Results
| |  | 2014 NCAA Great Lakes Regional
Zimmer Championship Cross Country Couse • Madison, Wis. • Distance: 6 Kilometers
Complete Results  | Photos  | Video Recap  | |
Team Results
| | 1. | Michigan State | 28 | | 2. | Wisconsin | 82 | | 3. | Toledo | 133 | | 4. | Michigan | 137 | | 5. | Ohio State | 155 | | |
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Nov. 14, 2014
MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 6 Wisconsin women’s cross country team continued its remarkable 2014 season, as the Badgers finished second at the 2014 NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday at the Zimmer Championships to earn an automatic spot at the 2014 NCAA Championships.
It marked the second-straight year the Badgers earned a trip to the NCAA meet, as UW earned an at-large bid after placing fifth at last year’s NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
| Fast Facts | | • Sarah Disanza leads the Badgers in her fifth meet of the season | | • Wisconsin places four runners in the top-20 of today's meet | | • UW improves from a fifth place finish at last year's NCAA Great Lakes Regional to second place this year | |
Michigan State, ranked No. 1 in the nation, bested the Badgers with a team score of 28, while UW was second with 82 points. No. 26 Toledo (133 points), No. 8 Michigan (137 points), and No. 19 Ohio State (155 points) finished out the top-five for the team scoring.
Michigan State senior Leah O’Connor won the 6-kilometer race in a time of 19 minutes, 45 seconds, with sophomore teammate Rachele Schulist taking second in 19:45 as well. Wisconsin sophomore
Sarah Disanza was the first Badger to cross the line, placing third in 19:58.
Disanza sat in ninth place heading into the final two kilometers, but surged past fourth-place finisher Molly Seidel of Notre Dame down the homestretch to take third.
Senior
Gabi Anzalone took ninth overall and second for the Badgers with a time of 20:14, with junior
Molly Hanson right behind her taking 12th overall and third for UW with a time of 20:19. Junior
Emma-Lisa Murphy was 18th overall and fourth for the Badgers in a time of 20:34, and freshman
Colette Richter finished out the scoring for UW by finishing 40th overall and fifth for the Badgers in a time of 21:00.
After having to wait until after the race last year to find out if the Badgers made the national meet, the team was excited about earning an automatic bid.
“We were feeling really good, we were feeding off of each other’s energy, and really able to help motivate each other throughout the race, so that was really exciting for us,” Disanza said.
Anzalone, a veteran of the regional meet as a senior, was pleased with how the Badgers executed notes the team’s ability to follow the race plan today.
“As a team, I really believe that we executed fairly well for the first half of the race,” Anzalone said. “It was just a test to see how much we could work together throughout the rest of the race and really pull through and work up within the pack like we would have to for nationals.”
Disanza was pleased with her individual finish as her late surge helped the team earn its second-place finish.
“That was definitely frosting on the cake,” Disanza said. “That was just a kind of spur of the moment thing, since I figured as I was picking up and slowly starting to close in on her, I figure I might as well seal the deal and finish in the top three.”
Anzalone noted the vast improvement from the women’s team last season.
“You know, this year from last year, you can’t even compare it. The team energy is so much better, so much different,” Anzalone said. “But we were really excited coming into this, just really relaxed, and regardless of what was going on, we were just having fun out there and enjoying the environment.
“Coming in fifth last year, we were nervous about if we were even going to make it, and this year, unofficially coming in second.
“We’re just really amped to get ready for next week and really push forward.”
Director of Cross Country and Track and Field
Mick Byrne was pleased with today’s race as the team turns its attention to the national meet on Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
“They are very excited for next week,” Byrne said. ”They are in a real good spot and had a great run at Big Tens. Today, they came off of the course and feel really good on how they ran out there. I don’t think they went into the well at all. That’s the important part. Coming in here and not going into the well.”
