RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Jayden Jackson continued his impressive sophomore campaign Saturday, finishing fourth in the men's 8K as the College of Southern Nevada cross country teams closed out their regular season at the Highlander Invitational, hosted by the University of California, Riverside.
Competing at UC Riverside's Agricultural Operations Cross Country Course, the Coyotes faced a competitive collegiate field featuring programs from the NCAA, NAIA and junior-college ranks. Southern Nevada's men finished fifth in the Open 8K, while the women placed seventh in the Open 6K.
Jackson once again set the pace for the CSN men, covering the 8K course in 24 minutes, 57.5 seconds to secure a fourth-place individual finish. His performance nearly matched his season-best 24:57.6 from the UCR Invitational in September, demonstrating consistency as the Coyotes approach the postseason.
Behind Jackson, Southern Nevada received another strong showing from its scoring pack.
Myles Oliver finished 36th overall in 26:34.1, followed closely by Cannon Bishop, who placed 38th in 26:34.8. Just seven-tenths of a second separated the two runners.
Kyle Gwerder crossed the finish line in 26:56.2 to place 57th, while Jy Black completed the Coyotes' scoring five with a 65th-place finish in 27:04.4.
Benjamin Killebrew followed in 70th with a time of 27:23.4, while Elias Salas finished 86th in 28:08.9. Domingo Gonzalez placed 92nd in 28:16.4, and Jadon Williams rounded out Southern Nevada's finishers in 123rd at 29:53.0.
The Coyotes totaled 131 points to finish fifth in the Open division, averaging 26:25 across their five scoring runners.
Jackson's fourth-place performance added another strong result to a season that has included individual victories at the Barstow CC Invitational, Duel in the Desert and Pink at the Park Invitational.
On the women's side, Sienna Maisano continued to lead the Coyotes, finishing 28th overall in the Open 6K with a time of 23:26.4.
Maisano, who established a CSN 6K school record of 22:47.9 at the Mark Covert Classic in September, has consistently been Southern Nevada's top finisher throughout the fall.
Cheyenne Dillingham followed in 43rd place with a time of 23:49.6, while Johnna Waldahl crossed in 24:01.0 to finish 50th.
Katie Iniguez placed 57th in 24:18.5, and Ngone Thiam completed the scoring five in 61st with a time of 24:25.7.
The Coyotes' scoring group finished within 59.3 seconds of one another, giving Southern Nevada another tightly grouped performance against a deep collegiate field.
Lola DeCania finished 67th in 24:39.0, followed by Leara Alcala in 89th at 25:49.8. Sophie Favela rounded out the CSN finishers, placing 104th with a time of 26:37.7.
Southern Nevada totaled 172 points to finish seventh in the women's Open division, posting a five-runner average of 24:00.
Saturday's competition marked the Coyotes' final regular-season opportunity to measure themselves against a broad collegiate field before shifting their attention to championship racing.
The CSN women enter the postseason having established program records in both the 5K and 6K this fall, while the men have been led by Jackson's individual success and a developing scoring pack that has continued to gain experience throughout the season.
With the regular season complete, Southern Nevada now turns its attention to the Region 18 Championships on Friday, Oct. 30, as the Coyotes look to carry their fall performances into the postseason.
