VERONA, Wis. – Ky Robinson placed fourth in the men's championship race and the Cardinal was fourth in the women's team competition to highlight Stanford's performances at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Cross Country Invitational on Friday.
With 20 top-30 men's teams and 19 top-30 women's teams, the meet was the strongest on Stanford's regular-season schedule.
Under a steady rain, defending champion Robinson took his first lead a little over halfway into the 8-kilometer (4.97-mile) race on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course. Joining Northern Arizona's Drew Bosley and Nico Young in front of a large pack, they set the pace for much of the race.
Robinson drew in front again at 6K until Harvard's Graham Blanks bolted to the front with 400 meters left and the rest of the field was unable to respond. Robinson ran 23:26.2, finishing nearly three seconds behind Blanks.
Cole Sprout and Lex Young were next for Stanford, in 84th and 86th place, respectively. The Cardinal placed 20th as a team, with 489 points.
In the 6K (3.73-mile) women's race, freshman Amy Bunnage went out with Florida's Parker Valby and North Carolina State's Katelyn Tuohy – the top two finishers at the 2022 NCAA Championships – and remained in the top three through 3K.
Though the leaders pulled away, Bunnage finished a strong 13th, clocking 20:12.1. Five Stanford runners finished among the top 72, with Lucy Jenks, Riley Stewart, and Grace Connolly, coming across in 43rd, 46th, and 55th, respectively.
No. 5 Stanford scored 227 points.
* * *
Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational
At Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course
Winners and all Stanford
Men (8K, 4.97-mile)
Championship race
Team leaders – 1, Northern Arizona 76; 2, BYU 162; 3, Syracuse 251; 4, Cal Baptist 272; 5, Texas 286; 20, Stanford 489.
Individuals – 1, Graham Blanks (Harvard) 23:23.4; 4, Ky Robinson (Stanford) 23:26.2; 84, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 24:18.3; 86, Lex Young (Stanford) 24:19.0; 120, Evan Burke (Stanford) 24:28.7; 206, Liam Anderson (Stanford) 25:05.2; 229, Callum Sherry (Stanford) 25:17.3; 244, Zane Bergen (Stanford) 25:31.7; 252, Robert DiDonato (Stanford) 25:43.2.
'B' Race
Individuals – 29, Milo Skapinsky (Stanford) 25:39.5; 92, John Lester (Stanford) 26:31.7; 130, Galen Topper (Stanford) 27:42.2; 131, Lorenzo Botter (Stanford) 27:42.4.
Women (6K, 3.73-mile)
Championship race
Team leaders – 1, Northern Arizona 52; 2, North Carolina State 95; 3, Georgetown 208; 4, Stanford 227; 5, Florida 262.
Individuals – 1, Parker Valby (Florida) 19:17.2; 13, Amy Bunnage (Stanford) 20:12.1; 43, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 20:39.8; 46, Riley Stewart (Stanford) 20:42.0; 55, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 20:47.3; 72, Zofia Dudek (Stanford) 20:54.0; 110, Sophia Kennedy (Stanford) 21:09.7; 142, Ava Parekh (Stanford) 21:29.6.
'B' Race
Team – 3, Stanford 94.
Individuals – 7, Nicola Hogg (Stanford) 21:48.6; 17, Caroline Wells (Stanford) 21:59.4; 21, Abi Archer (Stanford) 22:06.7; 27, Audrey Suarez (Stanford) 22:15.2; 39, Juliette Whittaker (Stanford) 22:28.9; 51, Amelia Everett (Stanford) 22:36.7; 70, Audrey DaDamio (Stanford) 22:55.4.
