By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 12th edition of the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Cross Country Invitational is scheduled for Friday, October 15 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Madison.

WATCH LIVE WEBCAST OCT. 15 OF NUTTYCOMBE WISCONSIN INVITATIONAL WITH RUNNERSPACE +PLUS SUBSCRIPTION

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the one of the most prestigious meets in the country, which returns following a one-year absence:

A remarkable regular-season showdown

The women’s 6-kilometer championship race at 12:20 p.m. CDT will mark exactly seven months since reigning Division 1 national champion Brigham Young and runner-up North Carolina State last squared off in a cross country race in Stillwater, Okla.

It also provides a showcase of two of the top female coaches in the sport in Diljeet Taylor from BYU and Laurie Henes of North Carolina State, in addition to the top six returning programs from the championship race and seven of the top 10 teams at Oklahoma State, including third-place Stanford, fourth-place Michigan State, fifth-place Minnesota, sixth-place New Mexico and ninth-place Boise State.

The national rankings indicate a shift in roles prior to Friday’s showdown, with North Carolina State relying on a dominant performance Oct. 1 at the Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational to earn the top spot ahead of No. 2 BYU, which also shined Sept. 17 to prevail at the Florida State Open at the site of the Division 1 championship meet at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

Neither team has won the women’s 6-kilometer championship race at Nuttycombe, with North Carolina State finishing second in 2016 and BYU earning fourth in 2009.

The last regular-season meeting involving BYU and North Carolina took place at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in 2018, but not for the Nuttycombe Invitational, instead at the Division 1 Pre-Nationals.

BYU finished fourth overall behind Arkansas, Oregon and Indiana, with North Carolina State placing fifth. The Cougars went on to secure seventh at the DIvision 1 final at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, with North Carolina State earning 13th overall.

The only other time Nuttycombe showcased a national No. 1 vs. No. 2 women’s showdown was in 2018, when top-ranked New Mexico faced second-ranked Colorado. The Buffaloes emerged victorious with 80 points, ahead of No. 5 Boise State with 91 points and New Mexico took third with 130 points.

Colorado used that experience to return to the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course later that season to capture the national title, again knocking off New Mexico by a 65-103 margin.

The 2018 Nuttycombe Invitational was also the last time that the top two teams from the Division 1 championship meet the previous season – New Mexico and San Francisco – both attended the event. New Mexico followed its 2017 national title by placing three athletes in the top 10 the next season at Nuttycombe to secure third overall, with San Francisco unable to reload following the departure of coach Helen Lehman-Winters to Oregon, resulting in a 28th-place finish in Madison.

No Cowboys, but still expect a shootout

Despite the absence of the No. 4 Oklahoma State men’s team, the 8-kilometer championship race at 1 p.m. CDT will still showcase plenty of firepower with 11 programs in the top 20, led by No. 3 Stanford, No. 6 Iowa State, No. 9 Oregon, No. 10 Furman and host Wisconsin, ranked 11th in the country.

Northern Arizona won the past four men’s championship races in Madison from 2016-19, contributing to a meet record five overall titles, including 2013.

The Lumberjacks’ absence leaves three-time winner Syracuse, 2012 champion Stanford, 2010 top program Indiana and the host Badgers – who secured their lone Nuttycombe triumph in 2011 – as the only past men’s champions in this year’s field.

The opportunity for big movement in the national rankings will be presented to No. 12 Tulsa, No. 13 Washington, No. 14 Iona, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Butler and No. 19 Gonzaga if they can produce a top-five finish in the championship race.

They all hope to recapture the magic produced by Syracuse in the inaugural meet in 2009, when the unranked group secured the men’s title. Indiana followed in 2010 by winning the men’s championship after entering the meet ranked No. 25 in the country.

Since then, only No. 8 Stanford in 2012 and sixth-ranked Syracuse in 2014 have won the men’s title entering the meet ranked outside the top five nationally. Northern Arizona was the top-ranked team in the country all four years it prevailed from 2016-19, and was No. 3 nationally when the Lumberjacks triumphed in 2013.

