Big Ten Championships are not easy to come by, but the University of Wisconsin men’s cross country program seems to have figured out the formula.
Friday, Oct. 27, UW hosted the Big Ten Cross Country Championships at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course for the first time since 2010. Despite encountering cool conditions, gloomy skies and a slight mist, the men’s team showcased a flawless performance.
With their group at full strength for the playoffs, the Badgers took six of the top-10 spots in the competition. This included now three-time Big Ten individual champion in junior Bob Liking, who completed his 8K race in 23:57.
Following closely behind was fifth year runner Jackson Sharp who placed second in the conference meet for the second straight season. Senior Evan Bishop and redshirt sophomore Adam Spencer finished within the top-5 as well, earning fourth and fifth place respectively.
The first five scorers were wrapped up by redshirt senior Rowen Ellenberg, who slotted in at seventh place. UW ended the meet with a team score of 19 points, the fourth lowest ever in Big Ten history.
This led to their sixth consecutive Big Ten Championship, along with the program’s 54th in total. UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne earned his 13th conference championship, giving him the most in conference history.
Cross Country: Wisconsin competes in annual home invitational with eyes on postseason action
The women’s team followed and excelled to further solidify their position as one of the top programs in the country this postseason. They placed second in the 6K race, led by their top two runners in junior Leané Willemse and senior Alexa Westley.
Willemse finished in second place amongst quality competition, running a 20:57. Westley followed, earning ninth place with a run time of 21:35.
It was then junior Kylie Finger and a pack of Badgers that finished afterwards, many of which slotted within the top-30 runners.
Unfortunately for UW, they couldn’t quite snag a Big Ten Championship due to the stellar performance of Michigan State University. With a team score of 46 points, the Spartans bested the Badgers, who finished with 81.
Addie Engel of Ohio State University was crowned the individual champion of the Big Ten for a second straight year.
Both of UW’s teams took steps in the right direction on Friday and look strong heading into the latter half of the season. The Badgers host the Great Lakes Regional Nov. 10, where both programs look to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championships the following week.
