Bronx, NY – Sophomore Nkanyezi Ziqubu of the Monroe University men's cross country team highlighted a tremendous opening day of competition at the Queensborough Invite / NJCAA Division I Region 15 Championship on Sunday.
 
Within this meet there were three scoring categories — overall, junior college division and regional. Ziqubu delivered for all three by placing first overall among 161 runners in Sunday's meet with a time of 27:04.30 in the 8k race, clinching a region championship for the Mustangs.
 
Aided by Ziqubu's performance, the Mustangs placed first overall in the junior college category as well as the regional section of the meet. They placed fifth overall for the entire meet.
 
Additionally, as a result of winning the region category, Monroe clinched a spot at the 2025 NJCAA Division I Cross County Championships in Iowa in November.
 
In a season dedicated to the late Monroe professor Justin Ramos, a big supporter of the program, the Mustangs performed well. Freshman Boitshepo Mashilo placed third overall in the meet (runner-up in the region) with a time of 29:28.69.
 
Freshman Yassine Rahoui was next for the Mustangs, taking third in the region after crossing the finish line with a time of 33:42.00. Freshmen Jazir Harris (36:28.96) and Jaheim Lawrence (37:34.73) followed Rahoui before freshman Douglas Lee capped off the event with a time of 44:26.38.
 
"It was a very challenging day for the men, who had to brace the hot temperature on a very difficult course," head coach Shirvon Greene said. "They performed well despite the challenging terrain. As is the case with the women, this was the first ever collegiate cross country race for [several] of our runners. They showed toughness and I am very proud of them. This is definitely a step in the right direction."
 
Monroe's next race is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, at the METS Championships at Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as the Monroe University marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeUMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).