New Mexico looks to ascend to next level

One of two women’s programs in meet history to win multiple Nuttycombe championships, along with Washington, New Mexico enters the meet ranked No. 3 nationally, but the Lobos learned Oct. 1 at the Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational that there is a significant gap among them and top-ranked North Carolina State.

The Wolfpack placed five athletes in front of New Mexico’s second scorer to produce a 38-94 victory, with No. 4 Alabama taking third overall with 147 points.

New Mexico boasts a lineup filled with international student-athletes, including Canadian standout and former NCAA Division 2 All-American Stefanie Parsons from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

Parsons placed fourth overall in the 5-kilometer race at Notre Dame in her New Mexico debut, but the Lobos didn’t have another competitor finish in the top 15, with North Carolina State having five athletes in the top 12.

Emma Heckel from Germany secured 16th in her New Mexico debut, with veterans Adva Cohen from Israel, Amelia Mazza-Downie from Australia, Gracelyn Larkin from Canada and Andrea Modin Engsaeth from Norway all finishing in the top 30 for New Mexico.

The Lobos still hold the all-time meet record for lowest point total by a championship lineup, with New Mexico placing five athletes in the top 10 in 2015 to produce a 32-point performance. No other women’s championship team in meet history has scored fewer than 62 points.

Kiptoo seeks Cyclones’ second crown

Although Arizona’s Lawi Lalang and Syracuse’s Justyn Knight have both won a pair of individual titles at Nuttycombe, Wesley Kiptoo is looking to produce the second championship in a row for the Iowa State men’s program, following the 2019 victory by Edwin Kurgat.

Kurgat went on to win the Division 1 title that season at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind.

He became the third consecutive male athlete to triumph at Nuttycombe and then capture the Division 1 title the same season, following Wisconsin’s Morgan McDonald in 2018 and Knight in 2017.

Following four consecutive victories to begin his Iowa State cross country career following his transfer from Colby Community College in Kansas, Kiptoo finished third March 15 at the Division 1 championship meet in Stillwater, Okla., and opened this season with a runner-up effort Sept. 24 at the Roy Griak Invitational, one second behind reigning national champion Conner Mantz of Brigham Young.

Iowa State would become the first men’s program in meet history to have multiple athletes capture Nuttycombe titles.

Kiptoo also has the potential to eclipse the Iowa State record at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, a mark of 23:18.5 achieved by Kurgat in 2018. The fastest 8-kilometer performance ever produced on the Zimmer layout is 23:03 by Lalang in 2012, when he and Arizona teammate Stephen Sambu (23:07) recorded the top two marks in meet history.

Morgan Beadlescomb of Michigan State is the top returning competitor from the 2019 event, clocking 23:47.3 to place seventh overall.

Even without Tide, leading ladies ready to roll

Although No. 4 Alabama had expressed interest in attending the meet Friday, which would have created a potential rematch of the top three individual finishers from the women’s 6-kilometer championship race March 15 at the Division 1 final, the Crimson Tide decided not to travel to Wisconsin.

But the depth of returning All-Americans in the women’s championship race is still remarkable, led by returning national runner-up Taylor Roe of No. 13 Oklahoma State, which also has the potential to make an impact in the team competition with a healthy lineup that also features Gabby Hentemann, Molly Born and Kelsey Ramirez, a transfer from Stephen F. Austin.

Roe expects to be challenged by Whittni Orton-Morgan of BYU, who prevailed Sept. 17 at the Florida State Open, along with several North Carolina State All-Americans, including Kelsey Chmiel, Hannah Steelman and Katelyn Tuohy.

Stanford’s Zofia Dudek should also be in contention, in addition to New Mexico’s Stefanie Parsons, Southern Utah’s Alison Pray, BYU’s Aubrey Frentheway, Iowa State’s Cailie Logue, Minnesota’s Bethany Hasz, Michigan State’s Jenna Magness, Oregon’s Izzy Thornton-Bott, West Virginia’s Ceili McCabe and Portland’s Anna Pataki.

