Tag: Men’s Cross Country, Women’s Cross Country

LAKELAND, Fla. — The NSU Sharks traveled to Lakeland and competed at the SSC Championships on Saturday morning. Jillian Thorning, who was just named SSC Runner of the Year for the second season in a row, was the first across the line in the Women in the individual 6K.

(Women’s 6K)

• Thorning won the Women’s 6K with a first-place time of 21:15.8.
• Teammate Leena Saidi finished sixth with a time of 21:49.3, giving the Sharks two top 10 finishers.
• Jordan Stygar, the newly minted SSC Freshman of the Year, finished 13th. The team finished third overall in the final team standings.

(Men’s 8K)

• Jaime Blazquez was the first Shark across the finish line, finishing 19th with a time of 25:41.2.
• As a team, the Sharks finished sixth overall.

The Sharks will now take a hiatus before competing at the NCAA South Region Championship on November 8th. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_XCTF.

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LAKELAND, Fla. – A day after the SSC awards were announced, the Nova Southeastern cross country teams now turn their focus to the SSC Championships, which will commence this Saturday in Lakeland, Florida. 

On the women’s side, Jillian Thorning was named SSC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year for the second year in a row, while Jordan Stygar took home Freshman of the Year honors. It’s the first time in program history that the Sharks have been awarded Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season. Thorning, Stygar, Leena Saidi and Isabella Grant continue to pace the Sharks, and as a unit, they’re coming off a third-place team finish at the UAH Chargers Invitational. The Sharks finished second at the Keiser Invitational and the FLRunners.com Invitational, while finishing first at the St. Thomas Bobcat Invitational. 

On the men’s side, Jaime Blazquez has paced the Sharks, having led the Sharks in three races so far this season. Marc Gonzalez, Marcus Marek Tortorella and Seth Roque-Munoz will also look to have big performances for the Sharks. The men are coming off a ninth-place team finish at the UAH Chargers Invitational, while finishing second at the St. Thomas Bobcat Invitational and first at the Keiser Invitational.

For complete coverage of Saturday’s action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com, or follow the Sharks on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_XCTF.

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Nova Southeastern University Men’s and Women’s cross country teams traveled to Huntsville, Alabama, for the Alabama Huntsville Charger Invite on Saturday morning. The men earned a ninth-place team finish while the women finished third.  
 

 (Men’s 8K) 

• Jaime Blazquez was the first Shark across the line, finishing 36th with a time of 25:18.00,  

 (Women’s 6K) 

 

The Sharks will now take a hiatus and gear up for the Sunshine State Conference meet, which will take place October 25th in Lakeland, Fla. 

 
To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_XCTF. 

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Nova Southeastern University Men’s and Women’s cross country teams traveled to Tallahassee for the Florida State Cross Country Invitational on Friday morning. It was their first meet since September 12, and both squads placed in the top 15, with the men finishing 12th overall in the 8K and second behind Tampa but ahead of SSC foes Florida Tech and Barry. The women placed 11th in the 6K, also ahead of Barry. 

 (Men’s 8K)

• Jaime Blazquez paced the Sharks with a time of 25:41.3, which placed him in the top 50 (34th) amongst all runners. 
• In addition to finishing ahead of Florida Tech and Barry, the men’s team also beat out Division I opponents South Florida, Florida Atlantic, Bethune-Cookman and Florida International.

(Women’s 6K)

• After being named SSC Runner of the Week for September 8th-14th, Jillian Thorning led the Sharks, finishing with a time of 21:36.2, good enough for 13th overall and placing in the top 15.
• The women’s team also finished ahead of Division I foes FAU, South Florida, Jacksonville and Stetson in the final team tally.

The Sharks will be back in action next Friday, October 3, at the Florida Runners Invitational in Lakeland, FL. 
To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_XCTF.

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla — The Nova Southeastern University Men’s and Women’s cross country teams had another solid outing this weekend, this time at the St. Thomas University Bobcat Invitational in Miami. Both squads featured four top 10 finishers. The women took home first place in the final team standings, with Jillian Thorning placing first in the women’s individual 6K. On the men’s side, Marc Gonzalez paced four Sharks in the top 10, as they earned second place. 

