Wisconsin Badgers
Illinois State Invitational
5 things to know: Badgers at Illinois State Invite
September 07, 2017 | Women's Cross Country
No. 14 UW continues competition with a meet at Illinois State
Wisconsin
Illinois State Invitational
Game Coverage
Friday, Sept. 8 | 5 p.m. CT — Bloomington, Ill.
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men's cross country team heads to Bloomington, Illinois on Friday for the 2017 Illinois State Invite. The meet, which will take place at the Weibring Golf Course, starts at 5 p.m. with a women's 5K and wraps up with a men's 8K at 5:45 p.m. A recap will be available following the meet on UWBadgers.com.
"September is about training for what lies ahead," UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. "Right now, that's our focus. Friday's meet at Illinois State, gives some of our student-athletes an opportunity to compete, and hopefully they will take full advantage of this opportunity. Every competition is important because it gives you a chance to evaluate, and plan. The expectation for the guys racing this weekend is to put themselves in a position to contribute down the road when it matters."
1. Looking back: Wisconsin opened its 2017 campaign at the IU Open and had three runners in the top 15. Sophomore Amy Davis took home her first collegiate cross country victory, crossing the line in 17 minutes, 39.9 seconds, while Erin Wagner was 12th and Alissa Niggemann was 15th. As a team, UW placed fourth behind Big Ten rivals Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio State.
2. Dang, Davis: Davis enjoyed a spectacular start to her sophomore season thanks to her win at the IU Open. After sitting in approximately 20th after 4K, Davis passed the field en route to her individual title. The time marked a 5K cross country PR for the sophomore, who is the daughter of UW wrestling head coach Barry Davis and All-American distance standout Nan (Doak) Davis.
3. Gone camping: Prior to racing last Saturday, Wisconsin spent a week in Door County for the team's annual preseason camp. The Badgers ran the trails at Peninsula State Park, spent time on the beaches in Door County and also found time to go go-karting and play mini golf. Check out the photos from the exciting week.
4. Another day, another ranking: Wisconsin checked in No. 13 in the DyeStat preseason rankings, a week after checking in at No. 14 in the first U.S. Track and Field and Cross County Coaches Association National Coaches' Poll. In addition, UW senior Sarah Disanza, a three-time All-American in track and cross country, was ranked No. 30 in DyeStat's individual rankings. .
5. Coming home (soon): Following Friday's meet, Wisconsin returns home for the Wisconsin Mayflower Day Open on Sept. 16 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, the site of the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships. The Mayflower Day Open is one of two home meets on the schedule for UW as the Badgers will host the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational presented by Under Armour on Oct. 13.
Players Mentioned
