WISCONSIN WINS NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP!
November 21, 2005 | Men's Cross Country
The top-ranked Wisconsin men's cross country team clinched its first NCAA team title since 1988. The Badgers won their fourth NCAA team title with 37 points, breaking a three-year streak of second-place finishes. Also bringing home his second-consecutive individual national title was Simon Bairu (Regina, Saskatchewan).
"I think the thing they did better today than I've ever seen them do was they ran a race like they would typically run but they didn't put a lot of emotional energy into the first half of the race," Wisconsin head coach Jerry Schumacher said. "They really were patient. They had the patience they needed to have to carry them through the second half of the race. They just did it to perfection today."
With a time of 29:15.9, Bairu became the first Badger to win two NCAA individual titles. He won the 2004 individual title in a time of 30:37.7 and became Wisconsin's first individual winner since Tim Hacker in 1985. A senior, Bairu is one of just three Badgers to complete the feat with Walter Mehl winning the 1939 race.
"Jerry and I had a long talk yesterday and we pretty much decided, as tough as it was going to be, I was going to run for the team," Bairu said. "If the pace was too hard off the gun, I was supposed to just check off a bit and make sure I didn't blow up. At about six or seven (kilometers), I decided I was feeling good and it wasn't that big of a gamble to go for the win. I stuck with the leaders but I didn't really want to make too many moves in the race similar to last year. At about eight (kilometers), Schumacher yelled at me that we had the team in the bag and to go for the win. That's all I needed. That was the green light. I decided to test the other guys right after the eight (kilometer) mark and they responded to it. I decided to hang back until about nine (kilometers) and that's when I decided to put in a big surge."
"He's something else," Schumacher said. "Today was his last day in a Badger uniform for cross country at least and he made the most of it."
Also placing in the top-20 were five other Badgers. Junior Chris Solinsky (Stevens Point, Wis.) came in third with a time of 29:27.8, just six seconds behind the second-place finisher Richard Kiplagat of Iona.
"I think I timed it pretty good because that last stretch still hurt pretty bad," Solinsky said. "For awhile I was thinking about trying to get with the lead group but I'll save that for next year maybe. I'm really happy with the place and the effort."
Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Matt Withrow (Tinley Park, Ill.) finished ninth overall in 29:50.7 and led all freshmen at the meet. Antony Ford (Blackpool, United Kingdom) (29:55.2) finished 14th, Stuart Eagon (Portland, Oregon) (30:05.3) came in 17th followed by Tim Nelson (Palo Cedro, Calif.) (30:06.4) in 18th. Redshirt freshman Christian Wagner (Columbus, Ohio) rounded out the team scoring finishing 58th in a time of 30:35.7.
The top six Wisconsin finishers earned All-America honors. Bairu and Schumacher also were recognized by the US Track Coaches Association with National Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year Honors.
The team clinched its title with a 68-point margin. The second place finisher was Arkansas with 105 points, followed by Notre Dame in third with 178 points.
To celebrate the the Badgers' first team NCAA title since the 1995 men's soccer championship, the University of Wisconsin invites all Badger fans to the McClain Center lobby this evening to welcome home the national champions.
Gates will open at 8:30 p.m. Fans should enter the McClain Center lobby through the north doors. Free parking is available in UW Lot 17. Admission is free.
The team is scheduled to arrive at 9 p.m. Upon their arrival, a program lasting approximately 30 minutes honoring the team will take place.
