Browsing: Nuttycombe

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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Racing with “absolutely no plans,†NC Stateâ€s Grace Hartman, mostly grateful to be healthy, steadily edged away from the best of the rest over the final 2K. (SEAN HARTNETT)

VERONA, WISCONSIN, October 17 — Nuttycombe Invite winner Grace Hartman didnâ€t have a race plan. Heck, 3 weeks earlier, the North Carolina State senior wasnâ€t even sure if sheâ€d run.

She just wanted to race. And that she did, sans race plan, and quite well, with her 19:30 over the 6K Zimmer course not only the third best in Nutty history but also more than enough to pace her team to a 41-point team win.

Not a bad season debut, to be sure, for the 8-time XC and track all-American from Oakwood, Ohio, who was 5th in the 2024 NCAA championship. It was, needless to say, the kind of season opener Hartman not only wanted but probably needed, and one that was even more meaningful because she had been laboring under such uncertainty.

“I had absolutely no plans going into this,†Hartman said. “I was in a lot of pain 8 weeks ago and each week Iâ€ve kind of been working back from that on a day-to-day basis. And I didnâ€t even know if I was going to be lining up here today.

“So, to do this, I was just running. First of all, there was a lot of anxiety going into this race but also a lot of joy, because I didnâ€t even know if I was going to have a cross country season.

“Iâ€m just so grateful — I feel like Iâ€m a freshman again,†she said. “Every day I get to run is a blessing. Sometimes you need that kind of perspective to break through. Having the support of my team and coaches has really helped. Itâ€s so motivating to compete against so many women at such a high level.â€

NC State, ranked second nationally, scored its 41 points off a 1-2-9-11-18 finish. After trailing Notre Dame 73–112 at 2K, the Wolfpack took a healthy lead the squad would never relinquish (nearly identical to its final victory margin) by the 3½ mark.

Adding some icing on the cake, soph Angelina Napoleon made it a 1-2 finish for the Wolfpack, closing like gangbusters up the long uphill finishing straight to overtake Washington State frosh Rosemary Longisa, 19:34.6 to 19:39.2. Notre Dame soph Mary Bonner Dalton (19:40.3) and Iowa State freshman Mercyline Kirwa (19:44.8) rounded out the top 5 in the 236-runner field.

Sophomore Bethany Michalak in 9th, junior Hannah Gapes in 11th and frosh Sadie Engelhardt in 18th completed NC Stateâ€s top 5.

It was hardly ever in doubt, team-wise, even with 17 of the eventual top-18 teams ranked nationally in a hugely competitive field. No. 7 Notre Dameâ€s solid 1-2 punch pushed the Irish to a runner-up finish with 125 points, followed by No. 16 Iowa State (176), No. 9 West Virginia (190) and a well-balanced 18th-ranked Northwestern squad with 225.

Georgetown (243), Penn State (247), Stanford (250), New Mexico (312) and Utah (316) filled out the rest of the top 10 in the 30-team field.

By the mid-point of the race, NC Stateâ€s dominance was established with the rest of the multitude of ranked teams jockeying for places (and, ultimately, for points possibly needed for an at-large selection).

Individually, however, it was no runaway for eventual champ Hartman or anyone else as the field remained bunched. The leaders, really, a group of 12-15 including Hartman, Longisa and Napoleon, went through 2K in 6:33, with some 20 more runners within a second of them. The field had thinned only slightly as they went through 3K in 9:47 with a dozen or so within striking distance.

Finally, by 4K there was some action, as Hartman, Longisa and Napoleon were 1-2-3 at 13:12 with Gapes and North Carolinaâ€s Vera Sjöberg lurking nearby.

Hartman, seeing daylight, steadily and almost stealthily moved to the fore, and all of a sudden, it seemed, a once neck-and-neck race was hers alone. The top 3 all closed well although Napoleon outran Longisa in the final 200 meters.

NUTTYCOMBE WOMENâ€S RESULTS

Teams: 1. NC State 41; 2. Notre Dame 125; 3. Iowa State 176; 4. West Virginia 190; 5. Northwestern 225; 6. Georgetown 243.

Individuals (6K): 1. *Grace Hartman (NCSt) 19:30.1; 2. **Angelina Napoleon (NCSt) 19:34.6; 3. ***Rosemary Longisa’ (WaSt-Ken) 19:39.2; 4. **Mary Bonner Dalton (NDm) 19:40.3; 5. ***Mercyline Kirwa’ (IaSt-Ken) 19:44.8; 6. Vera Sjoberg (NC) 19:45.5; 7. *Sophia Kennedy (Stan) 19:48.8; 8. ***Amaya Aramini (NDm) 19:50.0; 9. **Bethany Michalak (NCSt) 19:50.7; 10. **Joy Naukot’ (WV-Ken) 19:56.1;

11. *Hannah Gapes’ (NCSt-NZ) 19:57.4; 12. *Erin Vringer’ (Ut-Can) 20:03.6; 13. Maelle Porcher’ (IaSt-Fra) 20:04.4; 14. ***Betty Kipkore’ (IaSt-Ken) 20:05.0; 15. Florence Caron’ (PennSt-Can) 20:07.3; 16. ***Marion Jepngetich’ (NM-Ken) 20:10.6; 17. **Mercy Kinyanjui’ (WV-Ken) 20:11.3; 18. ***Sadie Engelhardt (NCSt) 20:11.8;

19. Melissa Riggins (Gtn) 20:13.9; 20. **Rachel Forsyth’ (MiSt-Can) 20:14.6; 21. **Zenah Cheptoo’ (WaSt-Ken) 20:17.8; 22. Emily Bryce’ (WV-Can) 20:19.1; 23. **Ava Criniti (NWn) 20:21.1; 24. *Annastasia Peters (Ut) 20:21.5; 25. *Stephanie Moss (Duke) 20:22.0; 26. **Arianne Olson (NDm) 20:22.8; 27. *Hayley Burns (NnAz) 20:23.0; 28. *Mia Cochran (Wa) 20:23.6; 29. ***Mercy Kibet (IaSt) 20:26.9; 30. Almi Nerurkar (Gtn) 20:27.6;

31. **Ava Mitchell (NnAz) 20:28.3; 32. ***Tessa Walter (Furm) 20:28.4; 33. **Logan Hofstee (Gonz) 20:29.2; 34. Leane Willemse (Wi) 20:29.9;

35. ***Hanne Thomsen (Stan) 20:30.2; 36. *Barrett Justema (Gtn) 20:30.5; 37. ***Judy Rono’ (NM-Ken) 20:30.9; 38. ***Mia Larochelle’ (Co-Can) 20:31.0;

39. Holly Smith (NWn) 20:31.2; 40. Charlotte Tomkinson (Gtn) 20:31.3;… dnf—**Pamela Kosgei’ (NM-Ken), Tilly Simpson’ (NM-GB).

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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