BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Erik Alatalo (Wilmington/Wilmington HS) was the first Bentley University runner to reach the finish line during the New England Men's Cross Country Championships Saturday at Franklin Park.

Alatalo was 72nd overall in a field of 254, covering the 8,000-meter course in 25:47.9. Twelfth among Northeast-10 runners, he improved on his 2014 performance by 118 places and about 62 seconds.

The next three Falcons were sophomore Ryan Cadorette (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) and seniors Tom Dean (Portland, Maine/Deering HS) and David Cooper (Woburn/Woburn HS). Cadorette improved on his 2014 showing by 90 places and about 30 seconds with a 26:20.7 (91st), Dean was 130th in 26:21.3 and Cooper bettered his 2014 effort by 40 places and 5.6 seconds with a 26:21.6 (131st).

Bentley improved on last year's team showing by four places with the Falcons 23rd of 39 overall and fifth among the eight NE-10 participants.

The Falcons' final competition before the Northeast-10 Championships will be the Bruce Kirsch Cross Country Cub Friday afternoon in Hopkinton, N.H.