SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 8, 2025) – The Conference of New England (CNE) office has released their first list of Men's Cross Country Weekly Awards. Lucas Franco sees his name on the list after his first career collegiate 8k race.

Lucas Franco makes it one for one in the CNE Rookie of the Week Awards after a standout performance at Saturday's Invitational in Randolph, Vermont. It has not taken long for Franco to make an impact in the WNE top five. Franco and the team ran in the Silloway Vermont State Maple Syrup Challenge on Saturday. The Ludlow, Massachusetts native posted a time of 30:13.01 through the tough terrain and poor conditions seen at the race. Franco ended the race in 35th place, which placed third on WNE in Franco's first career collegiate 8K race.

Franco and the Golden Bears will stay closer to home for their next invitational as the team travels to Chicopee, Massachusetts, for the Elms College Blazer Invitational. That cross country meet will start at 10:00 AM on Saturday, September 13, 2025.