By Kevin Llumiquinga
Correspondent
The College’s men’s and women’s cross country team started off a great season by breezing their way to finishing first and second place at the Herb Lorenz Invitational on Friday, Sept. 11 at home.
The College’s men’s cross country team dominated their way to first at the Herb Lorenz Invitational, placing several runners across the top-ten. With an average time of 20:16, the team ultimately scored 24 points on the six-kilometer course which marks the start of their ambitious 2026 slate.
In his first competitive race, freshman Tyler Hurst had a standout performance which gave the Lions a runner-up in the standings. Hurst finished just below the 20-minute mark posting a time of 19:50.01, only three seconds shy of the winner.
This is an outstanding first run from the Lions rookie. His efforts earned him a New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week award. Following Hurst's amazing performance, the College’s runners secured spots four through eleven in which boosted the team to 24 points, enough to secure a win on the day. Freshman Will Nelson finished in fourth place in his first ever collegiate race, while junior Silas Matteson set a new personal best with a time of 20:27.3.
Junior Will Evarts also set a new personal best time, recording a time of 20:30.3. The College runners from fourth to 11th place holders crossed the finish line with an average of 20:25.3, starting their season off with a dominant run.
On the women’s side of the race, the team finished strong in second place. They dominated with an average time of 20:47, ultimately scoring 48 points on the five-kilometer course.
Freshman Ananya Raja’s performance led the Lions with a runner-up finishing the five-kilometer course. Stockton dominated the race, however, and took home first through fourth. Raja placed fifth with a time of 20:13.8, followed by freshman Chloe Mellot with a five-second difference.
Junior Amaya Zorrilla’s performance led the Lions to be in the top-10. Zorrila fast tracked her way through the five-kilometer course and dominated the race, beating her personal-best 20:22.01. She was followed by junior Alyssa Maybeck finishing in 16th place, with a time of 21:28.9.
The College’s victory at the Herb Lorenz Invitational marks the start of their ambitious season and they look forward to dominating at the DeSales Invitational on Sept. 19 in Center Valley, PA.
