Previewing the NCAA Championship
November 20, 2008 | Men's Cross Country
One race decides it all. Everything that the Wisconsin men's cross country team has trained for accumulates to Monday's NCAA Championship meet in Terre Haute, Ind. After a remarkable season with a Big Ten Championship and NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship, the Badgers will look to make the podium on Monday.
'Obviously the objective going into the Great Lakes Regional meet was to win it, number one, and also to come out of there not banged up, and especially with our big guns,' head coach Mick Byrne said at his press conference. 'We accomplished both of those goals.'
Currently ranked No. 4 in the national poll, Wisconsin hopes for some cold running weather at the championship. Because the top ranked teams- Oregon, Oklahoma State, and Stanford- come from warmer climates, Mother Nature could play heavily into Wisconsin 's favor.
'There are obviously some big guns out there,' Byrne said. 'Any time you go to a national championship, there are a couple of favorites, and certainly Oklahoma State and Oregon are the big favorites. But behind all those guys, number three and four, we think that we're in there with a shot.'
One of the strongest aspects of Wisconsin's team is their experience. With Stu Eagon, Matt Withrow and Christian Wagner all competing in their fourth NCAA Championship, UW does not have to worry about their runners being nervous in the spotlight. All three runners performed well at the regional race and Mick Byrne is confident that they will help lead the Badgers come Monday.
In order to be successful, Wisconsin will need one last big performance by sophomore Landon Peacock and junior Craig Miller. Ryan Gasper has had the ability to break free in a few races this season, so the combination of these three runners will be vital to the Badgers' success.
'When we go to Terre Haute on Monday, the goal has been throughout the season to get back on the podium as one of the top four teams,' Byrne said. 'It's going to come down to who's going to put it together on the date. '
The race is set to take place at 12:45 p.m. and results can be found on trackshark.com and Indiana States DB_OEM_ID=15200&ATCLID=1149753&DB_OEM_ID=15200&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=15200&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT="> --> website . For information on television coverage of the Championship, please visit ncaa.com .
