MADISON, Wisconsin. (October 17, 2025) - The Northern Arizona men's and women's cross country teams returned to the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course on Friday for the 2025 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, the nation's most competitive regular-season meet. For over a decade, Nuttycombe has served as the defining mid-season checkpoint for the nation's best programs, and this year's edition once again delivered deep, NCAA-caliber competition across every race.
Men's Championship – 4th Place (203 pts) The Lumberjack men rose to the moment in Madison, finishing fourth overall with 203 points in the loaded Nuttycombe Championship 8K, a meet stacked with top-10 programs from across the nation. Colin Sahlman led the way in 18th (23:37.5), setting up one of the most balanced team efforts of the day. NAU's depth was on full display, just 21 seconds separated the scoring five, marking one of the lowest spreads in the field and a clear sign of the team's cohesion and fitness. Erik Le Roux (38th, 23:52.2), Ford Washburn (41st, 23:53.3), Ethan Godsey (52nd, 23:58.0), and Manny Perez (54th, 23:58.6) closed the gap in a tight train that surged through the final kilometers. Aidan Puffer (62nd, 24:03.4) and Cael Grotenhuis (80th, 24:13.9) rounded out the top seven, showcasing the depth that defines the Lumberjack lineup.
"It was exciting to add Colin Sahlman and Cael Grotenhuis back into the lineup," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Jarred Cornfield. "That was their first race of the season. I feel like this was a really nice progression from Gans Creek three weeks ago. I thought our guys performed very well, top to bottom, against the best depth out of any team at the meet. Fourth place really shows what's possible for this team coming into the championship season."
Finishing behind only New Mexico (51), Colorado (150), and Syracuse (152), the Lumberjacks once again showed why they're built with strength in numbers, precision in execution, and a closing punch that travels.
Women's Championship - 18th Place (418 pts)Â The Lumberjack women competed against an elite field, placing 18th overall in the 6K championship with 418 points. Junior Hayley Burns led the team in 27th (20:23.0), followed by Ava Mitchell (31st, 20:28.3), Kiki Vaughn (107th, 21:11.9), and the Moore sisters Keira (116th, 21:18.6) and Nikita (139th, 21:30.8) closing out the scoring five. Veterans Anna Fenske (188th, 22:11.2) and Emma Stutzman (207th, 22:35.7) completed NAU's seven.
"It was a super tough one for our women's team," Coach Jarred Cornfield. "Although, we are excited to get back to work and make some corrections from this race. What we did three weeks ago in Gans Creek is a much truer reflection of that team. We did not race Agnes McTighe today, and it will be good to get her back into the lineup for championship season."
In the men's open 8K, freshman Clay Shively placed 8th (24:40.7) to pace the Jacks, with Zack Munson (25th, 24:59.4) and Aaron Sahlman (63rd, 26:12.6) following.For the women, freshmen Payton Godsey (22nd, 21:52.6) and Makenzie McRae (38th, 22:10.8) led NAU in the 6K open section, both posting top-40 finishes.
Northern Arizona now turns its focus to the postseason, returning to altitude in Flagstaff to prepare for the Big Sky Championships, followed by the NCAA Mountain Regional and NCAA Championships in November.
Results can be found Here.
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