Wisconsin ready to vie for Big Ten title

Sunday, October 30

Minneapolis, Minn.

11 AM

Wisconsin Badgers

Big Ten Championship

Photo by: David Stluka

Wisconsin ready to vie for Big Ten title

October 29, 2016 | Women's Cross Country

Badgers travel to Minnesota for Big Ten Cross Country Championship

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin women's cross country team hits the road this weekend for the 2016 Big Ten Cross Country Championship on Sunday. This year's meet will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Les Bolstad Golf Course. The gun goes off for the women's race at 10 a.m., with the men's race following at 11 a.m.

For the first time in conference history, the meet will be shown live on BTN and a live stream will be available via BTN2Go.

"We, as coaches in the Big Ten have been pushing for this for years," Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. "It's exciting for our athletes, it's exciting for fans who can't make it to Minneapolis. Anytime you get the opportunity to put your kids out there on TV and put your name out there, it's awesome."

The Badgers previously raced at Les Bolstad Golf Course during their season opener, and look to use that experience to help them prepare for their first post season battle.

"We went up there that very first meet, that first weekend in September," Byrne explained. "It was very soft, they'd had a lot of rain up there just like we had here. We told the kids, this is what it's going to be like at the Big Ten's in October. So having that opportunity to see the course, run on it, is huge."

Last year at the Big Ten meet, the Badgers finished fifth with Shaelyn Sorensen leading the way, placing seventh overall. Sorensen's finish was the best by any freshman, earning her Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

This season, Sorensen, a native of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, opened her cross country campaign with a victory at the Oz Memorial Invitational, but has been unable to race since the Sept. 9 meet due to injury.

Along with Sorensen, Wisconsin returns four of its five scorers from last year's race. Senior Michele Lee, junior Jamie Shannon, and sophomore Erin Wagner all placed within the top 40 individually.

Lee has used her leadership and experience to be a key contributor this year. After being UW's third finisher at the Oz Memorial Invitational, she has led the team, being the top scorer at each meet since. Her season is highlighted by a first place finish at the Badger Classic in late September.

Also pacing the Badgers is redshirt freshman Amy Davis. This season she has finished second for Wisconsin in every meet. Davis and Lee run most of their races side by side, helping push each other to faster times on the course.

Freshman Alicia Monson is coming off an impressive showing at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational. In just her second race for the cardinal and white, Monson finished third for UW and 77th overall against most of the nation's top teams.

Returning from injury this weekend are senior Sarah Disanza and junior Jamie Shannon. Although neither of them have raced this season, both have the ability to run quick races and lower the team score.

Disanza was runner-up at the 2014 NCAA Championship meet and placed second at the 2014 Big Ten Cross Country Championship, leading UW to a runner-up showing. Shannon, a fixture for UW last year, was the team's third runner to cross the line at last year's Big Ten meet.

"We fully expect to have Sarah Disanza back in the fold," Byrne said. "Every week she's getting better. She's getting stronger, she's a great athlete we know that."

Behind Sorensen, Disanza, Lee, and Davis, the women are looking to prove that Wisconsin has what it takes to stand at the top the Big Ten conference.

"I expect both teams to go in and compete for the Big Ten title." Byrne said. "I think both races are wide open, and you don't always get that opportunity. All you can ask your kids to do is get in a fight, and I think we are certainly in a position where we can go in to fight and to win another Big Ten title."