Five things to know: Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational

Friday, September 28

Madison, Wis.

11 a.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational presented by Under Armour

Photo by: David Stluka

Five things to know: Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational

September 27, 2018 | Men's Cross Country

Course Maps Spectator Information Watch on FloTrack Live Results

No. 9 Wisconsin welcomes athletes to Madison for premier home competition

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Badgers' cross country program is set to host the tenth-annual Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, Presented by Under Armour, this Friday at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.

The meet is scheduled to begin with the women's "B" 6K race at 11:00 a.m. (CT) with the men's "B" 8K race to follow at 11:40 a.m. The women's championship 6K is slated to begin at 12:20 p.m. and the men's championship 8K will follow at 1:00 p.m.

There is no spectator parking at the cross country course or University Ridge. Spectator parking will be located at Blackhawk Church in Middleton, Wisconsin.

Spectator shuttles are available to transport spectators for $5 round trip. Accessible shuttles will be available. The shuttle service will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude one hour after the final race has finished. The shuttle will pick up and drop off at the upper level of the parking structure at Blackhawk Church.

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. LAST YEAR: A young UW team finished 25th overall at last year's Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, led by senior captain Joe Hardy, who finished 25th overall. Next to score for Wisconsin was Ben Eidenschink, who finished 90th overall in his first race of the 2017 campaign, while Olli Hoare finished not far behind in 114th.

2. MCDONALD RETURNS: Senior Morgan McDonald was named the No. 6 individual in the NCAA as ranked by FloTrack's men's individual rankings. A five-time Big Ten Champion and three-time All-American, McDonald finished third overall at the 2016 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational and went on to finish 7th overall at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

3. HOARE IS BACK FOR MORE: Considering the fact that his last collegiate race was his NCAA Outdoor 1500 meter title-winning upset performance, it's safe to say that the spotlight will be on Olli Hoare in his cross country debut this weekend. The 2017 Big Ten Cross Country Champion, Hoare will look to improve upon last year's Nuttycombe finish at this weekend's competition.

4. BADGER CLASSIC: Wisconsin started the season off strong with a victory on home turf at the Badger Classic thanks to a 1-2 finish by junior Olin Hacker and senior Tyson Miehe. Competing in his first cross country race in almost two years, Hacker finished the 8K race with ease after breaking away from the lead pack and cruising to the finish in 25 minutes, 17.1 seconds. Miehe was next to cross the line, and finished with a seven-second lead on the third place finisher.

The younger members of the Wisconsin men's cross country team claimed the next three spots for UW. Freshman Derick Peters finished fourth overall in his collegiate debut while teammate sophomore Tannor Wagner took sixth overall. Rounding out the scoring for the Badgers was freshman Shuaib Aljabaly, who took 10th overall in the 8K race.

5. AFTER THE NUTTY: Wisconsin will prepare to host its third meet of the year as UW will host the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet on October 13. More than 80 men's teams are set to compete at this meet, which will serve as a preview for the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 17 at the Zimmer Championship Course.