Badger Men Sweep Conference Cross Country Awards
November 05, 2003 | Men's Cross Country
The Big Ten announced its postseason honors for cross country on Wednesday and the Wisconsin men's cross country team swept the awards for Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Sophomore Simon Bairu, who captured the individual title at last Sunday's Big Ten championship, was named the conference's athlete of the Year. Chris Solinsky finished third at the meet and earned freshman of the year honors while Jerry Schumacher was named coach of the year.
Bairu becomes the second consecutive UW runner to be named Big Ten Athlete of the Year, and the fifth in the last six years. Current junior Matt Tegenkamp earned the honor last season. A native of Regina, Sasketchewan, Bairu was a second-team All-Big Ten performer last season. His best collegiate finish prior to the Big Ten meet was a third-place showing at the Roy Griak Invitational earlier this season.
Solinsky, a former three-time Wisconsin state cross country champion, finished third at the Big Ten meet, best among freshmen. He is the fifth Badger to earn freshman of the year honors, the first since Tegenkamp did so in 2001. Solinsky has finished among the top six in all three of his races this season.
Schumacher was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season and the fourth time in his six-year career. He led the Badgers, who ran three sophomores and two freshmen among their seven competitors, to their fifth consecutive Big Ten title. In addition to Bairu and Solinsky, junior Tim Keller (fifth-place) also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Schumacher has now coached 17 first-team All-Big Ten honorees in his six seasons. That is more than any other school, except Michigan, has produced in the 20 years the conference has been awarding all-league honors.
