Five things to know: Wisconsin Pre-Nationals

Saturday, October 13

Madison, Wis

10 a.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin Pre-Nationals

Badgers at the start line for the 2018 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational

Photo by: Tom Lynn

Five things to know: Wisconsin Pre-Nationals

October 10, 2018 | Men's Cross Country

No. 3 Badgers to host third meet of the year at Zimmer Championship Course

Wisconsin Pre-Nationals

Saturday, Oct. 13 | 10 am — Madison, Wis.

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MADISON, Wis. – After earning a runner-up finish on home turf at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, the No. 3 Wisconsin men's cross country team is headed back to the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course for the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet.

The Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet will play host to more than 70 men's teams from across the country and will serve as a preview for the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships on November 17.

The meet is scheduled to begin with the women's "Cardinal" 6K race at 10:00 a.m. (CT) with the women's "White" 6K race to follow at 10:45 a.m. The men's "Cardinal" 8K race, featuring the No. 3 Badgers, will begin at 11:30 p.m., followed by the men's "White" 8K race at 12:15 p.m. Rounding out the day will be the women's "Gray" 6K race at 1:00 p.m. with the men's "Gray" 8K race to occur at 1:45 p.m.

There is no spectator parking at the cross country course or University Ridge. Spectator parking will be located at EPIC Systems in Verona.

Spectator shuttles are available to transport spectators for $10 round trip. Accessible shuttles will be available. The shuttle service will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude one hour after the final race has finished.

Fans can follow the action on Twitter and Instagram (@BadgerTrackXC) and fans that are unable to attend can watch the meet live on FloTrack.

1. NUTTYCOMBE RUNNER-UPS: Led by senior Morgan McDonald, the Wisconsin men's cross country team earned a runner-up finish at the 2018 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, their highest team finish at the home competition since 2014. The Badgers tallied just 135 points, with three runners finishing within the top-20. McDonald won the Nuttycombe Invitational title, while teammates Oliver Hoare finished 15th and Olin Hacker took 17th overall in the stacked race. Rounding out the scoring for UW were Ben Eidenschink, who recorded his best-ever finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational with a 31st place showing, and Tyson Miehe, who crossed the line in 73rd.

2. MCDONALD COMPLETES THE SWEEP: In his first race of the year, Morgan McDonald came out with a bang, becoming the first Badger to win the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational title in its ten-year existence. McDonald broke away from the lead pack in the home stretch, and was able to out-kick Edwin Kurgat of Iowa State, crossing the line of the 8K race in 23 minutes, 17.6 seconds. Thanks to his efforts, the Sydney, Australia native helped complete Wisconsin's sweep of the individual titles, as teammate Alicia Monson also won the women's race with an upset victory.

The senior earned national recognition for his performance at the Nuttycombe Invite, including the first USTFCCCA National Cross Country Athlete of the Week honor ever won by a Badger. He also earned Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors for the first time in his career for his historic race.

3. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME: This weekend's Pre-National meet will mark the first time in the past decade that the Wisconsin cross country team has participated in the preview meet. BYU took the win at last year's Pre-National meet, which was held at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky, thanks to having all five of its scorers finish within the top-15, including an individual win by Rory Linkletter.

4. ROCKETING IN THE RANKINGS: After their fantastic performance at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, the Wisconsin men's cross country team shot up in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Coaches' Poll. Previously, the Badgers were ranked No. 9 in the nation, but after their runner-up Nuttycombe Invite finish, they were rewarded with a No. 3 ranking, their best ranking in the USTFCCCA poll since they were No. 1 for five weeks in 2012.

5. BIG TENS AND BEYOND: Following the Wisconsin Pre-National meet will officially be championship season, as the Badgers will head to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the Big Ten Cross Country Championships on Oct. 28. Hosted by the University of Nebraska, this year's Big Ten championship will take place at the Mahoney Golf Course and is scheduled to begin with the women's 6K race at 10:45 a.m. (CT). The meet will be streamed live by FloTrack.