Photo by: Chris Donahue
McDonald wins season opener in Australia
January 23, 2018 | Men's Track & Field
UW distance ace eyes Commonwealth Games spot
MADISON, Wis. – While the rest of the Wisconsin men's track and field team was asleep between the first and second days of the Larry Wieczorek Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa, UW distance standout Morgan McDonald was making his season debut on the other side of the world at the Hunter Track Classic in Australia.
McDonald didn't disappoint in his first race since competing at the 2017 IAAF World Championships, winning the 1500 meters in a personal-best time of 3 minutes, 39.14 seconds.
The Sydney, Australia, native is back in his native country training to compete at the Australian Athletics Championships next month. The national championships will serve as the trials for April's Commonwealth Games, an international multi-sport tournament that takes place every four years.Â
"Because the Australian National Championships are so early in the season, it didn't make sense for Morgan to go home for the holidays, come back to Madison and then go back to Australia," UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. "McDonald, an honors student, is taking 12 credits online and will return to UW to compete outdoors this year.
 "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Morgan to run in a major championship at home."
McDonald, who also redshirted the 2017 cross country season, won four Big Ten titles during the 2016-17 season and was named UW's Male Athlete of the Year. A two-time All-American, he enjoyed a breakout performance this past summer, running the fastest 5K time by a UW undergraduate of 13 minutes, 15.83 seconds to qualify for the 2017 IAAF World Championships.
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McDonald didn't disappoint in his first race since competing at the 2017 IAAF World Championships, winning the 1500 meters in a personal-best time of 3 minutes, 39.14 seconds.
The Sydney, Australia, native is back in his native country training to compete at the Australian Athletics Championships next month. The national championships will serve as the trials for April's Commonwealth Games, an international multi-sport tournament that takes place every four years.Â
"Because the Australian National Championships are so early in the season, it didn't make sense for Morgan to go home for the holidays, come back to Madison and then go back to Australia," UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. "McDonald, an honors student, is taking 12 credits online and will return to UW to compete outdoors this year.
 "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Morgan to run in a major championship at home."
McDonald, who also redshirted the 2017 cross country season, won four Big Ten titles during the 2016-17 season and was named UW's Male Athlete of the Year. A two-time All-American, he enjoyed a breakout performance this past summer, running the fastest 5K time by a UW undergraduate of 13 minutes, 15.83 seconds to qualify for the 2017 IAAF World Championships.
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