True freshmen Audrey DaDamio from Stanford, Analee Weaver of BYU and Kate Wiser from Notre Dame could also make a big impact for their respective teams.

Notre Dame’s Maddy Denner is the top returning athlete from the 2019 women’s 6-kilometer championship race, placing 11th overall in 20:11.

Oklahoma State and North Carolina State have never produced an individual winner at Nuttycombe, with BYU’s lone women’s champion coming in the event’s first year, with Cecily Lemmon prevailing in a 5-kilometer race in 2009.

Stanford is seeking its first women’s individual winner and team title, with the Cardinal having captured a men’s team championship in 2012, followed by Maxim Korolev earning the individual crown in 2014.

Dynamic duos front and center

Although Iowa State’s Wesley Kiptoo received impressive support from teammates Thomas Pollard, Ryan Ford and Gable Sieperda to help the Cyclones finish second overall Sept. 24 at the Roy Griak Invitational – one point behind Brigham Young – there are a few impressive teammate tandems who could have a major impact up front in the men’s championship race.

Stanford’s Charles Hicks and Cole Sprout, who placed 14th and 15th at the Division 1 championship meet in March, are looking to lead the Cardinal to a second Nuttycombe team championship. Hicks and Sprout finished second and third Sept. 17 at the Florida State Open behind Seminoles’ standout and reigning national runner-up Adriaan Wildschutt.

The newly formed Oregon pairing of Cooper Teare and Aaron Bienenfeld, a transfer from Cincinnati, took the top two spots Sept. 23 at the Bill Dellinger Invitational to lead the Ducks to victory.

Bienenfeld placed 16th at the Division 1 cross country final in March, with Teare contributing to Oregon’s national team title at the NCAA indoor championship meet by racing on the victorious distance medley relay and placing second overall in the 3,000 meters.

Right behind Teare and Bienenfeld at the Dellinger meet were Gonzaga teammates James Mwaura and Yacine Guermali, who could play a significant role in the Bulldogs’ success in the championship race.

Tulsa’s Peter Lynch and Isaac Akers were both All-Americans at the Division 1 championship meet in March, finishing 12th and 19th overall, but have yet to race together this season.

Butler could also bolster its national ranking behind strong performances from Simon Bedard and Barry Keane. Bedard placed 37th at the Division 1 final, with Keane finishing 43rd overall.

Iona has the potential to earn its first top-five finish at Nuttycombe since 2016, with returning All-Americans Jack O’Leary and Ehab El-Sandali, who placed 25th and 29th overall at the Division 1 final at Oklahoma State.

Regional rulers ready for challenges

Six of the nine top-ranked teams in the women’s regionals are entered in the 6-kilometer championship race, with plenty of underdogs looking to upset the balance of power with remarkable results.

BYU leads the deepest group in the country in the Mountain Region, with New Mexico, Colorado State, Utah State and Southern Utah also among the top 10 regional programs scheduled to compete.

Colorado State has already placed second Sept. 23 at the Bill Dellinger Invitational behind regional counterpart Utah, with Utah State taking third Oct. 1 at the Lehigh Paul Short Run behind regional rival Northern Arizona and top-ranked Mid-Atlantic program Villanova. Southern Utah finished fourth Sept. 17 at the Florida State Open.

Minnesota, which secured the victory Sept. 24 at its annual home meet at the Roy Griak Invitational, faces four additional programs ranked behind the Gophers in the top six in the Midwest in Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Missouri and Tulsa.

Washington, the top-ranked team in the West, will be challenged by the next five challengers in the regional rankings in Stanford, Portland, Oregon State, Oregon and Boise State.

The top five women’s teams in the Northeast are all scheduled to race, with Providence looking to hold off Connecticut, Harvard, Columbia and Syracuse.

Although Great Lakes leader Michigan is getting a preview of the Big Ten championship course competing at the Penn State National Open, top seven regional programs Michigan State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Butler and Indiana are all gathering in Madison.

North Carolina State and No. 4 Furman are the only top five teams in the Southeast entered in the championship field, with Villanova and West Virginia both ranked in the top three in the Mid-Atlantic.

