Mansfield Runners Make an Impact in College

If you put together a team of Mansfield  runners, you'd have a pretty good college cross-country team.

Shayne Collins is a freshman on the UCLA team and was first Bruin finisher in the 67th annual Aztec Invitational in a time of 25:25.3, Sept. 17. He was 90th in the Notre Dame Invitational last wek in 25:20 as the Bruins were sixth as a team.

It will be a Collins' family reunion Friday. Shayne's Bruins will be taking part in the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational. His brother, Ryan, is now on the University of Wisconsin team after transferring from the University of Virginia.

The UMass-Amherst team, coached by former Foxborough High standout Ken O'Brien, is taking advantage of Mansfield talent. Former Hornet standout Patrick McGowan and Andrew Erwin are joined by Coyle-Cassidy's John Mantia, who is a freshman on the team. The Minutemen will be taking part in the A-10 Championship in Charlotte, N.C. Oct. 29.

UMass was seventh out of 39 teams at the New England Invitational at Franklin Park last Saturday. McGowan, the Minutemen's third runner, was 37th overal in 25:44, while Erwin was the team's fifth man, 113th in 26:44.

UMass-Lowell is also using Mansfield talent. Freshman Matt Cioe and sophomore Matt Hernon are running for the River Hawks.

Kevin Meagher, a junior, is a top runner for NOVA Southeast University in Fort Lauderdale, FLA. He was named as the Sunshine State Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week after winning the University of South Florida Invitational in September.

He will be competing in the University of South Florida's Black and Gold Challenge Friday.

Joe Cole is running for Manhattan College, Josh Brodin, WPI, Patrick Grimes, Amherst College and William Looney, who ran for Bishop Feehan, is at Harvard. His siter, Meghan, is captain on the Crimson women's track team.

(If you know of a college athlete from Mansfield that is missing from our coverage, send an email to Mansfield Patch editor Jeff Sullivan at jeff.sullivan@patch.com.)