Newark, NJ - The John Jay College women's cross country team returned to competition on Saturday morning, taking part in the 22nd Annual NJIT Cross Country Invitational. The Bloodhounds placed 22nd overall in a competitive 24-team field, with senior Skylah Nix leading the way in the women's 5K race.

John Jay finished with 578 points, recording a combined time of 2:02:15 among its top five scorers for an average of 24:27.

Nix paced the Bloodhounds with a time of 22:49.0. The senior maintained an average mile pace of 7:20.6 to lead the John Jay contingent. For Nix, it marked her fastest 5K time, surpassing her previous time of 23:20.9, set back at the NJIT Highlander XC Challenge in 2024.  

Junior Alexa Guzman followed with a solid performance, crossing the finish line in 23:31.1 with Guzman averaging 7:34.1 per mile, finishing just over 42 seconds behind Nix. For Guzman, it marked her personal-best in a 5K meet. 

Senior Maria Belov was the third Bloodhound to complete the course, posting a time of 24:07.6. Belov maintained an average pace of 7:45.9 per mile.

Senior Manuela Orrego was next across the line for John Jay, clocking in at 25:28.8. Orrego registered an average mile pace of 8:12.0 while setting a personal-best in the 5K meet. 

Fellow junior Shellbie Johnson rounded out the Bloodhounds' top five scorers with a time of 26:18.6 and an average pace of 8:28.0 per mile, notching a personal-best in the 5K meet. 

Senior Litzy Hernandez also represented John Jay in the competition, completing the 5K course in 34:42.6 setting a personal-best in the 5K event. 

In the team standings, Army West Point captured the invitational title with 34 points and a combined time of 1:30:46. UAlbany finished second with 50 points, while host NJIT secured third place with 124 points. Montclair State (172) and Stevens (200) rounded out the top five.

UAlbany's Skyler Hines claimed the individual title, completing the 5K course in 17:19.2. NJIT's Jessie Fotheringham finished second in 17:43.5, followed by UAlbany's Arianna Verardi in 17:47.5.

John Jay Individual Results – Women's 5K