After four years in Madison, Hilary Edmondson is still running in anonymity. Despite being one of the most accomplished athletes on campus, the Sarnia, Ontario native has not received her deserved notoriety. However, head coach Peter Tegen knows how much Edmondson has meant to his program.

“Well, she’s been quite a trooper,” Tegen said. “Hilary, in her last year now … is now a team captain. She participated very actively in just about everything that we’ve done. And, of course, athletically, she seems to be at her prime or getting close to it, at least for the time being.”

Even before arriving at Wisconsin, Edmondson was a national champion after capturing the 2000 Canadian junior crown in the 1500 meters. She has twice been an All-American, three times a Big Ten champion, and three times runner-up in the Big Ten. With all of these honors, it would be hard to choose her finest achievement. For Edmondson, the dominating indoor track performance she put together this year, in which she captured the Big Ten titles in the mile and 3000-meter before placing fourth at the NCAA indoor championships, stands out most vividly.

“I think it was pretty cool to go to nationals and be one of the top contenders and get fourth,” Edmondson said. “But also my double Big Ten win indoor. So, probably the indoor season this year was the biggest accomplishment from where I’ve been previously.”

Edmondson is hoping to build on her indoor season success during the outdoor campaign, and isn’t worried about the fact that she has yet to compete in an outdoor meet this season.

“I think I needed the base training coming off of indoor’s,” Edmondson said. “I think it’s really important, once you’ve peaked, to go back and train and stuff like that. So, I’m confident. I’m looking toward longer term. The middle of summer is when the Olympic trials are, so you have to start later.”

Edmondson is aiming to make her mark in June at the NCAA outdoor championships in Austin, Texas. She hopes to qualify at the NCAA regional (May 28-29) in the 1500 meters.

“I would love to win nationals. That would definitely be a huge goal,” Edmondson said. “But there’s a lot of good competition and you always have to go into every race thinking that you have a chance to win. So, I think that right now I’m just working on making it to nationals, and the next step will try to be going for a medal spot, and obviously trying to win as long as I have a chance.”

Not only a star on the track team, Edmondson has also been a member of the cross-country team, earning first team all-conference honors in 2002 and second team in both 2001 and 2003.

“Every year that I’ve done cross-country, my seasons have gotten better,” Edmondson said. “My track has been stronger also, so I really think it develops you aerobically.”

Coming out of St. Christopher High in Sarnia, Edmondson was attracted to Wisconsin by the strong program built by Tegen and the scholastic excellence of the university.

“The things I looked for first was the coach,” Edmondson said. “I think Peter (Tegen) is one of the best coaches in the nation. He’s done amazing for this program. When I looked at the middle distance and distance programs across the nation, it was Wisconsin that had the best record, and obviously the academics were well paired with that too.”

A true student-athlete, Edmondson has succeeded in the classroom in addition to the track. Twice she has been named an academic all-conference selection during the track and cross-country seasons.

“It’s tough,” Edmondson said. “This semester’s been tough. I have three internships, and I’m a journalism major. It’s a tough program. I think it’s just time management, try to get to bed early, but finish your homework and still train 70 miles a week. So, it’s really about preparing and thinking ahead.”

Another time commitment for Edmondson is her responsibility as team captain, something that she takes pride in.

“I think I just want to try to be a leader and show them that Big Ten’s is important, and scoring is important, and doing well as a team, and trying to pump up your teammates. Set the stage high,” Edmondson said.

When Edmondson closes out her illustrious UW career, she hopes to leave a lasting impression on her Badger teammates.

“Just never giving up, never leaving anything behind,” Edmondson said. “Trying to do your best no matter what, and do it for your teammates and also run for yourself.”