In their final regular-season race of the season, both of Florida’s cross-country teams finished in the top five.
With the championship season starting in just a few weeks, this meet, the Nuttycombe Invitational, served as a final look at the teams’ standings amongst other competitive programs.
In the Nuttycombe Invitational, the women placed second, overcoming twelve ranked squads and only falling to No. 9 West Virginia. Junior Judy Chepkoech was the driving force behind the Gators’ successful finish, as she placed first in the women’s 6,000-meter with a time of 19:19.5. Sophomore Claire Stegall, sophomore Desma Chepkoech, freshman Maggie McCormick, and sophomore Isobelle Jones finished ninth, 12th, 40th and 49th, respectively.
The women were ranked No. 13 going into the race. However, with their second-place finish over multiple top-ten teams such as No. 3 Northern Arizona, No. 4 New Mexico and No. 5 Iowa State, a climb in the rankings would not be surprising for the Gators.
Last year, the women finished first in the SEC, winning their eighth conference championship. They then went on to win the NCAA South Regional Championship and finish fifth in the NCAA Championships, tying their best finish in program history.
Only two SEC teams rank above the Gators, with Alabama at No. 10 and South Carolina at No. 12. The Crimson Tide recently finished first in the Meadows Challenge on September 26th, contributing to their top-ten ranking.
Alabama will race once more in the Crimson Classic on October 16 ahead of the SEC Championships on October 30. As for South Carolina, they last raced on October 2, finishing third in the Joe Piane XC Invite. The Gamecocks are also set to compete in the Crimson Classic, their final meet prior to the SEC Championships. The Gators will race against both schools for the first time this season in the SEC Championships held in Columbia, Missouri.
As for the men, they finished fifth behind No. 1 New Mexico, No. 6 Colorado, No. 7 Brigham Young and No. 16 Arkansas. Sophomore Kelvin Cheruiyot helped propel the Gators into the top five, finishing sixth with a time of 23:39.6. Junior Geofrey Ronoh, junior Josh Ruiz, sophomore Oussama Allaoui and Eliud Muchiri finished 40th, 50th, 59th and 66th, respectively.
The men were ranked No. 10 going into the Nuttycombe Invitational. However, at the start of the season, the men were ranked No. 21. After their first two meets, where they finished first as a team in the Stan Sims XC Opener and had Cheruiyot finish first in the men's 8,000-meter race in the John McNichols Invitational, the men rose to No. 10. Earlier this year, they were picked to finish third in the SEC behind Alabama and Arkansas. Now, only one SEC team, No. 4 Alabama, ranks above them. Similarly to the women, Alabama’s men finished first in the Meadows Challenge, and their final meet prior to the SEC Championships is the Crimson Classic.
Last season, the men were unable to make an appearance in the NCAA Championships as they finished seventh in the NCAA South Regional Championships, ending the season unranked. Still, the 2025 season was not a wash as then-freshman Kelvin Cheruiyot finished first in the SEC Championships, was named an All-American, the 2025 SEC Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
With Judy Chepkoech, Stegall and Cheruiyot’s top-ten finishes, the two teams had a successful outing in spite of the steep competition. In terms of rankings, both squads can be expected to stay ranked in the top-25 for weeks to come. However, since neither team will race until October 30, their current ranking is at risk of falling as other teams continue to race in regular-season meets.
Still, for the Gators, their primary concern is preparing for the SEC Championships, where both teams look to carry their success into the postseason. For the women, they attempt to replicate their first-place finish from last season, while the men will continue to use Cheruiyot to their advantage in hopes of finishing over the Crimson Tide.
Contact Katie Mosley at kmosley@alligator.org. Follow her on X @kati3mosle7.
Katie Mosley is a freshman journalism sports & media major in her first semester at The Alligator. She currently serves as the Fall 2026 cross country reporter. In her free time, Katie enjoys watching her favorite sports teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs or Liverpool F.C. Katie also takes pleasure in hiking, kayaking and canoeing. One of her favorite traditions is going hiking in the Ozarks every summer.
