Toal, Tortorella Pace Sharks at Keiser University Flagship Invitational

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country teams posted impressive times at the Keiser University Flagship Invitational on Friday evening. Marek Tortorella picked up right where he left off, earning another top-five finish, and a season-best time of 15:34.12, leading NSU to a fifth-place team finish. On the women’s side, Eden Toal led the Sharks to a second-place team finish with a personal best time of 18:09.06. 

Breakdown (Women’s 5k)  

  • Toal was the first Shark across the line, garnering a second-place finish and a personal record (18:09.06). 

  • Ally Jakubiak (7th/18:50.02), Isabella Grant (9th/19:10.80), and Nicole Branum (10th/19:11.53) also ran personal bests and rounded out the top-10 finishers for NSU. 

  • Bridget McGrath (12th/19:25.98) finished just outside the top ten and McKinzie Winget (17th/19:32.83) wasn’t too far behind.
     

Breakdown (Men’s 5k)  

  • Tortorella continued his impressive racing, finishing fourth with a personal best time of 15:34.12. 

  • Walter Samuels (27th/16:31.82) and Jan Schmied (46th/17:15.91) rounded out the top-three finishers for NSU.  

Coach's Corner 

Head Coach Jonathan Carter – We were on an hour weather delay and our teams stayed focused and fought through the adversity. Both teams came out and competed, which led to several great performances. On to the next one.
 

 What's Next 

The Sharks will be back next Saturday, Sept. 23 as the race at St. Thomas University. 

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

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Sharks Kick Off Season at FAU Invitational

BOCA RATON – The Nova Southeastern Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams opened the season with impressive performances. The men were led by Marcus Tortorella, who finished third with a time of 15:41.07. On the women’s side, Eden Toal led the charge en route to a fifth-place finish, with a time of 18:20.59, Toal’s performance spearheaded a third-place finish for NSU. The Sharks competed against their Sunshine State Conference Opponents (Barry, Lynn, Palm Beach Atlantic) and several NCAA Division I programs (Miami, Florida Atlantic, UCF, FIU, Florida Gulf Coast).
 

Coach's Corner

Head Coach Jonathan Carter – It was a very good start to the season, especially being able to compete against other schools in our conference. It was a good measuring stick to see where we are early in the season. Both teams came out to compete, especially on the women’s side. 
 

Breakdown (Women’s) 

Breakdown (Men’s) 

  • Marcus Tortorella was the first Shark across the line, running 15:41.07.

  • Adrien Zambaux (29th/16:36.51) and Walter Samuels (45th/16:58.62) rounded out the top finishers for the Sharks. 

 What's Next

The Sharks return to the course to race at Keiser on Friday, Sept. 15. 

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

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Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Picked Fifth in Preseason SSC Coaches Poll

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference released its 2023 preseason coaches’ poll. Nova Southeastern was picked fifth in the men’s and women’s cross-country preseason poll. The Sharks men collected 19 total points and the women notched 18 in the projected order of finish voting. 

Last season on the women’s side, NSU earned 3rd place at the SSC Cross Country Championship, the highest finish for either program since the 2012 season. Kamila Soja led the way, finishing third with a time of 22:39.6, her time was not only a personal best by a wide margin but was the highest individual finish for an NSU Shark in the last five years. Eden Toal was right behind her, claiming eighth place and a new personal record in the event, running 22:47.6.  

David Mahnke and Joseph Salerno, led the men’s side last season, Salerno was the highest finisher at the championship meet, finishing 25th with a personal best of 27:22.0. While Mahnke paced the Sharks all season, Mahnke ran the third fastest 8k time in school history earlier in the season at the STU Bobcat. 

Below are the full results of the 2023 SSC preseason coaches’ poll. Coaches cannot vote for their teams (points: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).   

2023 SSC WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Rank Team Total (First Place Votes)
1 Tampa 34 (4)
2 Palm Beach Atlantic 32 (3)
3 Embry-Riddle 23
4 Florida Southern 22
5 Nova Southeastern 18
6 Lynn 11
7 Barry 7

 

2023 SSC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Rank School Total (First Place Votes)
1 Embry-Riddle 49 (7)
2 Florida Southern 40 (1)
3 Tampa 38
4 Palm Beach Atlantic  33
5 Nova Southeastern 19
6 Lynn 18
7 Barry 14
8 Florida Tech 13

The Nova Southeastern Sharks kick off their 2023 season at Florida Atlantic University on Friday, Sept. 1.

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

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Carter, Sharks Release 2023 Cross Country Schedule

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – With the season around the corner, Head Coach Jonathan Carter looks to lead the Nova Southeastern men’s and women’s cross-country programs into the 2023 season.  

