June 16, 2015
? USTFCCCA Release
MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin women's track & field and cross country program placed fifth in the Terry Crawford Women's Program of the Year standings, its best-ever finish in the comprehensive rankings of college running programs.
The Badgers finished 10th at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship, 18th at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships and 15th at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships last week in Eugene, Oregon.
Oregon, this year's NCAA outdoor champions, won the Terry Crawford Women's Program of the Year award, while NCAA indoor champion Arkansas was runner-up. Wisconsin netted the best finish of any Big Ten school, as Michigan State finished seventh, Michigan was eighth and Minnesota was 16th.
Wisconsin's previous best finish in the rankings, which began in 2009 and are administered by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, was 12th during the 2011-12 season. To qualify for the rankings, teams must score at the NCAA cross country championship, NCAA indoor championships and NCAA outdoor championships.
The Badgers were led by sophomore Sarah Disanza, who helped UW finish 10th at the NCAA cross country meet with a runner-up effort. Disanza also helped UW tie for 18th at the NCAA indoor meet with a third-place showing in the 5000 meters. Junior Kelsey Card scored big points for UW during the track and field season, placing fourth in the shot put at the indoor national championships. Card continued her success to the outdoor season, as she finished second in both the shot put and discus at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, helping UW tie for 14th, its best NCAA finish since 1998.
"Two years ago when we combined the programs, I challenged the women to `Be better,'" UW Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. "Over the past two years the bar has been raised by Kelsey Card, Sarah Disanza, Deanna Latham and Georgia Ellenwood, to name a few. We need to continue to `be better' by raising the expectations and have more athletes respond to the challenge.
"Rome wasn't built in a day. We are improving and we are already excited about next year. We have some momentum here and despite the conference being ridiculously good right now, we have to continue to `Be better.'"
The UW men checked in 11th in the 2015 John McDonnell Men's Program of the Year standings thanks to a 10th-place showing at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship. Malachy Schrobilgen finished 10th at the national cross country meet to lead UW to its top-10 finish, and also scored at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Senior Michael Lihrman won the national title in the indoor weight throw to lead UW to tie for 18th.
The men's program was also the highest-ranked Big Ten program, as Michigan State was the only other team to earn a spot in the standings. Oregon won the John McDonnell Program of the Year award after sweeping the indoor and outdoor national titles.
Wisconsin was one of only seven schools to be ranked in both the men's and women's program of the year standings at the end of the year.
"When you consider that you must score in all three championships to make the rankings, it is still a nice accomplishment for the men," Byrne said. "They were only one of 16 squads in the country to do so. We have a lot of youth in our ranks right now and the expectations moving forward are also very high."