(Men’s 8K)

• Marc Gonzalez finished in third place with a time of 26:58.4 to lead the Sharks. 
• Teammate Seth Roque-Munoz finished in fifth place with a time of 27:09.2, and Jaime Blazquez finished right behind him in sixth place at 27:10.3.
• Marcus Marek Tortorella finished in 10th place with a time of 27:52.3, giving the Sharks four top 10 finishers on the men’s side.

(Women’s 6K)

• Reigning SSC Runner of the Year Jillian Thorning continued her torrid start to the season, as she paced all runners with a time of 22:54.4 to earn in first place.
• Teammate Isabella Grant followed right behind in second place with a time of 22:59.8, and Jordan Stygar finished third with a time of 23:04.7.
• Alayna Stewart finished in eighth place with a time of 24:13.0, giving NSU four top 10 finishers on the women’s side.

The Sharks will return to action in two weeks, as they’ll travel to Tallahassee for the Florida State Cross Country Invitational on Friday, Sep. 26.
    
To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_XCTF.

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Nova Southeastern Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country teams opened the season at the Keiser University Flagship Cross on Friday morning. On the men’s side, NSU earned first place and had four top 10 finishers, led by Marcus Tortorella. The women earned second place and had three top 10 finishers, led by reigning SSC Runner of the Year Jillian Thorning.

 (Men’s 5K)

⦁     Marcus Tortorella finished in first place with a time of 15:45.01, Jaime Blazquez finished second at 15:45.07, and Marc Gonzalez finished in third place with a time of 15:45.09.

⦁     Teammate Seth Roque-Munoz was the Sharks’ fourth top 10 finisher, coming in seventh place with a time of 16:09.4.

 (Women’s 5K)

⦁     Jillian Thorning led all runners with a first-place time of 18:00.7.

⦁     Teammate Isabella Grant followed in second place with a time of 18:08.0.

⦁     Jordan Stygar finished in sixth place with a time of 18:19.3, giving the Sharks three top 10 finishers on the women’s side.

The Sharks will be back in action next Friday, Sep. 12 for the St. Thomas Bobcat Invitational.    

To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_XCTF.

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MELBOURNE, FLA. The Sunshine State Conference released its 2025 Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll, and the Nova Southeastern women’s program finds itself right back where it finished last fall at the top. The Sharks are tied with Tampa for first place in the poll, while the men’s team is projected to finish sixth.

The women earned their spot after making history in 2024, winning the first Sunshine State Conference Championship in program history. The Sharks put together a dominant performance at the league meet, led by Jillian Thorning, who not only claimed the individual title but was also recognized as the SSC Women’s Runner of the Year. Thorning became the third Shark to ever win the SSC Championship race and the first to earn Runner of the Year honors in more than a decade.

Behind Thorning, NSU’s depth carried them across the finish line as champions, and that momentum has the Sharks positioned as co-favorites heading into the 2025 campaign.

On the men’s side, NSU checks in at sixth in the preseason rankings, looking to build on last year’s growth and make strides up the standings this fall.
 

2025 SSC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL 

Rank	Team	Total (First Place Votes)
1	Florida Southern	81(9)
2	Tampa	69
3	Embry-Riddle	67(1)
4	Florida Tech	51
5	Palm Beach Atlantic	48
6	Nova Southeastern	45
7	Lynn	32
T8	Barry	24
T8	Saint Leo	24
10	Eckerd	9

 

2025 SSC WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Rank	School	Total (First Place Votes)
T1	Tampa	59 (5)
T1	Nova Southeastern	59 (4)
3	Florida Southern	52
4	Palm Beach Atlantic	41
5	Embry-Riddle	39
6	Lynn	28
7	Barry	21
8	Saint Leo	17
9	Eckerd	8

The Nova Southeastern Cross Country teams kick off their 2025 campaign at the Keiser University Cross Country Invitational in West Palm Beach on Friday, Sept. 5.

To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_XCTF.   

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Head coach Jonathan Carter and the Nova Southeastern cross-country program have officially announced the 2025 meet schedule. After winning the program’s first-ever Sunshine State Conference championship, the women’s team aims to build on last season’s success and defend its title. 

“Planning a schedule is exciting because you have the opportunity to strategically organize a schedule that will cultivate the team’s talents and set the team up for success”, said Carter. “Coach DeBastos and I believe wholeheartedly that this schedule will challenge both the Men’s and Women’s teams to perform at their best.” 

