A tight team battle between No. 1 Colorado and No. 3 New Mexico came down to the wire with just four points separating the cross country powerhouses at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Friday in Indiana. 

The Buffaloes edged out a 47-point team win over the Lobos, who tallied 51 points for a runner-up finish. Led by a third-place finish from NCAA indoor 3K champion Dani Jones, Colorado scored five runners within the top 18 spots. Makena Morley (seventh), Kaitlyn Benner (ninth), Sage Hurta (10th), and Madison Boreman (18th) combined to beat New Mexico's front-running squad. 

FULL RESULTS

New Mexico's newcomer Ednah Kurgat dominated the individual race when she crossed the line in 16:01; that was 11 seconds ahead of her teammate Alice Wright and third-place Jones. Behind Kurgat and Wright, the Lobos scored freshman phenom Weini Kelati (sixth), Charlotte Prouse (eighth), and Kieran Casey (34th). 

A close finish between two of the top-ranked teams shows great promise for both squads at this point in the season. 

Congrats to our women's team on winning the Joe Piane Invitational!#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/ulK1tYFfEf

— Colorado Track & XC (@CUBuffsTrack) September 29, 2017

On the men's side, the first three individual spots were dominated by Alabama's speedy trio. Gilbert Kigen, Vincent Kiprop, and Alfred Chelanga finished up front together in 23:23, 23:24, and 23:26, respectively. The next closest finisher was Colorado's Joe Klecker, who followed seven seconds behind. 

Kigen, Kiprop & Chelanga finish 1-2-3 at Joe Piane Invitational! #RollTide pic.twitter.com/5L4R5NgWG5

— Alabama Track&Field (@AlabamaTrack) September 29, 2017

No. 20 Southern Utah executed a breakthrough performance when the team tallied 72 points to beat No. 7 Colorado. Led by a fifth-place finish from Mike Tate and a sixth-place finish from Kasey Knevelbaard, the Thunderbirds scored their top five within the first 23 finishers. The Buffaloes were led by Klecker and closed the score with fifth-man Zach Perrin (43rd).