MSU Cross Country Looks Strong Against Top Competition At Nuttycombe Invitational

Friday, September 28

Madison, Wis.

Michigan State University

Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational

FloTrack

MSU Cross Country Looks Strong Against Top Competition At Nuttycombe Invitational

9/28/2018 6:36:00 PM | Cross Country

Spartan women finish in eighth place.

MADISON, WIS. -- The Michigan State cross country team ran against top competition from across the country Friday at the 10th-annual Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational presented by Under Armour at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course.

Results: WOMEN | MEN

The No. 15 Spartan women scored 268 points to finish in eighth place, while the 21st-ranked men came in 19th place with a score of 510.

"I saw great signs of progress from the start to the end, and I thought we made good decisions," Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Walt Drenth said. "I was pleased. Our two teams had different objectives today, and we have two teams who can make the nationals. Our women's team has a chance to be really, really good. They can be a top 10 team by the end of the year."

Redshirt-senior Erin McDonald ran a season-best 20:24.2 to pace the MSU women in the 6,000m race to finish 33rd, closely followed by sophomore Maggie Farrell, who also posted a season-best, crossing the line in 20:28.1. Redshirt-junior Annie Fuller ran 20:37.8 to finish third among the Spartans, while sophomore India Johnson (20:52.3) and junior Amber Way (21:10.9) rounded out the scoring for the Spartans.

The men were led by redshirt-senior Justine Kiprotich, an NCAA runner-up in the 1,500 meters, who smashed his career-best at the 8k cross country distance by more than a minute with a time of 24:06.5. Redshirt-junior Matthew Thomas finished just a second behind Kiprotich, posting a season-best 24:07.8. Sophomore Brayden Law followed-up a slow start at the Spartan Invitational last time out with an impressive third-place finish for the Spartans in 24:31.7. Junior Winter Romeyn (24:43.6) and sophomore Joe Riordan (24:49.3) also scored for MSU.

"I was happy with the way a lot of people on both teams ran today," Drenth said. "Justine and Matt both ran really well on the men's side, and I was happy to see the way Brayden came back today. We know Joe and Winter will continue to get better as the year goes on. India Johnson got caught in the back at the beginning, but I thought she did an outstanding job of running. She can be a difference-maker for us."

In a race featuring 19 men's teams and 15 women's teams ranked in the most recent USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Cross Country National Coaches' Poll, the Spartans competed with the best and got a taste of what the upcoming championship season will be like.

"I think we just need to keep getting better over the next few weeks, and we'll be in great shape," Drenth said. "Hopefully, we will get a few people back from injury soon. We're in a position where we can continue to improve."

Up Next: The Spartans return to the course for the Jay Hawk Invitational Friday, Oct. 12 in Muskegon, Michigan.