Badgers head west for Bill Dellinger Invitational
September 29, 2011 | Men's Cross Country
Sept. 29, 2011
MADISON, Wis. -- Following an idle week, the No. 2-ranked Wisconsin men's cross country team is prepared to head west for the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, Ore., this weekend.
The Badgers will travel with confidence, as the team took home the overall victory in its last competition, the Orange and Blue Preview, back on Sept. 9. In his season debut, sophomore Michael Brice led UW and earned the individual victory at the event.
The team is ready to run in its third meet of the season, and to head coach Mick Byrne, it's just the next step toward their goals this season.
"We look on this as a stepping stone to the rest of the season," Byrne said. "We've done a volume of work-- let's see where we're at right now."
The Bill Dellinger Invitational will take place at the Springfield Country Club, with the 8-kilometer race scheduled to begin at 1:15 a.m. (CT).
| Bill Dellinger Invitational | |
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 1 | 1:15 a.m. (CT) |
| Location | Springfield, Ore. | Springfield Country Club |
| Admission | Free |
| Parking | Mohawk Elementary School |
| Meet Schedule | Women (5K): 12:30 p.m. | Men (8K): 1:15 p.m. |
| Course Info | Directions | Course Maps  |
| Live Coverage | @Badger_Track on Twitter  |
The race will also mark the debut for many of the team's experienced runners, and they're excited to get out and run competitively for the first time this season.
"The guys are just anxious to get out there and just run a race. They haven't raced in a long time," Byrne said of his veterans. "They're anxious to see how their bodies will respond to an actual race situation."
The event's nine-team field will include No. 8 Oregon, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, Idaho, Portland State, Southern Utah and Wichita State.
While there's nice depth in this year's field, one team sticks out in particular to Byrne and his men.
"Oregon is a great program with great history," Byrne said. "Running against another program with great history like ours is always very exciting."
A storied program, the Oregon men's cross country team was winner of back-to-back national titles in 2007 and 2008, and most recently placed sixth in last season's NCAA championship.
Byrne knows that for many people, the race could become all about the showdown of Wisconsin vs. Oregon, but for him and his team, it's just another chance to evaluate.
"Other people could look at it and say, `It's No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 8 Oregon. Two storied programs in Eugene,' and they could blow it out and make a big deal," Byrne said. "But from my perspective, and our team's perspective, we've done a certain amount of work, so let's see where we're at right now."
There's no doubt the matchup with Oregon will be intriguing, however, as it ultimately came down to Oregon and Wisconsin in last year's meet, with the Ducks squeaking out the team victory by a 12-point margin over the Badgers.
"We had a great race with them last year," Byrne said. "It was head-to-head competition. It was very close."
As the competition continues to rise with each meet, it becomes less about preparing for the "now," and more about using competition for the end result.
"I call it, `the turning into October,'" Byrne said. "The mentality changes a little bit.
"The focus is on the end result and where we're going to be, not necessarily in two weeks, but four weeks down the road as we get into Big Ten competition."
