Bronx, NY - Led by a pair of top-12 performances from senior
Skylah Nix and junior
Alexa Guzman, the John Jay College women's cross country team earned a runner-up finish at the 2026 City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Cross Country Championships on Sunday at Van Cortlandt Park.
The Bloodhounds totaled 78 points to finish second among six scoring teams, 11 points ahead of third-place CCNY (89). Hunter College captured the conference championship with 19 points, while Baruch (94), Brooklyn (103) and Medgar Evers (128) rounded out the team standings.
John Jay's second-place performance marked a significant improvement from its fifth-place finish at the 2025 conference championship, when the Bloodhounds totaled 110 points. The 2026 result also marked the program's best team finish since 2024, when John Jay placed second with 68 points.
Following the conclusion of the meet, the Bloodhounds recongized their 2026 Senior Class -
Manuela Orrego,
Maria Belov,
Litzy Hernandez, and
Skylah Nix
Nix paced the Bloodhounds, completing the six-kilometer course in 28:53.8 to finish eighth overall among 50 runners who completed the race. The senior averaged 7:45.0 per mile and was the first John Jay runner to cross the finish line.
Guzman followed with another strong performance, placing 12th overall with a time of 30:04.4. The junior maintained an average pace of 8:03.9 per mile, giving John Jay two finishers among the top 12.
Senior
Manuela Orrego was the third Bloodhound across the finish line, recording a time of 31:43.8 to place 19th overall. Orrego averaged 8:30.6 per mile and contributed 18 points toward John Jay's team total.
Junior
Shellbie Johnson followed in 20th place, clocking 32:39.5 with an average pace of 8:45.5 per mile. Johnson's performance added 19 points to the Bloodhounds' team score.
Junior
Laisha Gomez completed John Jay's five scoring positions, finishing 24th overall in 33:51.6. Gomez averaged 9:04.9 per mile and contributed the final 21 points toward the team's runner-up finish.
Senior
Litzy Hernandez rounded out the John Jay contingent, placing 48th overall with a time of 45:15.1.
The Bloodhounds' five scoring runners combined for a total time of 2:37:13, averaging 31:26 across the six-kilometer course.
Hunter's Shannon Ferri claimed the individual conference championship with a winning time of 24:11.1. The Hawks secured the top three individual positions and five of the top seven scoring finishes to capture the team title.
John Jay's balanced performance proved pivotal in the team standings, as the Bloodhounds placed all five scoring runners among the top 24 overall finishers.
The runner-up showing capped the conference championship with a strong collective effort for the Bloodhounds, highlighted by Nix's top-10 finish, Guzman's top-12 performance and contributions throughout the lineup.
John Jay Individual Results – 6K
