The Nuttycombe Invite in Madison, WI, is one of the biggest meets in the NCAA Division I Cross Country (XC) season before the championship season. Cross country, as a time-based sport, can be deceptively unpredictable, and this weekend was no exception. The West Virginia (WVU) Mountaineers opened a 45-point lead (111 points) to beat No. 13 Florida, No. 3 Northern Arizona University (NAU), and No. 4 New Mexico.  

Predictions suggested WVU had a chance to win, but ahead of Friday, October 9th, 2026, the press seemed to favor NAU, New Mexico, or Iowa State. The Mountaineers, however, were not letting the outside noise shape their mindset heading into the weekend. 

“I think we knew we had a shot to win this race today… of course, so did four or five other teams, at least. I feel good about it being us,” WVU head coach Sean Cleary said to Runners Space. 

West Virginia demonstrated the importance of teamwork, running a tight spread with Joy Naukot, Mercy Kinyanjui, Sheila Chepkirui, Naomi Kemboi, and Lexi Lamb, finishing 5th, 6th, 11th, 19th, and 25th overall, respectively. The Mountaineers will look to build on this win heading into championship season, and they emphasized the importance of staying humble and grounded. 

“Winning Nuttycombe was a good season starter, but more than anything it proves that our training and trust in each other are working,” Lamb told VIS via Instagram. 

“Winning Nuttycombe was a good season starter, but more than anything it proves that our training and trust in each other are working. ”

Lexi Lamb

Some may call Mountaineer’s win this weekend a breakout, but it’s been a longer journey up the ranks than just this weekend or even this season alone. You could say the team’s championship potential really showed itself through in 2024, when the Mountaineers won the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship for the first time since 2008, an honor they repeated in 2025. They capped off that 2024 season with a runner-up finish at the national championships, the highest finish in school history. 

“Nuttycombe was just the culmination of how close we’ve gotten as a team. We truly feel like sisters,” Lamb said.

The momentum seems to be rolling in their direction. Still, the Mountaineers will face strong competition at the upcoming Nationals, scheduled for Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. West Virginia has not yet shown how it runs against defending national champions North Carolina State (No. 1) and No. 3 Brigham Young University (BYU), led by sophomore standout Jane Hedengren. The Mountaineers will face BYU at the Big 12 Championships on Saturday, October 31, 2026.

“We’re going to carry that belief [that we’re capable when we execute together as a pack and run with a bigger purpose], stay humble, and keep focusing on the process that got us here,” Lamb said.