VERONA, Wis. – The Stanford men placed three in the top seven and captured second as a team at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Friday.
Stanford led through six kilometers of the 8K (4.97-mile) race on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, but was overtaken by Iowa State. The Cyclones scored 88 points to Stanford's 104.
This was biggest invitational during Stanford's regular season. There were 18 men's teams in the USTFCCCA Top 30 rankings, including five of the top 10. At No. 3, Stanford was the top-ranked team in the field, with Iowa State at No. 6.
The Cardinal women were 16th, and paced by Zofia Dudek, who placed 38th over 6K (3.73 miles). Fifteen teams are among the Top 30, including those from Nos. 1-3. Stanford came in at No. 9.
Stanford's top runners next compete at the Pac-12 Championships Oct. 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Stanford men bolted to a big advantage early on, holding five of the top nine places at 2K, and had 33 points to 111 for second-place Boise State, which would fade to 12th. Iowa State lurked in third and then drew closer as the Cardinal's lead began to slip.
As Iowa State's Wesley Kiptoo took a big lead and maintained it to the finish, Stanford kept as many as four in the chase pack. In the end, it was Charles Hicks who led the Cardinal, placing third in 23:21.9.
Cole Sprout was sixth (23:27.5) and Ky Robinson seventh (23:32.2). DJ Principe (40th) and Devin Hart (48th) also scored for Stanford, with Thomas Boyden 81st. Of those six, all but Principe are freshmen in eligibility.
Robinson, sixth in the NCAA steeplechase as a true freshman last spring, earned his highest cross country placing as an individual and matched his best placing on the team. His previous bests were eighth at the Pac-12 Championships last season and third on the team (46th overall) at the NCAA Championships. In his only previous race this season, Robinson was 23rd at the Florida State Open and seventh on the team.
The Cardinal women welcomed the return of Dudek to big-time racing after she missed the track season with an injury. Other than the addition of Lucy Jenks, this was the same team that raced together at Sacramento State Invitational on Oct. 1, nearly winning the low-key race in a shutout, placing five of the top six.
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Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational
At Thomas Zimmer Championship Course
Men (8K, 4.97 miles)
Team leaders – 1, Iowa State 88; 2, Stanford 104; 3, Tulsa 160; 4, Wisconsin 187; 5, Air Force 225.
Winner and Stanford – 1, Wesley Kiptoo (Iowa State) 23:11.2; 3, Charles Hicks (Stanford) 23:21.9; 6, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 23:27.5; 7, Ky Robinson (Stanford) 23:32.2; 40, DJ Principe (Stanford) 23:55.7; 48, Devin Hart (Stanford) 24:02.1; 81, Thomas Boyden (Stanford) 24:19.5. DNF: Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (Stanford), Evan Burke (Stanford).
'B' Race – 5, Joshua Schumacher (Stanford) 24:33.4; 13, Liam Anderson (Stanford) 24:55.9; 37, Caleb Boutelle (Stanford) 25:33.8.
Women (6K, 3.73 miles)
Team leaders – 1, New Mexico 93; 2, North Carolina State 102; 3, BYU 152; 4, Minnesota 188; 5, Oklahoma State 206; 16, Stanford 470.
Winner and Stanford – 1, Ceili McCabe (West Virginia) 19:57.4; 38, Zofia Dudek (Stanford) 20:47.6; 81, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 21:10.7; 107, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 21:20.8; 125, Lily Flynn (Stanford) 21:28.0; 127, Christina Aragon (Stanford) 21:28.6; 151, Audrey DaDamio (Stanford) 21:39.2; 154, Audrey Suarez (Stanford) 21:39.8; 219, Rebecca Story (Stanford) 22:21.9.
'B' Race – 38, Tori Starcher (Stanford) 22:12.0.
