Wisconsin Badgers
Badger Classic
Five things to know: No. 9 Wisconsin to host Badger Classic
September 13, 2018 | Men's Cross Country
Badgers set to host their first meet of the year on Friday
Badger Classic
Meet Coverage
Friday, Sept. 14 | 2 p.m. — Madison, Wis.
MADISON, Wis. – The No. 9 Wisconsin men's cross country team will launch the 2018 season with the Badger Classic on Friday. The meet, which will take place at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. with a women's 6K and a men's 8K to follow at 2:40 p.m. Admission is free and the meet will feature Marquette, the Arkansas men and the Northwestern women.Â
Badger fans can follow the action on Twitter (@BadgerTrackXC) and catch a recap following the meet on UWBadgers.com.
1. FIRST RACE, FIRST PLACE: Last year, the Wisconsin men's cross country team won the 'Mayflower Day' home opener meet. Led by freshman Tannor Wagner, the Badgers defeated UNI and Illinois Chicago at the triple-dual meet, besting UNI 19-36 and UIC 16-39.
2. MOVING UP: The Badgers moved up to No. 9 in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Coaches' Poll after starting the season with a No. 11 ranking. UW is also the top-ranked team in the USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional Rankings.
3. BACK ON TRACK: The Badgers are returning various athletes to their roster for the 2018-19 cross country season, including the 2016 & 2017 Big Ten Cross Country Champions. Morgan McDonald is a five-time Big Ten Champion and has also competed internationally, most recently at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Fellow Big Ten Cross Country Champion Oliver Hoare will also return to the team after a sensational sophomore season. The 2018 NCAA Outdoor 1500 meter Champion will look to return to the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Also returning to the team are juniors Olin Hacker and Ben Eidenschink. Hacker finished fourth for UW at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championship while Eidenschink finished 20th overall at the 2017 Big Ten Cross Country Championship.
4. HOME, SWEET HOME: Wisconsin is set to host four meets this season, including the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, the Wisconsin Pre-National meet and the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships in November.
5. STRAIGHT FROM COACH: "Right now, our focus is on doing the work necessary to be ready for Big Tens and beyond. September is all about training," UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. "Pretty soon here, things are going to heat up with the Nuttycombe Invite & Pre-Nats. At some point over the next month, all the major players in Division I cross country will be in Madison. It's easy to get caught up in that. We will not change anything up just because we host these massive meets. This year, we have some flexibility to move guys in and out of our roster for meets, and we will do that. Today, I can say with 100 percent certainty that some of our predicted top seven will not compete this week at our season opener."
