Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 Nuttycombe Invitational Preview & Predictions

Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Sep 26, 2024
14 min read

Updated: Sep 27, 2024

It all goes down tomorrow! The first major regular season cross country meet of the year will take place in Madison, Wisconsin this Friday.

Typically, the Nuttycombe Invitational would be hosted in the middle of October. However, because the University of Wisconsin is playing host to this year's cross country national meet, the Nuttycombe Invite has been moved to late September so that Pre-Nationals can be hosted on the same course later this season.

Because this midwest race holds so many top-level programs, I'm implementing our "three sentences or less" rule just like last year.

And yes, the rule works exactly how it sounds.

I will list every men's and women's team at the 2024 Nuttycombe Invitational, but I'll only be able to offer a maximum of three sentences for each of those programs. In order to get this preview out at a reasonable time, this felt like the most effective method to utilize.

Oh, and don't forget to check out our predictions below!

Let's begin...

Click here for list of entered teams

Men's Preview

Air Force Falcons

The Falcons lost a ton of scoring from last year's team, leaving us at The Stride Report a bit unsure as to what their lineup was going to look like this season. Of course, we had the same issue with this team last year and they ended up being fantastic. Jason Renze, Jayden Nats, Will Allen and Max Sannes are decent foundational pieces (especially the latter), but greater scoring support will be needed in order for the Falcons to truly stand out.

BYU Cougars

As long as the BYU men run a competitive lineup, they should be able to win this race. Casey Clinger is a superstar talent, Joey Nokes is usually excellent in these types of races and the Thompson brothers are highly underrated. It's not entirely clear if Corrigan will run this weekend, but even if he doesn't, the Cougars should be fine.

Colorado Buffaloes

While we do like the core of Isaiah Givens, Dean Casey, Simon Kelati and Kole Mathison, there are still plenty of questions surrounding each of those names. We also don't know what Colorado is going to look like at the backend of this lineup, a development that makes the Buffaloes wild cards in this field.

Eastern Kentucky Colonels

The ceiling for this Eastern Kentucky team is incredibly high, but their floor is arguably just as low. If Kipkoech turns into a cross country star (which isn't totally a given) and the other guys translate their track success to the grass, then the Colonels are going to be very challenging to take down. Of course, if a few things don't fall in their favor, then Friday could be a tough outing for this team.

Florida State Seminoles

After losing David Mullarkey, Abdirizak Ibrahim and their head coach, it's hard to see the Florida State men being major factors in this field. Last year's squad was very top-heavy and with much of their firepower gone, a shaky latter-half of this lineup will likely have their work cut-out for them on Friday.

Furman Paladins

We know how good Dylan Schubert can be and there are a lot of really solid veterans who can stabilize this lineup (like recent graduate transfer Evan Guzman). The real question, however, is how effective can the underclassmen be on Friday? If one or two of them pops, then Furman could potentially crack the top-10.

Georgetown Hoyas

There admittedly isn't a ton of long distance firepower on this roster, but the Hoyas do have a nice collection of names that they can choose from for this weekend. Between newcomers, established names and rising talents, the Hoyas should be able to avoid a truly terrible day, but their ceiling truthfully doesn't feel all that high.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Wil Smith is an outstanding low-stick, but guys like Drew Kolodge, Bryce Cerkowniak, Cooper Laird and Paul Talens are the names who will truly determine how Gonzaga fares on Friday. We like the former two names a good bit, but the questions surrounding this squad are plentiful.

Illinois Fighting Illini'

The Illinois men do return a heavy portion of their lineup that placed 5th at the BIG 10 XC Championships last fall. However, one of their few departures was veteran Jack Roberts. Sure, Alex Partlow is a respectable name, but the Fighting Illini' are probably going to be underdogs to crack the top-20.

Iona Gaels

With Joshua DeSouza and Damien Dilcher both out of cross country eligibility, it's going to be very hard for the Iona men to reach the same heights that they saw in 2024. However, there are still a handful of experienced names on this roster like Lachlan Wellington, Matt Rankin, Bradley Giblin and Tadhg Donnelly who, on paper, could be a sneaky-good scoring core.

Iowa State Cyclones

The very best version of the Iowa State men can likely give BYU a run for their money, but we don't always know what we're going to get out of certain names. Plus, without knowing which of the Cyclones' newest additions will run this weekend, it's hard to pick them for the win until we learn more.

