Solinsky Wins Second Consecutive NCAA Title
June 09, 2007 | Men's Track & Field
Senior Chris Solinsky (Stevens Point, Wis.) earned his second consecutive title in the 5,000 meters Friday night at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Solinsky finished the race in 13 minutes, 35.12 seconds, four seconds in front of the next competitor.
'It was a relief to be done because, being a senior, it was my last chance at that national title. And there is stress that goes along with it,' said Solinsky. 'I wanted my last time wearing a Badger uniform to be one where I go out on top. I had that pressure going in. But to have put my last race behind me and have a victory. It felt great.'
'In the case of Chris, that was a fabulous performance,' said UW head coach Ed Nuttycombe. 'He was the most prepared and the better athlete on the track. He was very patient and ran a very good race and when he made his move, nobody could go with him.'
This is Solinksy's second national title this season and his UW men's track record fifth overall. Solinsky claimed the 5,000 meter indoor title in March of this year, won the 2005 and 2006 indoor titles in the 3,000 meters, and is now the back-to-back champion in the 5,000 meters at the outdoor championships.
'It was definitely one of my most memorable titles,' Solinsky added. 'They are all memorable because each one has a unique story, but this one is special.'
'He has five national championships,' said Nuttycombe. 'That is pretty incredible.'
Fellow senior Joe Detmer (Lodi, Wis.) finished second in the decathlon with 7,963 points, setting a new Big Ten Conference and UW record. He broke the Big Ten record of 7,926 points set by Michigan State's Paul Terek in 2004 and the UW record of 7,924 points held by former NCAA champion James Dunkleberger in 1997. Detmer's total also qualified him for the USA Championships later this month and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Detmer, who was seeded 13th going into the championships, was in third place after day one of the decathlon. His five personal bests in the decathlon helped him edge Jangy Addy of Tennessee for second place, earning eight points for the Badgers. Detmer's most notable performance was in the 1500 meters where he set the collegiate decathlon record with a time of 4:04.11.
The Badgers picked up another four points from senior Tim Nelson in the 10,000 meters. Nelson (Palo Cedro, Calif.) finished in fifth place with a time of 29:00.75. Sophomore Christian Wagner (Columbus, Ind.) placed 23rd in 30:10.93. Craig Miller (Lancaster, Pa.) finished 12th in the 1,500 meter finals in 3:46.62, earning All-America honors.
Sophomore James Groce (Milwaukee, Wis.), who recently took first at the NCAA Regional meet, did not advance in the 400 meters. He finished fifth in his heat and 23rd overall, with a time of 47.60.
Wisconsin scored 22 points to tie for seventh place, its second-straight top-10 finish. The Badgers, who picked up four All-America honors at the meet, share their position with Louisville. Florida State took home the title with 54 points. LSU was close behind with 48 points and Auburn followed with 34. Tennessee, Southern California and North Carolina, respectively, earned the remaining top-six spots.
A list of complete results can be found here .
