Seven Years a Badger

I didn’t plan on spending seven years as a Wisconsin student-athlete, but that’s how it’s turned out.

I was 18 in 2015 when I enrolled at UW after being recruited to run for the men’s cross country and track teams.

I got my undergraduate degree in biology in 2019 and will be almost 25 when I get my master’s in kinesiology in May.

I don’t think I’m the first person to follow such a long road to getting an education at a school like Wisconsin, but there’s a part of me that’s curious to know if anyone else has done it while competing in a Division I sport at the same time.

It’s normal for college athletes to redshirt their first year — using the time to get adjusted physically, emotionally and academically to a new level of demands — and then spend four more years getting an undergraduate degree. That’s how my college career began after coming to UW from Madison West High School.

Then came Achilles and knee injuries that forced me to miss a year of racing and be granted a medical redshirt from the NCAA. That led to my sixth year. 

Then came the coronavirus pandemic, which prevented me from competing for another year, but also put me in a position to have one more season of competition in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track for the Badgers.

I intend to make the most of it starting Friday when we’ll compete in University Park, Pennsylvania, and try and bring another Big Ten Conference cross country title back to Madison.

There are several running jokes with my current and former teammates about how long I’ve spent in college and how much older I am than the current freshmen. It’s funny to find myself in such a unique situation, but mostly I feel very lucky to have a team that still wants me around.

My former teammates have taken different paths since college; some still running competitively while others are not. I know that they each enjoyed their time here and I’m sure that they understand my motivation to continue competing at Wisconsin.

Two former team captains, Joe Hardy and Malachy Schrobilgen, have pursued more education and professional careers, while others like Morgan McDonald, Oliver Hoare and Benjamin Eidenschink are still running. I’ve often looked to these former teammates for guidance and all have encouraged me to continue my college career as long as I can.

My dad went on to help the Badgers win NCAA championships in 1982 and ’85. He was the individual winner in 1985 when the men’s and women’s meets were held in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, which is about 10 miles from where he grew up. He was a three-time All-American in cross country and a five-time All-American in track. He won three Big Ten titles in cross country and two in track.

My dad was the biggest influence on my running career, but it was my two older brothers, Wilson and Sam, who really sold it for me. Both went out for cross country as freshmen and made varsity at West. Watching them become accomplished runners like my dad made me believe that I was capable of doing the same thing.

Of course, having my younger sister, Vivian, compete in cross country and track for the UW women’s team is another motivation.

When you’re the youngest of three boys, you lose a lot and for a long time I couldn’t handle that. When my brothers would beat me in soccer or football, I would get upset and want to give up. I can remember playing a kids’ board game with my mom, Carol Chen, that was called “Hi Ho! Cherry-O.” She beat me and I cried. As I got older I learned how to be content with a performance where I’ve done my best and lost. I don’t like it, but only one person can win a race. Finding a balance between wanting to win and not getting discouraged in defeat has been a challenge for me. I’ve also learned to not play board games that are based on luck!

I can’t recall a specific moment when I became aware of my dad’s legacy as a world-class runner, but I have a very early memory of being at a hall of fame induction ceremony. My dad is in a couple of them, including the UW Athletic Hall of Fame, but my attention at this particular one was stolen by the delicious meatballs being served. In the few moments growing up when I was able to focus on things other than food, I noticed the All-America plaques, a picture of my dad’s NCAA championship team from 1982, and a picture of him crossing the finish line in the snow when he won the national title in 1985 hanging in our stairwell.

It took me a long time to really understand what these awards meant. My dad wasn’t one to talk about his own achievements, but I always held them in awe. With all his running honors, the ones he displayed are the ones he’s proudest of.

To my surprise, as I developed as an athlete in high school, it became a reality that I would be able to run at Wisconsin. I looked at some other schools, but the chance to add some of my own achievements to that display on the stairwell wall while running for the Badgers like my father had far too much meaning to pass up. I had a lot of goals entering college, many of them still unfulfilled.

One of the goals I’ve achieved came recently. Earlier this year, during an event in Milwaukee, I broke four minutes in the mile (3 minutes, 59.04 seconds). My dad’s best time in the mile was 3:55.7 back in 1988. That makes us the 14th father/son combo to break that legendary barrier.

I remember dad putting that out there as a challenge to see if his sons could join him and make some family history. To do that and have him there watching was incredibly special.

A goal I’ve yet to achieve is to be an All-American in cross country and put a plaque on that wall with my dad’s. Another is to win a Big Ten individual title — I’ve finished seventh, 12th and 19th — and I’d also like to be a part of our 52nd Big Ten team championship on Friday.

I’m not sure how realistic it is for us to win a sixth NCAA title. Our goal for that race in Tallahassee, Florida, on Nov. 20 is to be a podium team — meaning a top-four finish — and if we do that I’d be ecstatic.

I’ve definitely tried my best to get the most out of my college experience. I’ve lived at five different addresses and had 17 roommates. I’m very lucky to have been supported by so many people and made so many good friends.

I’ve put a lot in and gotten a lot out of my student-athlete experience at Wisconsin. Seven years is a long time to be doing anything, but I’ve loved every single second. I’m hoping the best is yet to come.

Did you enjoy reading this? Read more My Words stories from the Badgers here.