Michigan Wolverines

We made the very challenging decision to leave the Michigan men out of our preseason rankings. The Wolverines still have a ton of highly promising younger guys as well as a few solid veterans. However, losing as much firepower as they did from last year's team means that Big Blue would need a few favorable projections to fall their way in order to crack the top-10 of our predictions.

Montana State Bobcats

Despite losing Matthew Richtman, the return of Ben Perrin as well as a large handful of highly talented steeplechasers could be enough for Montana State to crack the top-10. Of course, we said something similar about this team last year and they struggled early-on. Thankfully, experience and another year of growth should benefit this group on Friday.

North Carolina Tar Heels

We know how good Parker Wolfe and Ethan Strand are, but it's Max Murphy and a large slew of backend talents who will ultimately determine how well the Tar Heels fare in this field. We certainly feel better about North Carolina's depth this year compared to last year, but having one less low-stick (due to the departure of Alex Phillip) will need to be made up by collective improvements from the entire squad.

Portland Pilots

Despite how the last two cross country seasons have gone, we are adamant that the Portland men are a top team in the NCAA. Matt Strangio will need to deliver on his low-stick potential and the rest of this squad will need to keep the scoring behind him tight to avoid any excess points in a larger field. That's easier said than done, but given how many scoring options this group has, it seems like a realistic ask.

Princeton Tigers

The Princeton men lost a ton of scoring from a 2023 team which prided themselves on depth and pack-running. There are still a number of really solid names who can form a strong scoring nucleus, but on paper, the Tigers' margin for error this fall is seemingly far slimmer than it was last year.

Providence Friars

You could argue that the Providence men are better than what they showed us last year. Liam Back, Abdel Laadjel and Michael Morgan are a sneaky-good top-three and we struggle to believe that 8:33 steeplechaser Patrick Thygesen can't be an impactful name this fall. They're far from perfect, but they may fare better on Friday than some people realize.

Syracuse Orange

We feel pretty good about what we're getting out of Sam Lawler while Alex Comerford and Assaf Harari should be very solid support scorers. However, it's likely going to be redshirt rookies Benne Anderson and Connor Ackley who will dictate how the Orange fare on Friday.

Tennessee Volunteers

Gabe Sanchez should be a solid lead scorer for a team that is admittedly thin on roster options. A top-20 finish for the Volunteers should be considered a good day for this team.

Texas A&M Aggies

It would be very surprising if the Texas A&M men cracked the top-15 tomorrow, but this isn't a team that will simply roll over. Victor Kibiego is still a standout long distance talent who can be a low-stick on his best day. There are a ton of questions about what the rest of this lineup will look like, but there are enough pieces on the Aggies' roster to remain somewhat competitive.

Tulsa Golden Hurricanes

The potential return of low-stick ace Shane McEvoy aligns nicely with the natural growth of a team that was fairly young last year. The Golden Hurricanes will certainly be better than they were last year, especially with McEvoy giving them a much needed low-stick presence, but they'll need a few breakout performances if they want to stand out in this field.

Villanova Wildcats

Liam Murphy and Marco Langon will likely be a lethal 1-2 punch, but it's the rest of the lineup that is tricky to gauge. We've convinced ourselves that Devon Comber will be a valuable middle-lineup contributor for this group, but the open scoring spots after him will likely be given to a number of younger distance talents. Coach Marcus O'Sullivan usually prefers to redshirt many of his underclassmen, but he may not be able to do that this fall if the older guys aren't prepared to be impact names in 2024.

Virginia Cavaliers

We know how great Will Anthony and Gary Martin are, but will Nathan Mountain be able to translate his steeplechase success to the grass? If so, then the recent success that we've seen from Justin Wachtel and the addition of Will Daley should be enough for the Cavaliers to contend for a runner-up finish on Friday.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

It is very easy to get super excited about this team given how much upside their still-young roster has. However, inexperience is still something to consider and many of these guys are still developing. They'll be consistently more competitive than they were last year, but it's also possible that the Demon Deacons go through some growing pains this fall.

Washington Huskies

The press release on Washington's athletics website says that Nathan Green will be racing for the Huskies -- and I really like that decision. While it's not ideal to have their star miler compete in late September after a long summer of racing, the need for Kolas points is far too great to ignore if you're the Huskies. When pairing Green with Evan Jenkins and a handful of other sneaky-good younger guys, you get a team that could crack the top-10 on a good day.

