Cross Country Team Arrives in Washington, D.C.
April 05, 2006 | Men's Cross Country
It will be like a scene out of a movie or television show tomorrow when the University of Wisconsin men's cross country team meets President George W. Bush. The Badgers will be in Washington, D.C., for the White House NCAA Champions Day, which honors collegiate teams that have won national titles this season. Wisconsin won the 2005 NCAA Cross Country title and will be joined by the seven other fall championship teams.
'I'm very excited,' says freshman Matt Withrow. 'It's one of those things you always hear about or see in movies; people who do these amazing, great things and end up going to the White House. I never thought that just by running cross country, I'd be going to meet the president.'
The team will not only meet the president but will also meet with Senator Herb Kohl. The Senator and his staff have arranged for the Badgers to enjoy a tour of the U.S. Capitol building before departing for the White House. The Badgers tour historic White House rooms before hearing remarks from the president on the White House South Lawn. A team photo with the president will be the highlight of the trip for the team members.
'Everyone seems pretty excited about it,' says junior Chris Solinsky. 'A lot of them have expressed a desire to get a picture with him saying how that will be something that they can hold on to for awhile. This is something they're going to remember for awhile and something they can tell their kids down the road.'
Solinsky will have an additional thrill'he was the one team member selected to sit on the podium during the president's remarks and present him with several gifts for the team. The Badgers are giving Mr. Bush a Wisconsin letterwinners blanket, which features a large W in the center. The blanket has been embroidered with the president's name, using the W as his middle initial. Other presents include a Wisconsin cross country t-shirt and golf balls with the motion W on them.
'(Presenting the president with gifts) definitely makes it a little more special because I'm the one who is personally going to meet him, ' says Solinsky. 'It's a pretty special honor to be the one picked. I'm looking forward to that.
'One of the things that keeps running through my mind is its kind of cool feat. ' on TV, everyone talks about meeting the president and for our team to do it because we won nationals is pretty cool. (It's) kind of nice little bonus to add on to the end of our season.'
Led by the two-time individual champion Simon Bairu, the Badgers won their fourth NCAA championship and their first title since 1988. Wisconsin scored just 37 points, placing all five scorers among the 17 individual finishers. The top six UW finishers earned All-America honors. In addition to Bairu, Solinsky finished third; Withrow was ninth; senior Antony Ford placed 14th; freshman Stuart Eagon was 17th; and junior Tim Nelson placed 18th.
The Badgers will only be in Washington for a little more than a day and won't have much time to do much other sightseeing.
But for the athletes, the highlight will be meeting the president.
'I'd like to shake his hand,' says Withrow. 'That would be nice.'
