Huge crowds cheer Morgan McDonald to dream victory
November 18, 2018 | Men's Cross Country, Andy Baggot
NCAA Championships applauded as ‘incredible event’ at Zimmer Championship Course
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — On the same day Morgan McDonald seized a moment of personal triumph he also decided to let one go.
He did both with a satisfied smile on his face.
McDonald closed out a decorated career with the Wisconsin men's cross country team Saturday when he won the NCAA men's individual title on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.
On a day that required healthy supplies of Carmex and Gortex — 30 degrees, gray skies with a dusting a snow on the ground — McDonald won on his home layout with a time of 29 minutes, 8.3 seconds over 10 kilometers.
McDonald, a senior from Sydney, Australia, said the clutch performance — he was among the favorites in part because he was running on a course he knows like the back of his hand — gave him an unmatched feeling of accomplishment.
"It's something I put my heart and soul into for so long now," he said. "I've had so many great people around me, helping me get here."
McDonald pulled away from a pack of 12 runners with 400 meters left and became the first male runner to win a national cross country title on his home course since Bob Kennedy won for Indiana in Bloomington in 1992.
Today was a great day to be a Badger! Men's recap: http://go.wisc.edu/ca157w Women's recap: http://go.wisc.edu/2lj270
— Wisconsin Track & Field (@BadgerTrackXC) November 17, 2018
In the process, McDonald led the Badgers to an eighth-place finish and enhanced one of the best resumes in program history by adding his name to two short lists of overachievers.
He became the fourth Wisconsin runner to win an NCAA individual crown, joining Simon Bairu (2004 and '05), Tim Hacker (1985) and Walter Mehl (1939).
McDonald also became the eighth competitor in program history to record at least two top-10 finishes in the national meet, joining Bairu (2003, '04 and '05), Hacker (1982, '84 and '85), Don Gehrmann (1948 and '49), John Easker (1983 and '84), Jason Casiano (1992 and '94), Matt Downin (1998 and '99) and Mohammed Ahmed (2010, '11 and '12).
McDonald, who owns the school standard in the mile and is a four-time All-American and six-time Big Ten Conference titlist, was asked about his personal legacy. He let that go, at least for the time being.
"I don't think I'm the one to decide that," he said, noting that he still has one more go-round in track. "When I'm done we'll see where the dust settles."
Mick Byrne, the Wisconsin director of men's and women's track and field and cross country, redshirted McDonald last season knowing the NCAA meet would be staged in Madison. The idea was to fortify the lineup and give the Badgers a chance to win their sixth national championship.
While that bigger project fell short — Northern Arizona won its third straight title — the win by McDonald was a fabulous consolation prize.
"Incredible journey," Byrne said. "I'm so proud of Morgan."
🗣 NCAA CHAMPION, @mrgnmcdnld! The @BadgerTrackXC runner takes first place in the #NCAAXC Championship! @FloTrack
— Wisconsin on BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) November 17, 2018
McDonald's mother, Adrienne Torda, was on hand to watch her son's unforgettable performance. She made it just in time, flying standby and escaping snowy Boston, arriving late Friday night.
Mom was asked about the emotions of the day.
"It's up there with childbirth," she said.
That's a good thing.
"It's been fantastic," Adrienne said. "It's been a dream of Morgan's and Mick's to have this happen here."
It's hard to get an accurate measure of the crowd — estimates put it anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000 — but it was large enough to make a grown legend cry.
Retired Hall of Famer Ed Nuttycombe, who led the Badgers to 26 Big Ten track titles, said the throng that lined the course made him feel a "little verklempt."
"I don't think I've seen an NCAA crowd like this," said Byrne, who's in his 30th season as a college coach, including the last 10 in Madison. "Incredible event."
McDonald, who finished seventh in this race in 2016, said the partisan, flag-waving, name-chanting crowd made its energizing presence felt throughout the race.
"I felt it the whole way," he said
"I don't think I've ever seen an NCAA crowd like this. The numbers, I don't know, but it was an incredible event. To host this at home is just amazing." - @WiscoByrne Shoutout to all of the fans who came out to #NCAAXC today! 👐❤️
— Wisconsin Track & Field (@BadgerTrackXC) November 17, 2018
Especially down the stretch when McDonald outkicked Grant Fisher of Stanford, who was the top-ranked runner in the race.
"I can't even tell you," McDonald said.
The Wisconsin contingent got exactly what it wanted from the weather forecast.
"I think the snow was awesome," McDonald said. "When I woke up, it was just so pretty out there. This is the prettiest I've ever seen the course."
The last 400 meters elicited a roar from both sides of the course.
"I knew there was a lot of people around in that whole last 2K, which I didn't really expect," McDonald said. "There were so many bodies there and I was trying not to be the first one to make a move."
McDonald said he was trying to get a "vibe" from Fisher and Edwin Kurgat of Iowa State, who finished second and third, respectively.
"When the time was right I kind of put my foot down and just prayed it was enough," McDonald said.
Strategy wasn't part of McDonald's closing act.
"I wasn't going to be the one to dictate it," he said of the pace. "I just always wanted to put myself in the best spot to respond to their moves."
Check out some photos from the #Badgers great showing at #NCAAXC 📷- http://go.wisc.edu/b08938
— Wisconsin Track & Field (@BadgerTrackXC) November 17, 2018
Once McDonald hit the accelerator, he never turned to look behind him.
"I did tell myself how many times I've done this straightaway in the five years that I've been here and that I knew it better than anyone else," he said. "It was the final time to do it, so I definitely had a lot of emotion going into that straightaway."
The Badgers have been training and competing on the Zimmer course since it opened in 2009. Members of the men's and women's team — which finished eighth and 10th respectively — acknowledged earlier in the week that being at home was an advantage.
How did course awareness aid McDonald?
"I think it just allowed me to be more relaxed throughout the race," he said. "I didn't have to have that intensity, thinking too much about where I have to go because I knew it so well. In the end, that paid off."
Players Mentioned
