Hayes-Ayala Finishes 3rd as the Buccaneers Compete in HLSCC College Classics

TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS, October 8, 2025 – Sophomore Mark Hayes-Ayala led the Buccaneers men's cross country team, finishing 3rd overall in the second leg of the 30th Anniversary HLSCC Mourant College Classic race series, on October 4th. The two-mile race took place on the neighboring island of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and was one of five races taking place in the British territory.

Hayes-Ayala, the team's top runner this season, continued his impressive streak, finishing inside the top 5 in all four races he has competed in this year. The six-foot distance runner finished just eight-tenths of a second behind the second-place finisher as the two dueled down the final stretch of the race before crossing the finish line. Hayes-Ayala finished the race in 11:48.

"That was a phenomenal race," remarked Hayes-Ayala. "The course was fun, and there were some great competitors out there. It was a change of pace for me in a faster race than I'm used to, but it was an amazing race overall, and I would love to come back to compete again!"

Freshman Zahir Mbengue, who made his debut for the team, was the second Buccaneer to finish, recording a time of 14 minutes flat, which placed him in 15th position. Following closely were his teammates, sophomore Gabriel Elcock and freshman Lance Latare, who finished in 16th and 17th places with times of 14:01 and 14:02, respectively. Junior Rayhan Sabur brought up the rear for the Buccaneers.

"This was our speed work race," stated head coach Dale Joseph. "I wanted to assess how quickly we could complete the first few miles to refine our strategy for the upcoming conference championship. Our target was to finish the course in under 12 minutes. Although we didn't meet our team goal, it provided us with valuable insights into what adjustments we need to make in preparation for next week's season finale."

With the regular season concluded, the Buccaneers will now turn their attention to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference Championships, set for Friday, October 17, at the Indians Mounds Course in Danville, Alabama.