Demon Deacons Primed for Regular-Season Finale at 2026 Nuttycombe Invitational

Friday, October 9

Madison, Wis.

11:30 a.m.

Wake Forest University

Nuttycombe Invitational (Men & Women)

Demon Deacons Primed for Regular-Season Finale at 2026 Nuttycombe Invitational

10/8/2026 10:15:00 AM | Cross Country

Live Streaming Live Results

The Wake Forest men and women’s teams will race in the annual, premier meet on Friday.

By: Keion Robinson

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest cross country will make its final appearance of the regular season this Friday. The Demon Deacons' men's and women's teams are set to compete in the 2026 Nuttycombe Invitational, hosted by the Wisconsin Badgers.

Making its debut in 2009, the annual Nuttycombe Invitational holds a strong reputation as one of the nation's premier collegiate meets. Friday's event features an 8k men's race and a 6k women's race while also including "B" races for both men and women runners.

All races will take place on Wisconsin's Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course.

The Wake Forest men's team will run competitively for a second time this fall during Friday, while the women step into their third showing.

The Races

2026 Nuttycombe Invitational
Women's "A" race (6k) – 11:30 a.m.
Men's "A" race (8k) – 12:10 p.m.
Women's "B" race (6k) – 12:50 p.m.
Men's "B" race (8k) – 1:30 p.m.
Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course (Verona, Wis.)

The Men's Field

Air Force, Arkansas, Boise State, Butler, BYU, Colorado, Eastern Kentucky, Florida, Furman, Georgetown, Georgia, Gonzaga, Harvard, Iowa State, Lipscomb, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Northern Arizona, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Portland, Princeton, Providence, Stanford, Tennessee, Tulsa, UCLA, Wake Forest, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin

The Women's Field

Air Force, Boise State, Colorado, Florida, Furman, Georgetown, Georgia, Gonzaga, Harvard, Iowa State, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Northern Arizona, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon St., Penn State, Princeton, Providence, Stanford, Tennessee, Toledo, UCLA, Utah, Wake Forest, Washington, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Competing for Wake Forest Men

Competing for Wake Forest Women

Last Time Out
The women's team most recently partook in Princeton's Meadows Challenge (Sept. 26), finishing sixth as a unit among a competitive 17-team field. The Demon Deacons tallied 201 points in the strong team field, finishing ahead of nationally-ranked opponents in then-No. 13 Penn State (7th place; 222 points) and then-No. 25 Princeton (8th place; 226 points). Making her first appearance of the season, Brooke Wilson crossed the 6k finish line in a time of 19:59.4 to snag eighth place. Emry Schwalm placed 31st with a time of 21:03.8 in her collegiate 6k debut. Grace Wassell crossed the line in 21:03.8 to finish 49th, while Julia Score was right behind in 50th place with a time of 21:04.0 in her first collegiate 6k race. Maisie Wilmer rounded out the point-scoring pack for the Demon Deacons with a time of 21:19.6 in her season debut.

Wake Forest men's cross country turned heads last month while claiming the team title at the 14th annual adidas XC Challenge (Sept. 18). It was the first-ever team crown for the Demon Deacons in the event, having also secured top-three finishes at the adidas XC Challenge in both 2024 and 2021. Additionally, it was the first regular-season meet title for Wake Forest since Oct. 19, 2024 when the Deacs won the Panorama Farms Invitational. The Deacs ultimately earned 25 points – finishing 41 more ahead of Big Four rival NC State in second place. In all, six Wake individuals finished in the top 10:

Paul Specht – 3rd place (17:54.7)
Grant Morgenfeld – 4th place (17:54.8)
Bryce Gilmore – 5th place (17:55.5)
Daniel Skandera – 6th place (17:56.0)
Landon Pretre – 7th place (17:59.2)
Aaron Brodrick – 10th place (18:06.8)

For his efforts in the adidas XC Challenge, Skandera was named ACC Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Week on Sept. 22. It was his first career honor, as the Warrior, Ala., native became the first Wake Forest men's runner to be named Freshman of the Week since Rocky Hansen on Oct. 17, 2023.

Friday Season Debuts
Three Demon Deacons are prepping to race for the first time this season:

Rocky Hansen | Sr. | Hendersonville, N.C.
- Hansen turned in one of the best individual seasons in program history during 2025 as the NCAA National Runner-Up and ACC Performer of the Year. He joined Angelina Perez as one of just two Demon Deacons to earn All-American, All-Region and All-ACC honors last fall. At the 2025 ACC Championships, he became the first Wake Forest runner to win the league individual title since Nathan Sisco in 2001.
Aurelien Radja | So. | Bonnelles, France
- Radja is in his first season with men's cross country following a standout 2026 outdoor track and field season in which he earned First Team All-ACC honors in the 5000m.
Victoria Rodriguez | Sophomore | North Bend, Wash.
- Rodriguez had several notable moments as a freshman last fall, landing a top-50 finish at the Arturo Barrios Invitational before adding a pair of top-100 postseason finishes at both the ACC Championships and the NCAA Southeast Regional. She saved her best for last, recording a 6k PR of 20:27.4 at the NCAA Championships.

Next Up
Postseason action begins for Wake Forest in three weeks, with the 2026 ACC Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships taking place in Blacksburg, Va. on Oct. 30. Virginia Tech will serve as the host school, with competition unfolding at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course.