Five things to know: Big Ten Indoor Championships

Friday, February 23

Geneva, OH

9 AM

Wisconsin Badgers

Big Ten Indoor Championships

Photo by: Eric Miller

Five things to know: Big Ten Indoor Championships

February 21, 2018 | Men's Track & Field

Badgers gearing up for indoor championship season

Big Ten Indoor Championships

Friday, Feb. 23 - Saturday, Feb. 24 | Geneva, Ohio

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MADISON, Wis. – After a successful home meet at the Wisconsin Shell Shocker, the Wisconsin men's track and field team will now send 22 athletes to the Big Ten Indoor Championship meet this weekend to kick off the championship season. The two-day meet will take place at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Competition is slated to begin on Friday with the men's heptathlon 60 meter hurdles at 9 a.m. (CT).

Badger fans can follow the action on Twitter (@BadgerTrackXC).

1. LAST YEAR AT BIG TENS: At the 2017 Big Ten Indoor Championships, the Badgers enjoyed a third place overall finish, thanks to standout performances from across the board. In the heptathlon, Trent Nytes came out with a runner-up finish, scoring 5,526 points while teammate Zach Lorbeck finished fourth. On the track, Corbin Ellis had an impressive performance, setting a school record in the 600 meters with his time of 1:17.31. Distance duo Joe Hardy and Ollie Hoare both earned spots in the finals of the mile run, ultimately finishing fifth and eighth, respectively.

2. DYNAMITE DMR: On Saturday, Wisconsin sent a distance medley relay squad to the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame to compete in the event. The relay team consisting of Joe Hardy, Corbin Ellis, Eric Brown, and Ollie Hoare not only pulled off a third-place overall finish, but they also shattered the school record in the event with their time of 9 minutes, 27.72 seconds.

"These guys are in a really good spot, and we're excited about that," Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Mick Byrne said. "In the locker room yesterday, there was a lot of fun stuff going on, and they got the team roused up going into Big Tens, so that's awesome."

3. WISCONSIN SHELL SHOCKER: Last weekend, Wisconsin hosted a double-dual meet against Northern Iowa and Marquette at the Camp Randall Sports Center. Some highlights from the meet include Rashid Coulibaly's pole vault win, where he cleared a personal best height of 17-1 3/4 (5.23m). Teammate Tim Guthrie took the runner-up spot in the event with a mark of 16-2 (4.93m). In the throwing ring, senior Josh McDonald had a monstrous throw, smashing his previous personal best with a heave of 61-7 1/2 (18.87m), which ties to rank third all-time in program history. In the weight throw, Tucker Wedig also beat his personal best with a throw measuring 67-9 1/2 (20.66m). On the track, the distance runners led the way, with Cooper Barth and Ryan Clevenger sweeping the mile event, and freshman Austin Rendon collecting his first collegiate title in the 800 meters.

4. STRAIGHT FROM THE COACH: As the Badgers gear up for this weekend's championship meet, Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Mick Byrne notes that some of the team's top athletes have been firing on all cylinders. "Our big guns have certainly drawn some outstanding marks, and that's exciting as we head into this weekend's meet," says Byrne. "The Big Ten Conference is just blowing up in terms of performances over the last couple of years. More importantly this is about a team score, and ultimately, that's what track and field is all about."

5. NEXT IS NCAAS: After the conclusion of the Big Ten Indoor Championships, qualifying Badgers will take on the national stage at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas. To qualify, athletes must finish in the top-16 in their event or in the top-12 for relays.