With the Wisconsin Twilight Invitational approaching this weekend, and the Big Ten Outdoor Championships just two weeks away, men’s track head coach Ed Nuttycombe spoke about the progress he has seen in his squad. Nuttycombe began the press conference by conveying his team’s eagerness to take advantage of a rare chance to compete on its home track.

“Well, we’re always excited to compete at home,” Nuttycombe said. “We don’t have a lot of opportunities to compete at home, and we are looking forward to our final preparation for the Big Ten Championships.”

There are several athletes on the men’s team who have impressed throughout the outdoor season, and Nuttycombe has been impressed with a number of individuals. Jack Bolas and Craig Miller — two junior distance runners — have posted some impressive times in the 1,500-meter run as of late, and Nuttycombe was quick to point out their terrific performances.

“Jack Bolas and Craig Miller ran fantastic in the metric mile — 1,500 meter — running two of the fastest times ever run by collegians, [and] two of the top times ever run by University of Wisconsin athletes,” Nuttycombe said.

While Bolas and Miller were certainly deserving of the high acclaim, Nuttycombe was excited about yet another member of the distance squad. Ryan Gasper, a junior from Fort Atkinson, Wis., posted a time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase that got the attention of fellow Big Ten Conference competitors with one of the top 10 times in the country last week.

Gasper has battled through some injuries during his Badger career, and Nuttycombe has been very pleased with the persistence the young man has shown.

“He a had a little bit of injury issues towards the end of his career, but every year he has gotten better, and that was his best time in the steeple,” Nuttycombe said. “I’m particularly happy for him because he felt like he didn’t finish the indoor season like he’d like to, and this has been a great rebound for him. … I think this will kind of take him into the championship part of the season.”

Badgers fight through tough season

Bolas, Miller and Gasper have all put together noteworthy seasons, but Nuttycombe admitted this was one of his toughest years as a head coach. The men’s team lost a lot of talent due to graduation, injuries and transfers.

“You know, coaching changes, athletes leaving — it’s been a little challenging, especially when you come off a long streak of some pretty good success,” Nuttycombe said. “It kind of makes you refocus.”

Although it has been a challenging season, Nuttycombe and his team are resilient.

“We want to take care of this year and do the best we can team-wise and stop crying about what’s taken place and compete like champions,” Nuttycombe said.

The men’s team will certainly look to focus this weekend, as it will be the final preparatory meet before the Big Ten Championships. Nuttycombe has become accustomed to winning these highly anticipated meets. Nuttycombe’s teams have won 11 of the last 13 indoor Big Ten Championships and his outdoor teams have won 10 of the last 14. Nuttycombe knew a Big Ten indoor title would be out of his squad’s reach this year, but he feels the outdoor team has what it takes to close the gap.

“We will be better outdoors just because of the nature of the events and the structure of the team,” Nuttycombe said. “I do think that we’ll be better and much more competitive in a lot more areas than we were indoors.”