Five things to know: Big Ten Championships

Friday, October 29

State College, Pa.

10:45 a.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

Big Ten Championships

The women's cross country team at the start of a race

Five things to know: Big Ten Championships

October 27, 2021 | Women's Cross Country

Badgers battle for the B1G title

By: Miriam Jaber

Watch Live | Live Results

MADISON, Wis. — The 22nd-ranked Wisconsin women's cross country team travels to State College, Pennsylvania, to compete in the Big Ten Championships. The Badgers are fighting to bring home their 14th Big Ten Championship title in the women's 6,000-meter race when it takes off at 10:45 a.m. CT on the Penn State Golf Course.

Last Time at Big Tens: Last year, Wisconsin earned sixth place at the Big Ten Championship, its only meet of the COVID-19 season. Brogan MacDougall led the Badger with her seventh place finish in 20 minutes, 44.1 seconds. Alexa Westley was the second Badger to cross the finish line, finishing \five seconds behind MacDougall to secure 12th place in 20:49.3. MacDougall earned first-team All-Big Ten honors while Westley earned second-team accolades. Alissa Niggemann (21:32.2), Vivian Hacker (21:36.4), and Sarah Shulze (21:40.4) secured the sixth-place finish for Wisconsin with their 35th, 39th, and 43rd place finishes, respectively.
Comeback Season: The Badgers bounced back to their competitive ways after starting the 2021 season ranked 29th in the nation. With two race wins, a second-place finish at Live in Lou Classic, and a 10th-place finish at Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, Wisconsin should be one of the top teams on Friday.
Key Returnees: Westley and Niggemen will return to championship racing this Friday alongside other 2020 Big Ten Returnees Samantha Stieve, Victoria Heiligenthal, and Scarlet Dale. MacDougall is out this season with an injury. Senior Lucinda Crouch and sophomore Shea Rhuly are seeking to make an impact on race day. This season, Ruhly won the Badger Classic and led Wisconsin to a second-place finish at the Live in Lou Classic with her sixth-place individual finish in 16:46.7. Crouch won the Bradley Intercollegiate in 16:21.5, leading the Badgers to their second perfect score of the season.
Scouting the competition: Wisconsin is the third nationally ranked Big Ten school behind No. 6 Minnesota and No. 9 Michigan. Michigan State is the reigning champion, winning the 2020 championship with 48 points, 28 points ahead of second-place finisher Minnesota. Minnesota's Bethany Hasz returns after winning the individual title alst season.
Follow Along: The 2021 Big Ten Cross Country Championships will be streamed live on BTN+ with live results available on PTTiming. Fans can follow the action on Instagram and Twitter (@BadgerTrackXC) and catch a recap following the meet on UWBadgers.com.