team victory and five team members were named to the all-conference team, as Will Buckley (Plymouth, Mass./North) , John Nekitopoulos (West Springfield, Mass.), Abdi Nassir (New Braintree, Mass./Quabbin) and Scott Porter (Boylston, Mass./Tahanto), also placed in the top 10 at the meet to earn their awards.

Sylven was the race's individual champ, and on Monday took home the loop's weekly runner and rookie of the week awards.  He tripped the 8,000-meter championship course in 26:19.91, nearly a full minute clear of his closest foe. 

Nekitopoulos took third place to earn his second-straight all conference honor in 27:45.42.

First time All-Conference honorees for the Owls included, Buckley, who came home fifth in the individual standings in 28:03.36  

Nassir, a junior, was seventh in 28:19.76, and senior Porter, who was finishing his first year as a cross-country runner after playing two years of soccer for the Owls, finished 10^th in 28:31.27 to claim the final berth on the All-Conference Squad.

Berg-Haryasz earned coach of the year honors for the second straight season.

Westfield will be back in action on November 11, when Westfield State hosts the 2023 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championship meet at Stanley Park.

-- composite graphic images courtesy Frank Poulin