The Sharks will compete in six regular season races during the 2023 campaign, beginning with a race in Boca Raton, Fla. on the campus of Florida Atlantic University on Sep. 1. 

“Im very excited for my inaugural season coaching the men’s and women’s cross country teams,” stated Head Coach Jonathan Carter. “I am looking forward to building on the success from last year from both the men’s and women’s programs.”

NSU returns to race on Friday, Sept. 15 at Keiser University, before heading down to Miami Gardens to race at St. Thomas on Sept. 22. NSU will then travel to Tallahassee to compete at Florida State on 9/29 before wrapping up the regular season at Alabama Huntsville/Ave Maria on Oct. 7.  

The Sunshine State Conference Championship race is on Sat., Oct. 21, in Lakeland, while the NCAA South Region Meet is set for Sat., 11/4, and the NCAA National Championship meet is on 11/18 in Joplin, MO.  

On the women’s side the Sharks return Eden Toal, Toal finished eighth at last year’s SSC Cross Country Championship, and earned a spot on the All-SSC Championship team. Leena Saidi also played a vital role in the Sharks third place finish at the SSC Championships, earning a top-25 finish at the championship meet.

On the men’s side, David Mahnke returns to lead the charge for NSU, the junior is currently third in school history in the 8k, with a time of 25:21.9. 

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

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Soja Qualifies for The National Meet

LAKELAND- FLA. – Kamila Soja continues to shine, earning herself a chance to compete at the NCAA National Championships. Soja led the women to a 7th place team finish, the men were paced by David Mahnke and Joseph Salerno.  

HOW IT HAPPENED: (Women’s 6K) 

  • Soja picked up where she left off at the SSC conference meet, claiming a third-place finish at the NCAA South Region Championship. Her time of 21.39.1, is not only a PR by nearly a minute but also a new school record in the women’s 6k. The sophomore was also the first SSC athlete to cross the finish line. 

  • Maya Espinosa was the second Shark across the line, finishing 28th with a new personal best of 22.29.7, which shattered her previous mark.  

  • Eden Toal (22:46.2), Leena Saidi (23:06.6), and Ally Jakubiak (23:07.3) rounded out the top-5 for the Sharks, finishing 34th, 43rd, and 44th respectively while running personal bests in the process.  

  • McKinzie Winget and Christina Adams also ran personal bests.  

  • NSU’s stellar performance across the board led to the Sharks top-10 finish against a quality field.  

HOW IT HAPPENED: (Men’s 10K) 

  • Mahnke and Salerno spearheaded the Sharks. Mahnke was first across the line for NSU, finishing 49th and running a personal best of 33:00.7 in his first 10k of the season. Salerno was not too far behind, finishing 56th with a personal record of 33:16.0 

  • Adrien Zambaux, Trey May, and Lucas Mardis rounded out the top-5 for the Sharks. 

  • NSU finished 14th.  

UPCOMING 

Kamila Soja will head to the NCAA National Championship in Seattle, Washington. Racing begins Friday, December 2nd.  

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Sharks Ready for NCAA South Region Championship

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – Following an impressive performance at the SSC Championship meet, the Sharks look to carry that momentum into Saturday, at the NCAA South Region Championship in Lakeland, Fla.  

The men are scheduled to race at 7:40 am and the women are scheduled at 8:55 am. 

On the men’s side, Joseph Salerno and David Mahnke have been the driving forces for the Sharks all season. Salerno was the first runner across the line for NSU at the SSC Championship, finishing 25th with a personal best time of 27:22.0 in the 8k. Mahnke, who experienced a setback ahead of the SSC Championship looks to pick up where he left off in the regular season. The sophomore is currently third in school history in the 8k, with a time of 25:21.9, which he ran earlier in the season at the STU Bobcat. Cody Brown, Thor Eriksson, Lucas Mardis, Trey May, and Adrien Zambaux round out the rest of the Sharks that will compete Saturday morning.  

On the women’s side, All-Championship team members Kamila Soja and Eden Toal will lead the Sharks at the regional meet. Soja has shined all season long, earning a Runner of the Week honor earlier in the season, an All-SSC 1st team selection and she finished third in the 6k at the SSC Championship. Which was the highest individual finish for an NSU Shark in the last five years. Toal, who made considerable strides this season, had a great performance at the Conference Championship. She claimed eighth place with a personal best time of 22:47.6 and was selected as a member of the All-SSC second team. Maya Espinosa and freshman Leena Saidi also played a vital role in the Sharks third place finish at the SSC Championships, both earning top-25 finishes. Ally Jakubiak, McKinzie Winget, and Christina Adams 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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Soja, Toal Shine at SSC Championship, NSU Finishes Third

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.- Kamila Soja and Eden Toal lead NSU to a 3rd place finish at the SSC Cross Country Championship, the highest finish for either program since the 2012 season.

