For the Wisconsin men’s and women’s track teams, this weekend’s Wisconsin Open marks the final competition before the all-important Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Columbus, Ohio next weekend.
Men’s assistant coach and cross country head coach Mick Byrne said that the quality of competition in the Big Ten makes the conference outdoor championship a highly anticipated event.
“The conference is so competitive, it’s so deep in all events across the board,” Byrne said. “It’s a really tough meet. Times go out the door; you don’t consider time. It’s about competing. It’s completely different than running at a meet like we did this past weekend out at Payton Jordan or Mt. SAC or any of the big invitationals.
“Indoors, it’s competition. Nobody cares about how fast you ran coming into the meet. It’s all about head-to-head competition. That’s why we run conference events; that’s why they’re very exciting.”
The UW men’s team has already won conference championships at the indoor track and cross country championships, including a second place finish at the NCAA Championship for the cross country team.
Senior long-distance runner Elliot Krause said a goal of any good track program is to complete the triple crown – winning the cross country, indoor track and outdoor track championships in the same season. The Wisconsin Open will serve as the final preparation for the eager Badger team.
“We’re trying to conclude that triple,” Krause said. “I think everyone’s very focused. Everyone’s excited and this is definitely what we’ve been looking forward to all season. This is definitely the highlight of the outdoor season.”
Based on the accomplishments of the team so far this season, success in the coming weeks is a definite possibility.
Along with Krause, senior Maverick Darling and sophomore Alex Hatz make up the Wisconsin trio of long-distance runners that have dominated the standings. Krause was named co-Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week April 25 after finishing first among collegians and 10th overall in the Elite Invitational section of the 5,000-meter race at the Mt. SAC relays, which concluded April 20. His time of 13:34.30 ranks second in the NCAAs this season and is the fifth best time by an American.
Both Darling and Hatz set personal records on Sunday at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., which is considered the country’s most competitive meet for long-distance runners. In the top section of the 5,000-meter race, Darling finished fourth among collegians and 16th overall with a time of 13 minutes, 30.4 seconds, beating out Krause for best-Big Ten time in the 5,000-meter event this season. Hatz’s run of 3:39.87 in the 1500-meter race is the Big Ten’s top time this season and is good for third in the country.
While Darling and Hatz found success this past weekend, the Badgers lost a key member of their squad to injury. Junior multi-event athlete Japheth Cato, the 2012 Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year, ruptured his Achilles heel competing at Payton Jordan and will not compete in the Wisconsin Open or the Big Ten Championships. He is scheduled for surgery on Thursday.
Women’s competition heating up
With the postseason nearing, women’s track head coach Jim Stintzi said his team will be undergoing some changes.
Redshirt sophomore Deanna Latham, who was named a 2012 Second Team All-American for the heptathlon, will compete in open events, not the heptathlon.
Stintzi also said that fifth-year senior Caitlin Comfort has not opened up in a 10,000-meter race. He said that the key for his team for the championship is hitting its peak performance at the right time.
“It really is a bit of an unknown quantity,” Stintzi said. “People are running faster right now. We’re setting season personal records. So I feel like we’re moving in the right direction, but we’re just a little bit up in the air right now.”
Comfort finished fifth in her section of the 5,000-meter race with a personal-record time of 16:18.05 at the Payton Jordan Invitational, which the women’s team also competed in this past weekend. Her time ranks fifth best in the Big Ten this outdoor season.
Comfort will run both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races at the Big Ten Championships next weekend. As a long distance runner, Comfort said she averages between 80 and 90 miles per week to prepare herself for further distances.
Senior thrower Taylor Smith also set a personal record in the shot put by more than three feet, and topping her own school record with a throw of 56 feet, 11 1/2 inches to win the Triton Invitational.
Byrne said that the Big Ten Outdoor Championship is a great opportunity for your team to showcase its talents to other teams in the league.
“The conference meet is all about competing,” Byrne said. “It’s great experience for your athletes. It teaches them what the sport is all about. It’s our priority. If you’re a Badger, you get excited about competing about the Big Ten Championships – that’s just what we do.”
