October 30, 2005

BRONX, NY - The New Jersey Institute of Technology women's cross country team took second in the 14^th annual Nick Russo Halloween Collegiate Classic, hosted by NJIT on Sunday at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

The Highlanders (57 points) were beaten out for the team title by Vassar (20 points). The individual champion was Danielle Connor of Suffolk, who completed the 5-kilometer course in 20:29.96. Connor, who was part of an incomplete team, did not score points in the race.

Senior Liz Mayo was the top finisher for NJIT, placing eighth and registering two points, with a time of 21:46.64.

Next across the line for the Highlanders was Jady Alvarez, who was 14^th at 22:18.80. Katie Carroll (23:23.58) was 26^th, while Aileen Davila (38^th; 25:05.26), Viviana Florea (44^th; 25:51.70) and Becky Lindsey (47^th; 26:13.15) were the other scorers in the race for NJIT.

Teams of men and women representing nearly 20 colleges competed in the race, which was renamed in memory of the late Nick Russo, the longtime sports information director at Polytechnic University, who was a driving force behind the race each year from the time of its founding in 1992, until his death at the age of 52 in 2003.

The Nick Russo Halloween Collegiate Classic was founded in 1992 by NJIT's head coach, Adalberto M. Alonso (who was then the coach at his alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology), Russo of Polytechnic and Stan Watson from Yeshiva University.

The Highlanders will be back at Van Cortlandt Park on November 19 for the ECAC/IC4A cross country championship race.