This Friday, May 3, marks the beginning of the Wisconsin Twilight Invitational track meet. With the advent of spring weather conditions at the McClimon Track Complex, the Wisconsin men’s and women’s track teams are hosting their first outdoor meet of the season.
The men’s decathlon begins Friday at 2:30 p.m. with the rest of the events commencing Saturday. The field events will begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, and the running events kick off at 5 p.m. The Twilight Invitational will feature individual athletes from both state and regional schools and is one of the last meets before the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, which are also being held in Madison May 17-19.
For the women’s team, the Twilight Invitational is the last meet before the Big Ten Championships. This means that the Twilight is also one of the last opportunities for individual athletes to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
“There are a couple of athletes who stand a good chance of qualifying,” women’s head coach Peter Tegen said. “Bethany Brewster is the only one who has made a qualifying mark in the 1500 meters, and her teammates in the 1500 meters, Hilary Edmondson and Elaine Canchola, both have a pretty good chance of qualifying. We will set up the race the way we need to set it up, and we will hope both of them can come and get it done this weekend.”
After a strong showing at the UW-LaCrosse Classic last Saturday, shot-putter Bree Fuqua and pole-vaulter Tara Clack both had NCAA provisional qualifying marks. However, poor weather in LaCrosse forced the events indoors. Therefore, the NCAA will not recognize the marks turned in by Fuqua and Clack.
“These two, Bree Fuqua in the shot put and Tara Clack in the pole vault, have an excellent chance to duplicate their performances,” Tegen said. “Both of them have a better shot at making higher marks this weekend. Typically in May, and at night, the conditions are good.”
The Twilight Invitational will also help prepare the women’s team for the Big Ten Championships, which are also being held at the McClimon Track Complex. This weekend should be a good chance for the women’s team to perform well and head into the Big Tens at its peak.
The Wisconsin men’s team also is looking to treat the Twilight Invitational as a good lead up to the Big Tens. The men’s distance runners will be heading to Palo Alto, California to participate in the Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University. The rest of the team will be entered in the Twilight Invitational.
“Two weeks out from the conference meet is always a really crucial time. What you’re hoping is that you put yourself into that the last week by running well enough before the Big Tens that you can rest and get prepared,” men’s head coach Ed Nuttycombe said.
Still looking to qualify for nationals on the men’s team are Jabari Pride in the 400 meters and Jon Mungen in the 110-meter hurdles. The combination of being at home and mild weather could allow the Badgers to add a few more athletes with qualifying marks.
“It’s been since January [that] we’ve had a home meet, and the guys are excited to run here,” said Nuttycombe. “This weekend will kind of set the tempo for what is going to happen the next few weeks.”
The relaxed atmosphere of the home advantage should allow the Badgers to excel. With five athletes qualified in six events for nationals, including Len Herring, who has qualified for both the triple jump and the long jump, expect the men’s team to do well at the Twilight Invitational.
