Photo by: Tom Lynn
Five things to know: Badger Classic
September 04, 2019 | Men's Cross Country
Cross country opens season on Friday at home
2019 Badger Classic
Friday, Sep. 6 | 6:30 p.m. — Madison, Wis.
MADISON, Wis. – The Badgers ended off the 2018 season on their home course for the NCAA Cross Country Championships and will be taking a full circle to start their 2019 season in the same place. The team came out with an eighth-place finish to end the season and will look to improve throughout the year to end on an even better note. Their first meet of the season, the Badger Classic, will be held on the Zimmer Championship Course. The men's 8,000-meter race begins at 6:30 p.m.
Fans can follow the action on Instagram and Twitter (@BadgerTrackXC) and catch a recap following the meet on UWBadgers.com.
1. RETURNING RUNNERS: The Badgers return five out of their seven runners from last season. Leading the pack is senior Olli Hoare. Hoare, a four-time All-American and was runner-up at the 2018 Big Ten Championships. Redshirt senior Olin Hacker also returns after earning first-team All-America honors in the distance medley at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
It's not everyday that a true freshman plays a big role on a winning team, but Shuaib Aljabaly does just that. Last season, Aljabaly won the junior national title at the U.S. Cross Country Championships, which qualified him for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He also took home a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 10,000 meters.
2. NEW FACES: The Badgers added four new faces to their roster this fall. Two of these freshmen, Jack Meijer and Jackson Sharp, are coming in from overseas. Meijer and Sharp both have impressive accolades from their home countries and are looking to add to the Badgers' winning times. The other two freshmen, Rowen Ellenberg and David Vannucchi, are both Wisconsin natives looking to represent their home state.
3. BIG TEN CHAMPIONS: Last season, the Badgers won their 49th Big Ten Championship. The Badgers finished 1-2-4 in the individual race, which created a 50-point margin over second-place Purdue. Senior Olli Hoare took the second place behind graduated senior Morgan McDonald.Â
4. COACHES PRE-SEASON POLL: USTFCCCA (US Track Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association) released a coaches' poll, which placed Wisconsin at No. 8 going into the 2019 fall season.
5. IMPRESSIVE HOME SCHEDULE: In addition to the Badger Classic, Wisconsin will also host the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 18 and the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 15.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
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