BRUNSWICK, Maine -- The Bates men's cross country team gave their younger runners a chance to compete Saturday at the CBB Meet, hosted by Bowdoin at Pickard Field. 

First-year Carsten Lyons (Raleigh, N.C.) led the way for the Bobcats, taking 10th place out of 48 runners with his time of 19:15.3 on the 6K course. Fellow first-year Colin Manning (Lake Oswego, Ore.) was right behind him in 11th place, crossing the finish line in 19:21.3. 

Six Bobcats finished in the top 20 on Saturday, as Bates placed third behind Bowdoin and Colby. The Polar Bears and Mules both entered their top runners, while Bates decided to give their rookies and less experienced runners a real competitive experience. 

Junior Sam Buckley (Somerville, Mass.) placed 16th in 19:36.3 and first-year Jack Overbay (Jackson Hole, Wyo.) was 17th with a time of 19:41.2. First-years Noah Aldana (South Pasadena, Calif.) and Alex Rodgers (Lowell, Mass.) also impressed in their collegiate debuts, finishing 19th and 20th respectively. 

The Bobcats will unleash their top runners in two weeks when they look to defend their Maine State Meet title at Pickard Field.