Gray, MA --- Led by a victory from graduate student Avi Bissoondial (Millbury, MA), the WPI men's cross country team placed fifth overall at the 2024 Bates Invitational at Pineland Farms on Saturday.
 
The Engineers, ranked fifth in the latest USTFCCA East regional poll, placed 5th overall with 98 points. #24 Washington and Lee won the event with 34 points, followed by MIT (83) and Bates (91) in the strong 10-team field. Overall, seven regionally ranked squads competed in the event.
 
Bissoondial took home his second individual title this season, leading the way for WPI in the 140-runner field. He secured first place overall with an impressive time of 25:01.46 in the 8k event.
 
Junior Brinson Wyche (Corvallis, MT) followed in 20th place with a time of 26:06.49, while graduate student Benjamin Trantanella (Westford, MA) crossed the line in 22nd place, clocking in at 26:11.68.
 
Freshman Drew O'Reilly (Syracuse, NY) finished in 27th place at 26:20.53, and senior senior Ryan Fischer (Merrimack, NH) rounded out the top five for WPI, placing 28th with a time of 26:25.01.
 
Graduate student Jarrett Gulden (Walpole, ME) and senior Sean Corman (Waterford, CT) were pushers for WPI's team score, as Gulden finished in 45th place with a time of 26:53.48, and Corman placed 51st in 26:58.96.
 
The Engineers return to action on Saturday, October 12, at noon for the NEICAAA Championships in Contoocook, NH. 
 
Results