No women’s teams ranked in the top five in either the South Central or South regionals are competing at Nuttycombe.

Hacker helps guide Wisconsin pack

Olin Hacker, who first raced at Nuttycombe for the host Badgers in 2016, will be making his fourth appearance at the event Friday and racing on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course for the eighth time in his career at distances including 6, 8 and 10 kilometers.

Hacker helped Wisconsin emerge victorious Oct. 2 at the Live in Louisville Classic, placing second overall and leading six Badgers among the first 11 finishers and seven athletes in the top 20 overall.

Wisconsin produced a 19-second spread among its top five scorers – including Bob Liking, Evan Bishop, Seth Hirsch, Jackson Sharp and Hacker – an approach that will benefit the Badgers on their home course, which rewards patience and teamwork in the first half of the race.

Wisconsin finished runner-up to Northern Arizona in 2018, its first top-five finish at the event since 2014. Hacker achieved his best Nuttycombe performance that year, placing 19th overall on the 8-kilometer layout in 23:40.2.

The Badgers, who have achieved six top-five finishes in meet history, are hoping to showcase their depth against Big Ten rivals Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Purdue ahead of the Oct. 29 conference championship meet at Penn State.

A home debut long overdue

Although Wisconsin graduate student-athlete Stella Gillman has been competing in the NCAA system since 2016, her appearance at Friday’s event will mark her first time racing on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.

Gillman, who finished 57th at the Division 1 national final in March representing Portland, made her Wisconsin debut with a 13th-place finish in the 5-kilometer race Oct. 2 at the Live in Louisville Classic.

Since Gillman didn’t compete Sept. 10 at the Badger Classic, she will race the 6-kilometer layout for the first time, looking to help the No. 25 Badgers extend their run of strong performances to open the season.

Wisconsin won the Badger Classic and again Sept. 17 at the Bradley Intercollegiate, before placing second behind Big Ten rival Michigan in Louisville.

The Badgers, led by sophomore Shea Ruhly, placed fourth at Nuttycombe in 2019, matching their best finish in meet history from 2014.

Wisconsin graduate student-athlete Alissa Niggemann could be competing at Nuttycombe for the fifth time Friday, having raced for the Badgers each year at the event from 2016-19.

Michigan State graduate student-athlete Lynsie Gram has even a longer history than Niggemann, having competed at Nuttycombe for the first time in 2015 as an unattached runner in the women’s open race.

Open for business

With each team only allowed to race seven student-athletes in the championship races, the depth of the top men’s and women’s programs is also expected to be on display in the ‘B’ races.

The women’s 6-kilometer competition is scheduled for 11 a.m. CDT, with the men’s 8-kilometer race at 11:40 a.m. CDT.

Megan Mooney, a graduate student-athlete from Colorado State who previously competed at Florida State, is entered as an unattached runner in the women’s field.

New Mexico has Brown transfer Samantha Valentine, a three-time Northeast Regional cross country qualifier, competing as an unattached runner as well.

Sophia Lucki and Katelyn Stewart-Barnett, both promising freshmen from Canada, are competing unattached for Michigan State.

Wisconsin will also have freshmen Mya Bunke, Kylie Finger, Maggie Munson and Leane Willemse competing unattached, with Wisconsin-Parkside graduate student-athlete Amanda Johnson also entered as an unattached competitor.

Shuaib Aljabaly, a redshirt competitor for Wisconsin, will be racing unattached for the Badgers in the men’s 8-kilometer field, along with fellow senior Liam Belson, junior Ansel Fellman and sophomores Abdullahi Hassan and Nick Hruskoci.

Freshmen Jake Bourget, Owen Hays, Adam Spencer and Joshua Truchon are also expected to race unattached for the Badgers.

Michigan State has entered freshmen Patrick Byrnes, Jack Pennewell and Drew Seabase as unattached athletes, Minnesota is expected to have freshmen Emmett Anderson and Leo Goodman competing, with Will Sacay of Division 2 Adams State also racing unattached.