From Madison, to Savoy and back to Madison, the Illini head into their third competition of the season on Friday. The women take their mark for the 6K at 12:20 p.m. and the men begin the 8K soon after at 1 p.m.
It’s been some time since the Illini competed for this invite. The men competed in the Nuttycombe Invite back in 2018 while the women haven’t competed in it since 2011.
The Illini had last weekend to rest, but now, they must lace back up for their competitors. There will be 25 men’s teams competing on Friday and 27 women’s teams.
Illinois will see some conference opponents once again. Schools like Michigan, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Washington and Wisconsin will compete against Illinois to take any title available.
Just about two weeks ago, Illinois competed in its first home event of the season. This was a very successful competition for Illinois because three Illini set top-10 times during the races. Senior Halle Hill, sophomore Avril Andre and junior Alex Partlow were part of the elite members to clinch record times.
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Hill led the women’s team and finished second place in the 6K. Similarly, Partlow was the top scorer for the men’s side of things and earned seventh place with his personal best.
Not only did both teams put up top-10 times, but additional Illini finished with personal bests in their respective 6Ks and 8Ks. Sophomore Mabry Bruhn and junior Audrey Ginsburg ended the 6K with personal best times. Additionally, juniors Will Merrick and Shawn Juliette, along with seniors Tyler Cushing and Anthony Maida all performed personal bests in their previous matchup.
After the Nuttycombe Invite, the teams only have one more competition before the Big Ten championships begin in October. The teams have a couple of weeks of rest before getting back into action. Fortunately for the Illini, they return back to their home turf for the championships after another Wisconsin battle.
The patterns of personal bests from the Illini show promising signs for the teams heading into the Nuttycombe Invite. If they can end their Wisconsin trips on a high note, it should only bolster their confidence going into the championships.
@tess_eken
