Previewing the 2008 Season
September 11, 2008 | Men's Cross Country
Beginning on Saturday at the Northern Illinois Huskie Open, the men's cross country team will embark on their run at a 10th-straight Big Ten title and an NCAA championship. The Badgers return five of their top seven runners and are confident in their abilities as a team due to their continuity. The meet this weekend will feature a unique line-up full of young talent. Competing on Saturday will be two juniors (Ryan Gasper, Tim Pierie), two sophomores (Ryan Craven, David Pede), and four freshman (Maverick Darling, Sam Frederick, Elliot Krause, Phil Thomas). Also embarking on his first meet at Wisconsin is head coach Mick Byrne. No stranger to the NCAA winner's podium himself, Byrne inherits a veteran Badgers squad with its sights set squarely on the same championship goal.
The new skipper
With the offseason departure of Jerry Schumacher, the Badgers lost a head coach with nine-straight conference titles on his resume. As it would turn out, all Wisconsin did was replace him with a head coach with 17 consecutive conference titles to his credit.
A 24-year veteran of the Division I coaching circle, Byrne guided Iona College to a podium finish in four of the last five years. Now firmly entrenched at Wisconsin, Byrne assesses the 2008 season.
What attracted you to the Wisconsin head coaching position'
The running community throughout the United States has great respect for the amazing history of success the University of Wisconsin has enjoyed both in the Big Ten and nationally. The Wisconsin name is synonymous with excellence in distance running. The university's academic reputation, its commitment to athletic success, the facilities, the city of Madison and the opportunity to coach some of the best young talent in the nation, all played into my decision to come to Wisconsin.
How would you describe your training/coaching style' What can the athletes expect '
First and foremost, the athletes can expect to see a big commitment from me to academic success. They must first understand that they are student-athletes and as such, must be accountable for their performance in the classroom.
In terms of training, I believe my philosophy is somewhat similar to former coach Jerry Schumacher's in that there is a big emphasis on aerobic strength. Where we might differ is in our approach to achieving this. I'm a big believer in hill reps, tempo runs and short, controlled, interval sessions even during summer cross country training. Typically, I would start all of the above work in early July and use smart, planned, progressions through the end of September. October through mid-November is more race-specific training and I'm positive that we have very similar approaches to this.
Your squads at Iona had a very international flavor, what are your recruiting plans at Wisconsin'
The differences between Iona College and University of Wisconsin are obvious. Most high school athletes want a 'total' college experience and by that I mean academics, athletics and most importantly a school with a 'brand' name. Name recognition is huge in the mind of a 17-year old. Big time athletics helps establish a school's 'brand' name. Taking a high school recruit to a football game at Camp Randall Stadium or a basketball or hockey game at the Kohl Center, is an awesome experience for any young person, and a great recruiting tool. The recruiting formula at Wisconsin has worked for a long time and I'm not about to change it. As in the past, I will continue to recruit the top high school athletes in the country and hopefully our legacy of success will continue to encourage them to come to Madison.
With a veteran team returning in 2008, what are your expectations for this season'
The focus will be on performing well in November starting with the defense of our Big Ten team title at Michigan. Ten-in-a-row sounds nice to me! The the focus will shift to regionals and nationals and it is important we are prepared to run the two tough 10k 's nine days apart.
Ultimately we will be looking to improve on last year's fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and earn another podium spot.
Can you talk about the senior leadership you have with seniors Matt Withrow, Stuart Eagon and Christian Wagner'
All three of these guys were on the 2005 national championship team. They have a ton of experience between them. They know how to win Big Ten championships and national championships. Speaking with the guys, they want more and would love to end their collegiate cross country eligibility on a high note. Having veterans of this caliber is huge and I expect them to provide the necessary leadership for the rest of the team.
Who are some of the other athletes on the team to keep an eye on'
It is still very early in the season, but juniors Ryan Gaper and Craig Miller are expected to play a big role in our plans for this fall. Both are coming off very strong outdoor seasons. Gasper won the Big Ten steeplechase title, and Miller, best known for his exploits on the track, is I believe, very capable and ready for a big cross country season.
Sophomores Landon Peacock and Ryan Craven have also had very solid summers and will definitely be counted on this fall. Peacock with ninth last year at the Big Ten meet and 17th at regionals, and is expected to be a solid top-five scorer this fall.
Track star, sophomore Jack Bolas had an outstanding outdoor season, and is very capable of vying for a scoring spot this fall. Add to this mix, junior Tim Pierie, sophomore David Pede and redshirt freshmen Sam Frederick, Luke Rucks and Phil Thomas, and we have a core group of guys ready to contribute.
What can you tell us about the talented incoming freshmen class'
I am very excited about the incoming group of freshmen. This year's class is small, but very good. Rob Finnerty was ninth at the Foot Locker national meet closely followed by Maverick Darling in 10th place. These guys have competed at the highest level in high school and know what it is like to compete on the national stage.
Elliot Krause is the reigning Wisconsin state division 1 cross country champion and, as with all our freshmen, we'll see how they develop as the season progresses. On the track, Finnerty ran a time of 8:50.96 for two miles (which was number four nationally) and 4:01.09 for the mile (which was number one nationally). Darling wasn't much behind, running an 8:57.80 for the two mile.