Wisconsin Badgers

Losing Jackson Sharp stings (a lot) as does Evan Bishop. Even so, this team still has a star low-stick in Bob Liking, they have tons of experienced depth on their roster and they are racing on their home course. It's hard to envision the Badgers not being a top-five team on Friday.

Women's Preview

Boston College Golden Eagles

The Boston College women didn't truly emerge as a nationally competitive team until the postseason last fall. Since then, they have lost their top scorer in Emma Tavella and they lost a recruiting battle for Alex Millard to Providence. There are still some highly respectable distance talents on this roster (think Roshni Singh), but there is work to do if the Golden Eagles are going to return to the tier that they were at last fall.

Columbia Lions

Losing Nicole Vanasse certainly hurts, but the return of Phoebe Anderson and Elia Ton-That should give the Lions a strong dose of upfront scoring. We'll admit, we're struggling to piece together the rest of this lineup, but Coach Dan Ireland has typically done a nice job of keeping this team afloat each and every year.

Florida State Seminoles

The Florida State women are in a bit of a rebuilding phase. However, piecing together names like Brooke Mullins, Suus Altorf, Emily Brown, Agnes McTighe and Rebecca Bergnes could form a fairly cohesive lineup. It would truthfully surprise us if the Seminoles were a top-15 team on Friday, but there is potential for them to be fairly solid.

Furman Paladins

Even without Bethany Graham, the team's two-time All-American low-stick, the Furman women could still be a top-10 squad on Friday. They are simply too deep and too complete to not be competitive in this field. Of course, if Graham is firing on all cylinders, then this is one of the last teams who I would want to face in 2024.

Georgetown Hoyas

The lethal trio of Chloe Scrimgeour, Melissa Riggins and Lucy Jenks is arguably the best 1-2-3 scoring punch in this entire field. With a number of accomplished veterans scattered throughout this field, the Hoyas can absolutely win this race as long as the latter-half of their lineup produces some of their better performances.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Don't sleep on Gonzaga, this is a MUCH better team than some people may realize. Having a true low-stick like Rosina Machu is great, but the addition of top-10 NXN finisher Logan Hofstee, the rise of 15:53 (5k) runner Willow Collins and the return of top-20 Loyola Lakefront Invitational finisher Sadie Tuckwood makes the Bulldogs quietly very dangerous if everyone is clicking tomorrow.

Illinois Fighting Illini'

Illinois seemingly returns a good number of their women from last year's team, but the need for more potent scoring is very apparent. With only 12 runners on their cross country roster (per TFRRS), it would be a bit surprising to see this team crack the top-20 on Friday.

Iowa State Cyclones

The introduction of Betty Jepchirchir, a 15:48 (5k) runner, changes the complexion of this lineup a good bit. By also returning Maelle Porcher and a few other respectable names, the Cyclones may have enough scoring options to return to our rankings this fall. Of course, we still have a number of questions about what their top-seven will look in 2024.

Lipscomb Bison

The Bison are loaded with impressive options and there is a realistic scenario where they put all five of their scorers across the line before any other team. Yes, we do think that there are multiple women who can be low-sticks on Friday (including All-American Lydia Miller), but how many of those women will crack the top-20? There is zero chance that the Bison will produce a poor result at Nuttycombe, but trying to match the low-sticks of Georgetown, Washington, Oregon, Providence, Virginia and Utah isn't going to be easy.

Michigan Wolverines

There are a number of very solid distance runners who could come together to give Michigan a respectable team this fall. However, we don't know who will be a true low-stick for this squad in 2024 and the Wolverines' recent results over the last few years have left us wanting more. We think they'll be better than last year, but there is still work to do for the Michigan women this fall.

Northwestern Wildcats

The Northwestern women continue to hang around year after year as a team that could potentially qualify for the national meet. Their recent showing at the BIG 10 Preview was encouraging as Ava Earl, Holly Smith and Ava Criniti went 3-4-5, respectively, in the overall results. They'll need greater scoring support from their depth pieces, but this isn't a squad to take lightly.

North Carolina Tar Heels

I refuse to believe that the North Carolina women won't be a nationally competitive team in 2024. Last year was seemingly a fluke and a recent rust-buster told us that many of the Tar Heels' top women are going to be effective scorers later this fall. Sure, they may not be the podium team that we thought they could have been last year, but there is too much talent on this roster for UNC to not be a top-10 team.

