BETHLEHEM, PA — On a cold and rainy afternoon on the campus of Lehigh University, NJIT's Men's Cross Country team placed the highest it has in an NCAA Regional meet since 2013 and Jessie Fotheringham finished in the second-highest individual place by an NJIT woman in program history to highlight the 2026 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.
On the men's side, Lasse Bjørn Jensen, Diego Reyes, and Elijah McCoy each placed within the Top-10 fastest NCAA Regional Men's 10K times in program Division I history to lead the Highlanders to their highest finish (19) since 2013 (18).
"Our men put up a historical performance — our best in over a decade, setting the stage for a huge 2027 season as we end 2026 full of optimism," said NJIT Assistant Coach/Distance Mike Cook.
Bjorn Jensen, who set the record last year, ran the third-fastest NCAA Regional time in program D-I history Friday (31:38.5). Reyes set the sixth-fastest mark (31:56.3) -- a personal best in the 10K -- and McCoy finished with the ninth-fastest (32:18.9).
McCoy (32:18.9) and Erik Preisner (32:31.5) set the second and third-fastest NCAA Regional times by freshmen in program D-I history. The top-five fastest times by NJIT freshmen in regionals has been almost entirely re-written by current Highlanders:
- Lasse Bjørn Jensen | 2025 | 31:25.8
- Elijah McCoy | 2026 | 32:18.9
- Erik Preisner | 2026 | 32:32.5
- Diego Reyes | 2025 | 32:57.3
- William Brancato | 2013 | 33:16.0
McCoy also set the second-highest individual place among NJIT freshmen at a D-I Regional meet (123). Preisner set the fifth-highest mark (135). Bjorn Jensen's 2025 finish (69) is the highest in program D-I history.
The NJIT Men's team finished as the third-highest program in New Jersey.
(3) Princeton
(9) Rutgers
(19) NJIT
(20) Seton Hall
(23) Monmouth
NJIT's five-man average of 32:17.6 is the highest for a 10K in program D-I history by 43 seconds. Daniel Wilson contributed to the record-setting five-man mark alongside Bjørn Jensen, Reyes, McCoy, and Preisner.
"We had two freshmen step up big time, No. 2 and No. 3 all-time on the Lehigh course for freshmen, giving us our best five-man average by almost 45 seconds," Cook added.
On the women's side, Fotheringham's finish in 81st place is the second-highest individual finish in an NCAA Regional 6K D-I race in women's program history, in addition to the second-highest overall time (21:27.7). Fotheringham set the top overall mark last season.
Freshman Taylor Blackwelder finished with the third-highest individual place (179) by an NJIT freshman in a D-I 6K NCAA Regional.
Blackwelder and fellow freshman Brooke Berry set the third and fourth-fastest individual times by an NJIT freshman in a 6K NCAA D-I Regional. Current Highlanders Fotheringham and Sarah Van Ornum own the top two spots by freshmen.
"Our individual women's performances were strong as well with personal bests by both of our freshmen, and Jessie holding on to our second-best women's finish ever, only behind her performance last year," said Cook.
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