Badgers seek 10th straight Big Ten title this weekend
October 28, 2008 | Men's Cross Country
Ten is the lucky number. A number that the University of Wisconsin men's cross country has been fighting for all season. This Sunday, the Badgers will travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan for the Big Ten Championship'a race that will most likely focus on two teams. Ranked No.1 and No.2 in the Great Lakes Regional poll, UW and the University of Michigan are the heavy favorites to finish atop the Big Ten in Ann Arbor.
The Badgers will have to overcome several obstacles in order to win their tenth straight Big Ten crown and first under first-year head coach Mick Byrne. Mainly, the home-field advantage aspect will play into Michigan's favor because of the hilly terrain that Wolverine runners practice every day. Also, Michigan head coach Ron Warhurst is advertising this event to the public in order to get more supporters to cheer on their maize and blue. Byrne referenced Michigan's plan to make the race an alumni event in order to have additional support for their runners to end Wisconsin's chance at a decade-long streak.
'The kids are excited about going up to Ann Arbor, taking on Michigan on their home course' Byrne said. 'They're going to throw everything at us. They do not want the Badgers to win their 10th-straight title, that's obvious. So this week is preparation for these guys, and we're really looking forward to it.'
One of the main reasons the first year UW coach is confident in his runners is because seniors Stu Eagon and Matt Withrow will make their first appearances on Sunday. Byrne described them as being 100 percent ready to run because they do not want to lose the Big Ten title in their senior season. Last year at the Big Ten Championship, Withrow took the gold and broke the 24 minute mark while Eagon placed fifth in the event. Because of their efforts, both runners received All-Big Ten honors.
Unlike the conventional cross country race featuring seven runners, the Big Ten Championship will include nine runners in the race, with the top five runners counting in the overall score. UW runners competing in Ann Arbor will be sophomore Landon Peacock, junior Craig Miller, senior Christian Wagner, junior Ryan Gasper, sophomore Ryan Craven, sophmore Jack Bolas and freshman Elliot Krause.
'These guys have been through the mill' Byrne said. 'They know what it's all about, and you have to rely on these guys that, you know, there 's no real big game plan here. It's just get out and try to run Michigan into the ground.'
