As the Wisconsin men’s cross-country team enters the prime of its season, two runners are ready to lead their teammates and face the added pressure of their final year as Badgers.
Senior runners Rob Finnerty and Alex Brill have the responsibility of commandeering a program that has won 14-straight Big Ten Championships and placed in the top 10 of every NCAA championship during the last 17 years is no easy task.
However, both have readied themselves to carry the pressure that rests on their shoulders.
“I’m on my sixth year, so I have extra responsibility,” Finnerty, who redshirted seasons in his time at Wisconsin, said. “You’re expected to know what you’re doing, and the University has invested so much time in you, so you have to perform.”
The beginning of the season is a time that shows where improvements, for both the team and individuals, can be made. For Brill, entering the month of October means the season is no longer in its early stages, but at its most rigorous point.
“Today is the first day of October, and we look at October as a time to get down to work as we have our toughest workouts,” Brill said. “But September was a good month of training for us.”
The Badgers had a successful September month, finishing in first place in their first two events of the season, the Badger Season Open and the Warhawk Invitational. This past weekend the team came in fourth place at the Coast-to-Coast Battle at Beantown in Boston.
On Saturday the No. 12 Badgers faced their first-ranked opponents of the season, placing behind No. 8 Oregon, No. 9 Syracuse and No. 25 Providence. Brill finished third for UW, 13th overall in the race.
For Brill, the pressure will build as the season wears on, but that is something he has come to enjoy.
“Freshman year was all smiles, but now there is pressure,” Brill said. “You can’t shy away from pressure, you have to embrace it and take advantage of it. The added pressure and having to perform well is part of senior year.”
While individual times are in the back of the Badgers’ minds as they trek the course to the finish line, success is ultimately all about the team. The key goal of the season remains what it has always been winning the Big Ten Championship, followed by a podium finish at the NCAA National Title race.
Beyond reaching these goals, it is also the responsibility of the senior leaders to train the younger team members in what it means to be a Wisconsin runner.
“Being a senior on the team generally involves handing down tradition and things I’ve learned over the five years,” Finnerty said.
Brill said that responsibility means helping freshman runners by sharing his experience in hopes they will take their freshman year as seriously as they will want to take their last.
“In terms of the team, do the little things,” Brill said. “I didn’t do that, and that’s what gets you injured … What you do your freshman year, especially in our cross-country program, allows you to adapt to the program.”
As a senior both in school and on the team, nostalgia starts to set in. But looking back, it is easy for Brill to see how far he has come, both as a runner and a teammate.
“It goes by quick. Coming from a tradition in a program like this at UW, it’s something special that you have to cherish all four years, not just your senior year,” Brill said. “It’s hard saying that to the freshmen, but you have to cherish every year. Cherish the journey, it’s not just about the finish.”
Finnerty, Brill and the rest of the Badger squad will be back on the Zimmer Champions Course Saturday, Oct. 19 to host the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational.
