In NCAA cross country the third weekend of October is traditionally when the season begins in earnest, when the teams that will compete for a national title in late November establish their credentials as contenders.
With seven of the top ten teams in the country on the men’s side, and the last two national champions for the women, the 2016 edition of the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational promised to be the most competitive in the event’s eight-year history.
Coming into the meet, the major storyline for the women’s race was whether or not defending champion and course record holder Allie Ostrander of Boise State would run.
In the end Ostrander’s absence was simply an opportunity for the Broncos to showcase their depth, as it was another Boise State sophomore, Brenna Peloquin, who captured the individual title in a time of 20:00.8.
Peloquin outran New Mexico’s Alice Wright and Notre Dame’s Anna Rohrer in the closing meters. Combined with her win at the Roy Griak Invitational on September 23rd, she now stands as one of the favorites to capture a national title November 19th in Terre Haute, Ind.
The leading trio was followed by Washington’s 1-2 punch of Amy-Eloise Neale and Charlotte Prouse, who led the Huskies to a team title, beating out North Carolina State 124-166.
It was a forgettable day for the Wisconsin women, who scored 473 points to finish 21st overall. The Badgers were without redshirt junior Sarah Disanza, who finished second at cross country nationals in 2014, but has since battled a series of injuries. In Disanza’s absence, senior Michelle Lee was Wisconsin’s top finisher, running 21:05.8 to place 64th.
Around the course, the excitement of the women’s race quickly transitioned to anticipation as the men’s start approached. With 15 ranked teams, including No. 1 BYU and defending national champion Syracuse, the day’s winner figured to take pole position in the hunt for a team national championship.
The race began as a tightly contested affair, with a large group of runners crossing the halfway mark of the eight kilometer course in 12:16. Among the leaders were Wisconsin’s Morgan McDonald and Malachy Schrobilgen, the fifth place finisher from last year’s race.
Just under a kilometer later, NC State’s George Parson’s made a strong move to take the lead, but was unable to gain more than a handful of seconds over the chasing pack. The increased pace seemed to take a toll on Schrobilgen, who had lost 25 seconds by the six kilometer mark and dropped out shortly afterwards.
Entering the long uphill run-in to the finish, a group of six of the biggest names in collegiate distance running appeared poised to compete for the victory. Alongside McDonald and Parsons were Syracuse’s Justyn Knight, Northern Arizona’s Futsum Zienasellassie and the Stanford duo of Grant Fisher and Sean McGorty.
With 150 meters to go, Zienasellassie looked to be in control, but it was Knight who managed to find an extra gear, striding past both Zienasellassie and McDonald to win by two seconds, stopping the clock in 23:53.1.
Despite Knight’s strong performance, Syracuse managed only fourth in the team competition, a disappointing result for a team looking to defend its title.
Syracuse’s loss was a gain for both Northern Arizona and Stanford, who finished first and second, scoring 78 and 118 points respectively.
After the race, coaches for both schools expressed satisfaction with the performance of their runners and the outlook for the remainder of the season.
“I think [this race] puts us right where we wanted to be [in preparation for nationals],” said NAU head coach Eric Heins. “If you can win the Wisconsin Invite then you have a shot at [NCAA Nationals].”
Heins’ upbeat tone was echoed by Wisconsin’s McDonald, who finished third with a time of 23:55.4. Combined with his fifth-place finish in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championships in June, he has established him as a serious contender for a podium spot in November.
“Being able to come third in a race like this means that no matter what race I’m doing at the college level, I deserve to be up there near the front or competing for first place,” McDonald said.
