Although he spoke of trying a new tactic, the surge Habtom Samuel (2276) made from a mile out was not too different from his winning move with 2K left on this course at the â€24 Pre-Nats. (PAUL MERCA)
VERONA, WISCONSIN, October 17 — Habtom Samuelâ€s 2025 cross country season debut at the Nuttycombe Invitational is hardly the beginning of a “redemption tour†for the 21-year-old Eritrean. Heâ€s won an NCAA track championship and oodles of other titles while running for New Mexico.
But two NCAA runner-up finishes can make you a bit hungrier, and Samuel showed heâ€s ready for a big race six weeks hence in Missouri with a convincing win in 22:58 over the 8K Zimmer course layout. It marked the second time he had won a race here, with the 2024 Pre-Nats (22:33.8) also in his victory column.
When Samuel made his move here in the final mile, he turned on the afterburners and the race was effectively over as he built a solid 50m lead, winning by 7 seconds over Washington Stateâ€s Solomon Kipchoge (23:05.6).
His win also set up New Mexicoâ€s first Nutty team title as the third-ranked Lobos scored 51 points to best No. 5 Colorado (150) by 99 points. New Mexico packed just as Coach Darren Gauson had wanted, with five runners in the top 22.
No. 11 Syracuse was 3rd (152), No. 13 Northern Arizona 4th (203), and No. 6 BYU 5th (218). Washington State, Michigan State, Butler, Wisconsin and Notre Dame — all ranked — rounded out the top 10 in the 32-team field.
“Obviously, we ran really well,†said Gauson. “A team victory, thatâ€s what our goal was. I wanted Habtom to stretch out a little bit, and he said, ‘Iâ€m going to go a little bit earlier than normal.†He did that. Our main goal was just packing up as much as we could. We had six guys right there. That was a key thing for us.â€
Adhering to Gausonâ€s “packing†plan, New Mexico did just that, with Collins Kiprotich in 6th, Evans Kiplagat in 9th, Vincent Chirchir in 13th and Mathew Kosgei in 22nd filling out its five scorers. Its top men held firm over the final 2K as Colorado finished strong, as has so often been the Buffaloes†MO over the years.
“We still have a long way to go,†Gauson said in pointing to the likes of Colorado, Oklahoma State and top-ranked Iowa State (which ran a “B†team here and rested its top 5). “This was our first opportunity — really, our last opportunity — to see where we are against multiple teams on the top national level.â€
Colorado was up 92–94 on New Mexico at 2K, while Samuel and Coloradoâ€s Dominic Serem had a couple meters on the lead pack, but no one was wont to break away. Approaching 4K, Samuel was co-leading, with Serem, BYUâ€s Davin Thompson & Tayvon Kitchen and Tulaneâ€s Bernard Cheruiyot all oh-so-close as they passed in 11:39.
By 4K, New Mexico had 5 in the top 20 and was sitting pretty at 45 points to 113 for Colorado, 170 for BYU. 172 for NAU and 202 for Eastern Kentucky. There was a lead pack of 16 at the 5K mark and Cheruiyot moved briefly into the lead in the next 200m. Then the eventual top 4 — Samuel, Washington Stateâ€s Solomon Kipchoge, Cheruiyot and Serem — put some distance between themselves and the rest of the field.
“I was testing myself, trying something different,†said Samuel who finished runner-up to champion Graham Blanks by 3 seconds in the â€23 Nationals and then 1.7 behind Blanks in last fallâ€s championships. “I tried to go more from the beginning but these guys covered [my move]. So, it was pretty good. The weather was good today, just a little windy. With a mile to go, I said, ‘I can handle this one.â€â€
And he clearly did.
How pumped is Samuel for the NCAA after taking 2nd each of the last two years?
“Iâ€m really motivated,†he said. “I really want to get this one no matter what.â€
NUTTYCOMBE MENâ€S RESULTS
Teams: 1. New Mexico 51; 2. Colorado 150; 3. Syracuse 152; 4. Northern Arizona 203; 5. BYU 218; 6. Washington State 2286. Washington State 228; 7. Michigan State 245; 8. Butler 257; 9. Wisconsin 271; 10. Notre Dame 274.
Individuals (8K): 1. *Habtom Samuel’ (NM-Eri) 22:58.0; 2. **Solomon Kipchoge’ (WaSt-Ken) 23:05.6; 3. **Bernard Cheruiyot’ (Tul-Ken) 23:10.0; 4. **Dominic Serem’ (Co-Ken) 23:20.2; 5. **Evans Kurui’ (WaSt-Ken) 23:26.5; 6. **Collins Kiprotich’ (NM-Ken) 23:27.0; 7. *Valentin Soca’ (CalB-Uru) 23:30.1; 8. *Riley Hough (MiSt) 23:32.1; 9. *Evans Kiplagat’ (NM-Ken) 23:32.6; 10. Davin Thompson (BYU) 23:33.6
11. *Ethan Coleman (NDm) 23:34.1; 12. Sam Lawler (Syr) 23:34.5; 13. **Vincent Chirchir’ (NM-Ken) 23:35.4; 14. *William Zegarski (But) 23:36.1; 15. Colton Sands (NC) 23:36.9; 16. **Liam Newhart (Wi) 23:37.2; 17. Assaf Harari’ (Syr-Isr) 23:37.5; 18. Colin Sahlman (NnAz) 23:37.5; 19. *Seth Clevenger (IaSt) 23:37.9; 20. Jonas Price (Port) 23:38.3;
21. ***Tayvon Kitchen (BYU) 23:39.7; 22. ***Mathew Kosgei’ (NM-Ken) 23:39.7; 23. ***Thomas Westphal (MiSt) 23:40.3; 24. *Nathan Lopez (Mi) 23:40.6; 25. Tomer Tarragano’ (NC-GB) 23:41.1; 26. ***Tam Gavenas (Harv) 23:42.3; 27. Matthew Forrester (But) 23:44.0; 28. *Josphat Meli’ (WaSt-Ken) 23:44.3; 29. **Noah Jenkins (BYU) 23:44.7; 30. ***Silas Kiptanui’ (Tul-Ken) 23:46.8
31. *Isaiah Givens (Co) 23:47.1; 32. *Leo Young (Stan) 23:48.6; 33. James Overberg (Co) 23:49.5; 34. **Matan Ivri’ (Wi-Isr) 23:51.0; 35. *Matthew Neill (Syr) 23:51.6; 36. *Dean Casey’ (Co-Ire) 23:51.7; 37. Albert Velikonja’ (Furm-Can) 23:52.1; 38. *Erik Le Roux (NnAz) 23:52.2; 39. *Birhanu Harriman (Gtn) 23:52.8; 40. Peter Walsdorf (Syr) 23:52.9.…
dnf—*Taha Er Raouy’ (EnKy-Mor), **Justine Kipkoech’ (EnKy-Ken), *Lukas Kiprop’ (NM-Ken), *Devan Kipyego (IaSt), -Reuben Reina (Wa), ***Josiah Tostenson (Wa).
Veteran editor, writer and author Don Kopriva has been writing for Track & Field News since 1970, primarily covering the Midwest, the Big Ten and major cross country meets. His coverage stats: 2 Olympic Games, 6 Olympic Trials, 55 Drake Relays, 165 Big Ten XC and track championships and more than 110 NCAA and USA championships, including 50 in NCAA Div. I cross country. He lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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