PURCHASE, N.Y. — The New Jersey City University cross country squads were back in action this morning, Saturday, Sept. 11, for their second meet of the season at the Purchase College Invitational. The men's squad continued its hot start to 2021 with yet another team victory, placing first out of the five competing institutions.

The Gothic Knight men finished with an overall team score of 38 — lowest team score wins — edging out Pratt Institute (53), Hunter College (73), Purchase (91) and St. Joseph's College-L.I. (92). Individually, runners from Pratt and St. Joe's took first and second, while sophomore Julius Libutsi (Jersey City, N.J./William L. Dickinson) claimed bronze as the third-place finisher on the 8K course. The second year runner — who placed first overall in NJCU's first race — finished with a time of 28:55.80 and was one of just three runners to clock in under 29:00.

Fellow sophomore Topu Saha (Jersey City, N.J./William L. Dickinson) was the next-best Gothic Knight finisher as he rounded out the top five with a time of 30:23.50. Two more NJCU runners finished within the top 10 as another sophomore, Erich Fennelly (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg), came in eighth with a time of 31:14.80, while junior Jose Recinos (Union City, N.J./Union City) placed 10th in 31:33.20. Fresh off his second-place finish at NJCU's previous meet, sophomore Jake Sisk (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) came in 12th place today with a career-best time of 31:51.50. Yet another sophomore, Elvis Rosas (West New York, N.J./Memorial), managed a 16th-place finish in a time of 32:26.20. Closing out the top 20, In 20th place, was sophomore Denilson Lopez (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) (33:11.70). Five other Gothic Knight men's runners competed on the day as well.

On the women's side, three student-athletes represented NJCU. Senior captain April Gutierrez (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) notched her second top-five finish of the season after coming in fourth today in the women's 6K with a time of 22:22.50. Sophomore Tiffany Ortiz (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) recorded her second top 10 finish of the year and placed eighth in a time of 22:47.40. Rookie Nyla Boyd (/) made her Gothic Knights debut and placed 26th in a time of 29:37.80. Overall, the team title went to St. Joe's-L.I.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights return to action in two weekends when they head up to Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and Lorimer Park for the Penn State University-Abington Invitational on Saturday morning, Sept. 25.