Purchase, NY - The John Jay Men's Cross Country team opened the 2024 campaign in high spirits on Saturday morning at the Purchase College Invitational.

The Bloodhounds were led by senior returner Alejandro Animas, who took eleventh overall with a 34:24.8 time in the team's first race of the season.

The team finished in sixth place overall, recording 126 points from its top five finishers.

Animas was one of two top twenty finishers in the race for John Jay. Newcomer Lakdar Layachi (36:00.4) placed nineteenth in his first collegiate race.

Rookie Tony Echeverria was next across the line for John Jay, placing twenty-ninth with a 38:48.3 time. This was also his first appearance for the Bloodhounds.

Evan Hernandez (39:05.8) and Louis DeSario (41:09.0) rounded out the team's top five finishers.

Full race results are available here.

NEXT UP: John Jay returns to the trails on Saturday, Sept. 14 for the Manhattan Jaspers Invitational, hosted at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, N.Y.