NSU opens the season on Friday, September 5, at the Keiser University Flagship Invitational in West Palm Beach. The following week, the Sharks head south for the St. Thomas Bobcat Invitational on Friday, September 12, in Miami Gardens. After a scheduled weekend off, the team travels to Tallahassee for one of the state’s top regular-season events, the FSU XC Invitational, on Friday, September 26. 

The Sharks begin October at the FLrunners.com Invitational in Lakeland on Friday, October 3, followed by a trip to Alabama for the UAH Charger Invite in Huntsville on Saturday, October 11. After a weekend off, postseason racing kicks off with the Sunshine State Conference Championship, also held in Lakeland, on Saturday, October 25. 

Should the team qualify, NSU will return to Lakeland on Saturday, November 8, for the NCAA South Region Championship. 

The 2025 NCAA Division II National Championship is on Saturday, November 22, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

For updates throughout the 2025 season, follow @NSU_XCTF on social media and visit NSUSharks.com. 

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Fresh off their first SSC Title in program history, the Nova Southeastern Women’s Cross-Country team made history again on Saturday morning at the NCAA South Region Championship. NSU punched their ticket as a team to the program’s first NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. Jillian Thorning, the SSC Individual Champion was the highest finisher for the Sharks, finishing fourth with a time of 21:14.65.  

Head Coach Jonathan Carter – As a coach, you do everything in your coaching ability to put your athletes in a position to be successful. Today displayed that our teams understood the assignment of giving it their all to be successful. Our goal for the men’s team was to perform within the top 15 teams. We fell one place short of that but the men’s team carried out the assignment. As for the women the message was to compete the way you have all season. Eden Toal had some complications near the finish but there was no quit in her as she gave every bit of her toughness to finish the race and helped the women’s team advance to the National Championship. Coach Debastos and I are extremely proud to be the coaches of this team. They understand the benefits of gritting and grinding. GO SHARKS!!!!!!

 (Women’s 6K) 

Thorning’s fourth-place finish landed her a spot on the All-Region team. 

Leena Saidi and Isabella Grant joined Thorning on the All-Region team, finishing eighth and 19th respectively.  

Ally Jakubiak wasn’t too far behind, finishing 26th with a time of 22:54.75. 

Eden Toal would round out the top five finishers for NSU with a gutsy finish to secure the NCAA Championship berth for the Sharks.   
 

 (Men’s 10K) 

Jaime Blazquez ended his season on a high note, leading NSU and finishing 37th with a time of 32:38.56. 

Marc Gonzalez and Will Watson rounded out the top three finishers for the Sharks, finishing 62nd and 76th respectively.  

The Nova Southeastern Women’s Cross Country team will travel to Sacramento, CA. to race at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship on Saturday, November 23rd. 

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After securing the program’s first SSC Title on the women’s side, the Sharks look to carry that momentum into Saturday’s NCAA South Region Championship race. 

The men are scheduled to race at 10:00 a.m., and the women are set to begin racing at 11:15 a.m.  

On the men’s side, Jaime Blazquez, Marc Gonzalez, and Will Watson have been at the forefront of the Sharks attack. Blazquez was the first Shark across the line at the SSC Cross Country Championships, finishing 21st with a time of 26:03.3. Gonzalez and Watson rounded out the top three finishers for the Sharks, finishing 40th and 44th respectively. Jan Schmied and Ryan Elfring have also played a vital role in the Sharks success this season. 

On the women’s side, the Sharks five-headed dragon, comprised of Jillian Thorning, Leena Saidi, Eden Toal, Ally Jakubiak, and Isabella Grant led the Sharks to the first Sunshine State Conference Championship in school history. Thorning, the SSC Runner of the Year, won the meet with a time of 21:45.2 becoming the third SSC Women’s Cross Country Individual Champion in Nova Southeastern history to go along with an All-SSC First Team selection. Saidi and Toal also tabbed a spot on the All-SSC first team after their second and fourth place finishes at the conference championships. Jakubiak and Grant weren’t too far behind, finishing 10th and 14th, respectively en route to an All-SSC Second Team selection. Bridget McGrath and Amanda Stone will complete the list of Sharks competing at the South Region Championship. 

For complete coverage of Saturday’s action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com, or follow the Sharks on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_XCTF.   

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