Reed Connor: off and running
September 15, 2009 | Men's Cross Country
Freshman Reed Connor has only been on the UW campus for a few weeks now, but is already making his presence felt on the UW men's cross country team. A highly-touted high school runner from the Houston area who received honors such as the Gatorade National Cross Country Runner of the Year, Connor brings experience and a knack for winning to the team. However, going from high school to a top college cross country team has been quite an adjustment for even him.
'I was expecting it to be a challenge; I didn't come in here thinking it was going to be easy,' says Connor. 'Mick (Byrne) had some really strong names for the top group, and really tried to push me to do things I am not able to do yet. I am transitioning, trying to get more mileage. Mentally, I am not the best guy here right now and that's kind of what you have to get used to. In high school everyone on your team knows you're the leader and knows you're the best guy. Everyone looks up to you, but here everyone is just as good. There are seven to eight guys on this team that are better than I am. They have more experience and I'm just trying to learn my role, you're a freshman all over again. Even though I was successful in high school, it's a whole new game.'
And while it is a whole new game out on the course, the transition from high school to collegiate academics can also seem daunting to many college freshmen.
'The last three days my roommate and I have been so busy, all we want to do is be back in high school,' Connor admitted. 'All we have done is homework the last three days. The classes are not so bad, I don't have that many but the rest of it is just homework. All of the reading and having to learn everything on your own it's a challenge right now. It's hard to find free time. I have to start reading a little quicker and then manage my time so I can get all of my work done along with my running so I can just relax sometimes.'
A new phenomenon that many freshmen have to manage is living with someone new for the first time. Luckily, Connor's roommate knows exactly what he is going through.
'My roommate is a runner on the team, Mike Brice,' Connor explained. 'Since he is a freshman too that helps. It's nice to have someone that is on this running journey with me. I'm not just alone with some kid that doesn 't understand what I'm doing as far as practice and getting my sleep. We get up in the morning and go on some of our runs together. It just makes the transition easier when someone knows how you're feeling when they are in a new position as well.'
As Connor is finding, coming from a warm state like Texas to a sometimes chilly state like Wisconsin is a transition in itself.
'I am not ready for the Wisconsin winter. The weather right now is pretty much like winter in Texas. Right now this is beautiful weather for training. However, I 'm sure I'll be singing a different tune in a couple months when I 'm freezing. But it's something I'm looking forward to getting used to, it's new and exciting.'
On Sept. 4, the UW men's cross country team hosted the first-ever meet held at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course, acclaimed by head coach Mick Byrne to be 'the best cross country course in the country.' At least one runner seems to agree.
'I thought the new course was great,' Connor gushed after finishing the 6.3k course in a time of 18:49.0. 'All of the courses in Texas are completely flat. We pretty much run on soccer courses and flat fields that are not like the course here. The Zimmer course has rolling hills; it was set up just for cross country. The grass was very nice, not dead at all. The way it was kept up is great and then the variety of the terrain was much better than anything I've ever run on before.'
Connor finished first at the UW Cross Country Classic, nearly 30 seconds ahead of the next best runner. Connor, who has won many races in the past, is aware of the talent of the runners around him.
'I was kind of surprised I won. I knew going in I was one of the top guys in that field and that I could compete with those guys. But as far as winning by almost 30 seconds and just running away with it, I definitely was not expecting that to happen. I think one of the advantages I had was being a top runner in high school. I knew how to lead a race and some of those guys in the race with me have been further back on the team. Whenever the top seven guys start running, we are going to be in the back of the pack. I am familiar with leading a race and that is what I did, it was kind of like high school all over again. I just kind of rolled with it. I went out with the guys, was feeling good and just went from there. Mick was in the cart yelling at me, telling me what to do. So I just listened to the coach and that made it easy.'
With 25 years of Division I coaching experience, Byrne is well aware of the transition that freshmen have to make when entering college.
'The big adjustment for incoming freshmen is typically the increase in mileage and the increase in pace that they run at,' Byrne said. 'Reed has handled that really well since he's come to campus. With that said, I was a bit surprised that he looked so fresh in the first meet, just because of the volume of training. That was impressive.'
UW men's cross country has won 10 consecutive Big Ten Championships, and has had its share of success at the NCAAs as well. While Connor has high expectations for his team to continue their success, he is unsure what his role on the team will be this year.
'Our big goal this year is to continue the Big Ten Championships we have won (10 in a row). Last year we got fourth in the nation and it would be nice to improve upon that. My goal is to just get out there and continue that Badger tradition. I'm not ever sure if I am going to be running, I may red shirt so I'm not positive about my role in that, but I know that the guys who are running are ready to defend that tradition and build on it.'
Head coach Mick Byrne is unsure of Connor's role at this point in the season as well. In terms of competing or redshirting, he concedes that the status of Connor and all of the freshmen is yet to be determined.
'At this stage in mid-September it's hard to know what the make-up of the team will be,' Byrne explained. 'I think that's what you use a lot of these early-season meets for. You need to keep everybody healthy and my goal is to get as many kids in the best shape we can so that we're in the position to have not just a seven-man roster, but a nine to 12-man roster that we can pick from for the championship season.'
In his second year with the UW men's cross country team, Byrne brings with him a lifetime of experience as well as a contagious personality. That combination is a big draw for high school kids looking for a top cross country program.
'Mick is great,' said Connor. 'When he was recruiting me, he was one of the main reasons I chose Wisconsin. I thought he was a great coach and his personality definitely stood out to me. He just seemed like he knew his stuff and he could get me and everyone else on our team to the top of our game and accomplish whatever goals we set for ourselves. And as a person he is just as good. He's funny. He 's Irish so with that accent, just listening to him talk is great. He has a different perspective coming from a different country. Some of his humor is great, refreshing and new. It will be an exciting next five years to learn from him.'
For Connor and Wisconsin cross country fans, the excitement appears to have already started.
Players Mentioned
