Chepkoech beats Kipkore by a tenth of a second at the Nuttycombe Invitational

Florida's Judy Chepkoech won the women's 6K at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in 19:19.5 on Friday, catching Iowa State's Betty Kipkore in the final strides after Kipkore appeared to start celebrating before she actually crossed the line. Kipkore was timed in 19:19.6, one tenth of a second back. New Mexico's Mercy Kirarei took third in 19:21.8 on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Madison.

West Virginia won the women's team title with 66 points, putting five runners inside the top 25: Joy Naukot fifth, Mercy Kinyanjui sixth, Sheila Chepkirui 11th, Naomi Kemboi 19th and Alexis Lamb 25th. Florida was second with 111 points and Northern Arizona third with 130.

In the men's 8K, Colorado's Meshack Kipruto won with a late breakaway in 22:30.1. New Mexico's Pasanjo Kitonga was second in 22:30.8 and Louisville's Elsingi Kipruto third in 22:31.1. New Mexico took the men's team title with 59 points, its second straight Nuttycombe win, with all five scorers finishing in the top 22. Colorado was second with 93 and BYU third with 146.

Nuttycombe drew 33 ranked teams this year, the deepest regular-season field in the country, and the women's race still came down to a tenth of a second nobody saw coming until the clock stopped. Six weeks out from NCAAs, that is the kind of result a selection committee remembers.

Sources: World-Track and Field; New Mexico Athletics; WRUF.