The Wisconsin Men’s cross country team won the 2003 Big Ten Championship in East Lansing, Mich. Sunday. Seven underclassmen runners combined for a time of 1:22:01.9 in the 8K event to give the Badgers their fifth straight conference crown. Wisconsin’s 40 points held off runner-up Michigan by 17 points and third-place Indiana by 50 points.
A young core of runners led the Badgers to the conference title. With no seniors running in the event, Wisconsin relied on a group of young but experienced competitors. Sophomore Simon Bairu followed his 9th-place finish in 2002 to win the Big Ten Individual Championship in 23:58.8. Bairu was the only runner to complete the course in less than 24 minutes. Freshmen Chris Solinsky followed in third-place with a time of 24:20.3. Junior Tim Keller rounded out Wisconsin’s top-five presence with a 24:24.0 effort, good for fifth place. The trio of runners earned First-Team All-Big Ten recognition for their performances.
Three other Badgers finished in the top 20. Sophomore Bobby Lockhart placed 14th in 24:38.2. Junior Josh Spiker placed 17th in 24:40.6 and freshmen Tim Nelson’s 24:41.1 effort earned 18th place. Sophomore Ben Gregory took 37th-place in 25:17.1. Lockhart’s finish at 14th place earned him a spot on the Second-Team All-Big Ten squad.
The Women’s Cross Country team finished fifth in Sunday’s Big Ten Championship at Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich. The Badgers’ senior-led group combined to run the 6K course in 110:48.2, 5.6 seconds behind fourth-place Indiana. The Badgers’ team score of 67 points fell short of third-place Penn State, runner-up Michigan State and Big Ten Champion Michigan.
Wisconsin’s top three individual performers were a trio of seniors. Maggie Guiney finished 11th (21:30.1), Hilary Edmondson finished 13th (21:37.9) and Michelle Lilienthal placed 43rd (22:28.21). Linsey Blaisdell (22:30.9), Sarah Kolpin (22:41.2), A’Havahla Haynes (22:47.6) and Heidi Lane (23:01.5) each contributed to the Badger’s fifth-place showing.
The duo of Guiney and Edmondson, who have led the Badgers all season, were both named to the Second-Team All-Big Ten roster.
Both squads travel to Terre Haute, Ind. to begin NCAA competition. The NCAA Regional Meet will begin at 11 a.m. on Nov. 15.