CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Competing in their final large meet of the regular season, the Orange and Blue head to Madison, Wisconsin for the Ed Nuttycombe Invite on Friday, October 14 at the Zimmer Championship Course. The men's open race will begin at 11:40 a.m. central time, followed by the men's invite race at 1:20 p.m. central time.
Follow the Meet:
This year's Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite is being broadcasted live on FloTrack, but a subscription is required. Follow @IlliniMXC on Twitter for updates throughout the meet.
Running for the Illini
Open Race: Joe Cowlin, Zach Dale, Caleb Hummer, Garrett Lee, Billy Magnesen
Invite: Jon Davis, Alex Gold, Dylan Lafond, Dan Lathrop, Sean Pengelly, Jesse Reiser, Zack Smith
A Look at the Competition
In just its eighth year, the Ed Nuttycombe meet has become one the premiere regular season meets in the country. This year, the meet will feature 19 ranked teams, as well as six other teams that are currently receiving votes. Amongst the loaded field, the 29th-ranked Illini will race against Big Ten foes No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 22 Michigan State and Minnesota (RV), while also competing against Midwest Regional contender No.14 Iowa State.
Coach Stewart on the Meet
"This is our last race opportunity for the group that will be running at Big Ten Championships. We want to come out of Wisconsin with momentum heading into November, and we've viewed it that way every year we've gone to this. It's the most competitive meet during the regular season in the country. If we feel we are a team that is capable of doing the things we want to do, then we have to come up here and be competitive. It's an exciting meet, a great course, a great atmosphere and is what our sport is all about at this point in the year."
Last Year at Ed Nuttycombe
22. Dylan Lafond, 23:53.8
93. Ian Barnett, 24:25.4
99. Zack Smith, 24:27.2
118. Jesse Reiser, 24:32.3
160. Liam Markham, 24:48.6
174. Sean Pengelly, 24:57.0
Orange and Blue Beat Four Ranked Squads at Joe Piane Invite
The Fighting Ilini bounced back from the Roy Griak Invite by placing fifth at the Joe Piane Invite on the campus of Notre Dame, beating four ranked teams in the process. Freshman Jon Davis led the way with a time of 24:13.0, while Jesse Reiser and Dylan Lafond followed with times of 24:15.1 and 24:15.9, respectively.
Reiser Leads Illini in Debut at Griak
Making his season debut, sophomore Jesse Reiser was Illinois' top finisher at the Roy Griak Invite on September 24, placing 30th overall with a time of 25:47. The McHenry, Illinois native is coming off of a freshman campaign that saw him place 11th at Big Ten Championships and receive the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award, the first to do so in Illinois history.
Jon Davis Impresses in Debut
Making his Illini debut at the Bluegrass Invite, freshman Jon Davis clocked a 24:32.7 8K time that placed him third overall. Competing against host Kentucky and ninth-ranked Eastern Kentucky, Coach Stewart applauded his ability to follow the race plan and close hard at the end of the race.
Lafond of You
The Fighting Illini return senior All-American Dylan Lafond after the Manchester, New Hampshire native made his debut on Coach Stewart's squad last fall after transferring from the University of Mount Olive. Placing third at Big Ten Championships last season, Lafond is the top returning runner from last year's meet. FloTrack has Lafond ranked No. 21 in their preseason rankings. In addition to becoming the Illini's first cross-country All-American since 2007, Lafond has excelled on the track, earning All-America honors in the 3,000m steeplechase and breaking the school's indoor 3K and 5K records last winter.
Coach Stewart Reels in Second Straight Top-10 Recruiting Class
For the second year in a row FloTrack has ranked the Orange & Blue in their recruiting class rankings. The 2016 class, led by three-time IHSA State Champion Jon Davis, ranks 10th in the nation and third in Big Ten. Stewart also brought in a top-10 class in 2015 with runners Jesse Reiser, Zach Dale and Caleb Hummer.
Up Next
The Fighting Illini conclude the regular season by hosting the Illini Open on October 21. The annual meet will take place at the UI Arboretum, with the men's race commencing at 4:40 p.m. central time.