HOW IT HAPPENED: (Women’s 6K)

  • Soja led the way for the Sharks, finishing third with a time of 22:39.6, her time was not only a personal best by a wide margin but was the highest individual finish for an NSU Shark in the last five years. 
  • Toal who was been right there with Soja the whole season, claimed eighth place and a new personal record in the event as well, running 22:47.6. 
  • Maya Espinosa (23:48.6) and freshman Leena Saidi (23:53.2) rounded out the top 25 for the Sharks with personal bests, finishing 18th and 21st respectively.
  • Soja and Toal’s top-10 finishes earned them a spot on the All-Championship Team.
  • NSU’s 3rd place finish was the highest finish since the program captured second place at the 2012 SSC Cross Country Championship.

HOW IT HAPPENED: (Men’s 8K)

  • On the men’s side, Joseph Salerno was the highest finisher for the Sharks, finishing 25th with a personal best of 27:22.0
  • Adrien Zambaux and Trey May rounded out the top three for the Sharks. 

RESULTS

UPCOMING
The Sharks will gear up for the NCAA South Region Championship, racing begins Saturday, November 19th at 8:00 am. 

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Sharks Travel to Daytona Beach for SSC Championship

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – The Nova Southeastern men’s and women’s cross country teams will look to leave their mark, in Saturday’s Sunshine State Cross Country Championship.

The men are scheduled to race at 7:45 am and the women are scheduled at 8:45 am. 

Head coach Bryan Hagopian stated, ” I feel very confident about both programs going into the meet. On the men’s side, our number one runner, David Mahnke, has faced some setbacks, so we hope to have him ready for the conference meet. He has a high potential of being on the All-Conference First Team, which we haven’t had in a long time, this would give us a great boost for our program. On the women’s side, we have an amazing returning class this year, so we expect some good results and a high finish. We have Kamila Soja leading the team who is in the top 10 all-time in the 5k, as well as Eden Toal who joins her in the top-10. This team going forward is going to put us back on top where we use to be”. 

Mahnke has been the focal point for the Sharks, recently becoming the third fastest runner in school history in the 8k, with a time of 25:21.9. He also had a second-place finish earlier in the season at the STU Bobcat in the 5k. Mahnke looks to continue to build off of his already impressive season at the conference meet.

Soja and Toal have been the driving forces for NSU. Soja earned Runner of the Week earlier this season, as well as several top five finishes. Toal has been right behind her finishing in the top-10 once and earning a top 20 finish as well. Both Sharks had top-10 finishes at the Florida Atlantic Home Invitational, beating several Division 1 and SSC opponents. 
 

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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Sharks Race at UAH Invitational

The Sharks traveled to the University of Alabama in Huntsville to compete in the UAH Invitational. On the Women’s side Nova Southeastern notched a top-20 team finish against over 40 schools.

HOW IT HAPPENED: (Women’s 5K)

  • Kamila Soja led the way with a top-75 finish (73rd) in a field of over 300 athletes, finishing with a time of 18:36.40. 
  • Eden Toal was right behind her, finishing in the top-100 (84th) with a personal best time of 18:40.6.
  • Maya Espinosa also finished in the top-100 (91st), blistering her previous PR, running 18:43.3 to round out the top three for the Sharks.
  • NSU finished 16th out of 44 schools.

HOW IT HAPPENED: (Men’s 8K)

RESULTS 

UPCOMING
The Sharks will gear up for the Sunshine State Conference meet, which takes place Saturday, Nov. 5th. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_XCTF.

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Adams, May lead NSU at South Florida Invitational

Tampa, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks raced at the University of South Florida Invitational on Friday against a handful of Division I programs and fellow Sunshine State conference opponents (Lynn, Flagler, Florida Southern, Tampa, and Florida Tech). Christina Adams led the attack, earning a top-40 placement, which contributed to a top-eight team finish against a quality field. On the Men’s side, Trey May garnered a top-40 finish. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: (Women’s 5K)

  • Adams finished 32nd with a time of 20:54.0
  • Julianna Bassano and Julie Bruggner, followed Adams, rounding out the top 3 finishers for the Lady Sharks. 
  • Kiely Curran stated, “Everyone did awesome considering we got 8th place as a team”.

HOW IT HAPPENED: (Men’s 8K)

  • May was the top finisher for NSU, finishing with a time of 27:56.9 (34th).
  • Sebastian Tenorio and Evan Crisp joined May as the top three finishers for Nova.

RESULTS

UPCOMING
The Sharks will travel to Huntsville, Ala., to race at the UAH Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 22. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Cross Country, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_XCTF.

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