BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Westfield State College looks to defend its crown this weekend at the 2010 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships that will take place on Saturday, April 24^th on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth beginning at 11:00 a.m.  This year’s event will once again take place as part of the New England Alliance Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which combine competitors from both the MASCAC and the Little East Conference.

Westfield State captured its 13^th straight MASCAC men’s title last April, as the Owls posted a team score of 275 points on their home Jerry Gravel Track in Westfield, Mass. to best runner-up Fitchburg State College’s total of 162 points.  Bridgewater State College (80 points) and Worcester State College (70 points) followed in third and fourth place, respectively, while Salem State College (20 points) and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (8 points) rounded out the team scoring in the 2009 Men’s Championships.

Three Westfield State student-athletes return to competition after capturing a pair of respective MASCAC individual crowns in their events in 2009, including senior Marc Gomes (Springfield, Mass.) in the 100 and 200 meters, senior Brandon Palmer (Ludlow, Mass.) in the long jump and high jump as well as junior Mike Chapin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) in the 110 high hurdles and 400 intermediate hurdles.  Another double winner from last year’s event returns in Fitchburg State junior Matt Muolo (Stoneham, Mass.), who was the MASCAC champion in both the javelin and discus for the Falcons.

Westfield State will be looking to wrestle away the New England Alliance championship from the University of Southern Maine, which captured the 2009 title.  In addition to the Huskies, the other Little East competitors will be Eastern Connecticut State University, Keene State College, the University of Massachusetts Boston, Rhode Island College and host UMass Dartmouth.

Complete results for both the MASCAC and New England Alliance Championships will be available on Saturday evening at www.mascac.com.