Oregon Ducks

The amount of raw talent and depth on Oregon's roster is unreal, but there are also tons of questions regarding the health, availability and trajectory of key names. If the Ducks field a full lineup and everyone is running up to their full potential, then they could absolutely win this race. Of course, that also requires most of our questions about this team being answered favorably on Friday.

Oregon State Beavers

The losses of Grace Fetherstonhaugh and Kaylee Mitchell is crushing for a team that leaned so heavily on those women over the last couple of years. Yes, the Beavers do have tons of options to choose from as they attempt to reconstruct a new lineup. However, trying to recreate the same nationally competitive group that they've been in recent years requires a lot going right.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Despite a few struggles throughout last fall, we strongly believe that the Penn State women will be much better in 2024. Florence Caron and Sophi Toti were outstanding on the track this past spring and Madaline Ullom is an underrated third scorer. With a decent enough supporting cast, the Nittany Lions could pull off a handful of upsets tomorrow in Wisconsin.

Portland Pilots

The Portland women will undoubtedly be underdogs to crack the top-half of this field (12th place or better). However, Laura Pellicoro is a great lead talent and we could see a number of still-young runners making big improvements. Don't be surprised if they take down a few respectable programs on Friday.

Providence Friars

Tomorrow's race is going to be very telling for the Providence women. On paper, the quartet of Alex Millard, Kimberley May, Shannon Flockhart and Kenzie Doyle could lead the Friars to an overall win. However, in order for that to happen, then Jane Buckley likely needs to return to (or get near) top form after remaining absent for the last year.

Syracuse Orange

There's good reason to believe that Savannah Roark will be in her 2022 form this fall and we really like Rylie Lusk as a strong secondary scorer. There should be enough returners from last year's team to put together a cohesive and competitive lineup. However, anything better than 12th or 13th place would likely be viewed as the Orange beating expectations.

Texas A&M Aggies

This is a big opportunity for the Texas A&M women to prove that they belong among the nation's most competitive distance programs after qualifying for the 2023 NCAA XC Championships, but placing second-to-last on that stage. The challenge, however, is that Texas A&M is likely going to be targeted by other teams due to the high likelihood of them yielding Kolas points later this fall. Simply put, the Aggies are in a unique spot of being the hunters and the hunted.

Utah Utes

We are very high on the Utah women this fall. Not only do we think Mckaylie Caesar and Annastasia Peters, but Morgan Jensen also made huge improvements on the track earlier this year while racing unattached. With tons of depth and firepower that is arguably better than last year, it would be surprising to us if the Utes fell outside of the top-five tomorrow.

Villanova Wildcats

Sadie Sigfstead and Emma McGill are two very strong lead scorers, but the Wildcats were seemingly one piece away from qualifying for last year's national meet. Thankfully, they landed a key graduate transfer in Nicole Vanasse. Friday will give us good insight at how effective the Wildcats' new-look lineup can be in 2024.

Virginia Cavaliers

On paper, the Virginia women are one of the most balanced squads in this field. The duo of Margot Appleton and Jenny Schilling should be a great 1-2 punch and their numerous veterans should give this team good enough scoring stability. We don't have them favored to crack the top-five, but they certainly could if one or two higher-ranked teams slip up.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

For the Wake Forest women, this race is all about gaining experience and growing. Thankfully, they have a budding star in Brooke Wilson while former star-caliber recruit Angelina Perez made her return to racing a couple of weeks ago and quietly looked very strong. Friday will give us a better idea about what their lineup is going to look like (structurally) for the rest of this season.

Washington Huskies

The Washington women were originally my pick to win this race, but their recent press release shows that they are not fielding Sophie O'Sullivan or Samantha Tran. The core of Amina Maatoug, Julia David-Smith, Maeve Stiles, Tori Herman, India Weir and Chloe Foerster should keep the Huskies in contention for the win. However, not having O'Sullivan or Tran gives the UW women no margin for error if they want to secure gold on Friday.

Wisconsin Badgers

Lindsay Cunningham and Leane Willemse are an awesome 1-2 punch that the Badgers simply didn't have last year. Those women, paired with a handful of quietly-great veterans and being able to race on their home course, makes Wisconsin a hard team to leave out of our predictions.