MADISON, Wisc. (Oct. 13) — Northern Arizona University’s cross country teams made history at the Nuttycombe Invitational, becoming the first program to sweep both the men’s and women’s championship races. On a challenging day marked by wet and windy conditions, Northern Arizona and Florida’s Parker Valby emerged as the standout performers on the women’s side.
Parker Valby, making her season debut, outpaced NCAA champion Katelyn Tuohy of NC State, who was also making her seasonal bow. Valby pulled away from Tuohy at the 4k mark, ultimately securing a decisive victory.
Valby clocked a time of 19:17.2 to secure the women’s 6k victory, beating Tuohy, who posted 19:29.5, while Tuohy’s teammate Kelsey Chmiel grabbed the third spot, finishing in 19:52.9.
Read more: Tuohy, Valby, Stearns, and Ramsden battle at 2023 Nuttycombe Invitational
Meanwhile, the Northern Arizona women dominated a highly competitive field, tallying just 52 points in what was a statement victory.
Elise Stearns led the squad with a fourth-place finish, clocking a 6K time of 19:54.6. Teammate Gracelyn Larkin wasn’t far behind, placing eighth with a time of 20:01.5.
Annika Reiss and Aliandrea Upshaw also contributed strong performances, finishing 10th and 12th with times of 20:06.8 and 20:08.7, respectively. Keira Moore rounded out the scoring for the Lumberjacks, crossing the line 18th at 20:16.9.
Northern Arizona’s women defeated several top-10 teams today. No. 1 NC State was second in the team scoring with 95 points, followed by No. 11 Georgetown with 208, No. 5 Stanford with 227 points and No. 9 Florida (262). No. 4 Notre Dame was only sixth today with 292 points.
The results underscore Northern Arizona’s depth and competitiveness, as they toppled the top-ranked top-ranked team in the country by a significant margin of 43 points.
On the men’s side, No. 1 NAU topped a strong field with 76 points, followed by No. 3 BYU, No. 6 Syracuse, No. 14 CBU, and No. 11 Texas.
Read more: Elise Stearns, Northern Arizona, dominated 2023 Virginia Invitational
Nuttycombe Invitational 2023
Women’s 6k Results Top 10
- Parker Valby, Florida [JR], 19:17.2
- Katelyn Tuohy, NC State [JR], 19:29.5
- Kelsey Chmiel, NC State [SR], 19:52.9
- Elise Stearns, Northern Arizona [JR], 19:54.6
- Kaylee Mitchell, Oregon State [SR], 19:56.6
- Maia Ramsden, Harvard [JR], 19:59.1
- Chloe Scrimgeour, Georgetown [JR], 19:59.2
- Gracelyn Larkin, Northern Arizona [SR], 20:01.5
- Olivia Markezich, Notre Dame [SR], 20:02.7
- Annika Reiss, Northern Arizona [SR], 20:06.8
Women’s 6k Team Score Top 10
- Northern Arizona, 52
- NC State, 95
- Georgetown, 208
- Stanford, 227
- Florida, 262
- Notre Dame, 292
- Oregon State, 315
- CBU, 322
- Michigan State, 342
- Lipscomb, 363
For full results, click here
