Badger Men Win Big Ten Championship; Women Place Fifth
November 03, 2002 | Women's Cross Country
The Wisconsin men's cross country team won its fourth consecutive Big Ten Championship Sunday at the conference meet held in West Lafayette, Ind. The Badger women 's team placed fifth at the event.
The men totaled a score of 25 in the 8,000-meter race, the fifth-lowest score in the history of the event. The Badgers won by 54 points, the second-largest margin of victory, ranking behind only the 1910 Wisconsin squad's 55-point victory. The 2002 conference championship marks the 37th conference title for the men's cross country team.
All'American Matt Tegenkamp won the men's race in a time of 24:01.9, marking the 22nd time a Badger has won the men's individual title. Tegenkamp was one of five Badgers to finish in the top 10. Isaiah Festa finished second in 24:04.5 and Adam Wallace ran a time of 24:10.7 to take fifth place. Tegenkamp, Festa and Wallace earned first-team All-Big Ten honors.
The final two scorers for Wisconsin were freshmen Bobby Lockhart and Simon Bairu. Lockhart completed the race in 24:22.8 for eighth place and Bairu was right behind him ending ninth in 24:24.2. Although he did not score for the Badgers, Tim Keller placed 12th in 24:33.5. Lockhart, Bairu and Keller were named second team all-conference.
The women's cross country team totaled a score of 108 to place fifth in the 5,000-meter event. Michigan won the women's team title with a final score of 70. Junior Hilary Edmondson earned first-team All-Big Ten laurels, finishing fourth in 17:40.8. Jackie Mulrooney crossed the finish line in 18:01.7 to place 12th and was named second-team all-conference.
Rounding out the scoring for the women's team were senior Elaine Canchola finishing 24th in 18:17.7, senior Liz Reusser in 18:23.0 for 30th and Linsey Blaisdell taking 37th place in a time of 18:28.2.
The next event for both the men and women is the 2002 Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 16 in West Lafayette, Ind.
