MADISON, Wis – The five-time national champion UW men's cross country team gears up for another NCAA Championship opportunity on Saturday, Nov. 18. The women's race begins at 9:20 a.m CT in Charlottesville, Virginia, while the men's race is set for 10:10 a.m.
UW will make its 61st appearance at the NCAA Championships this Saturday, the most of any school in the country. The Badgers have won five national titles, their last coming in 2011. The last Badger to win the individual championship was Morgan McDonald in 2018. He joined an elite company of three fellow UW runners, including back-to-back champion Simon Bairu (2004-2005), Tim Hacker (1985) and Walter Mehl (1939).
For fans heading to Virginia, tickets are $20 and include admission, parking at Fashion Square Mall and round-trip shuttle service to Panorama Farms. There is no on-site parking for the championship. All fans must take the shuttle service. Pre-event shuttles begin at 6:45 a.m. ET and run until 9:30 a.m. ET Returning shuttles begin at 11 a.m. ET and run until 1:30 p.m. ET
All tickets will be sold in advance online; no onsite sales will be available. Tickets to this event are limited and expected to sell out. Patrons are encouraged to purchase early.
1. LAST YEAR AT NCAAs: UW finished sixth at last year's NCAA Championships held in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Sharp was the first Badger to cross the line, covering the 10k course in 29:16.8 and placing 16th overall. Liking and senior Rowen Ellenberg, who are set to race this weekend, rounded out last year's top 50 with strong performances of their own. Liking earned his first All-America honor thanks to his top-40 finish.
2. HOW WE GOT HERE: It's been another thrilling season of UW cross country highlighted by one Big Ten title, four individual wins and two teams victories. Junior Josh Truchon got the campaign kicked off back in early September with his victory at the Badger Classic. Liking and Sharp would follow up with their first 1-2 finish of the year as Wisconsin claimed the Lakefront Invitational victory. At the heralded Nuttycombe, graduate student Jackson Sharp recorded a top-five finish as the Badgers geared up for the postseason. Liking and Sharp found their stride again at Big Ten Championships, with Liking claiming his third straight title and the program's sixth consecutive. Finally, last Friday's regional featured Liking and Sharp's third 1-2 finish of the season as the Badgers ran themselves into an automatic qualification spot.
3. NAMES TO KNOW: Liking and Sharp are not the only Badgers to dominate for this team. Senior Evan Bishop finished fourth at Big Tens, claiming All-Big Ten honors for the third season in a row. He is joined by Ellenberg and sophomore Adam Spencer, who both finished in the top-seven at Big Tens to earn First Team All-Big Ten as well. Spencer finished sixth at last week's regionals, running the course in 29:47.8. Truchon was named to the All-Region team for his strong performance last week, finishing 25th overall at 30:21.3. Micah Wilson also earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
4. A PACKED FIELD: The NCAA Championship features the nation's top-30 teams. UW comes into Saturday's race ranked No. 5 in the last USTFCCCA poll, trailing Northern Arizona, Oklahoma State, BYU and North Carolina. Big Ten foe Michigan comes in ranked No. 23 following their third-place finish at regionals, while Great Lakes rivals Butler and Notre Dame are ranked No. 8 and No. 21, respectively.
5. THE EXCITEMENT BUILDS: UW is the home of the 2024 NCAA Championships at the Zimmer Cross Country Championship Course in Madison, Wisconsin. The Badgers last hosted in 2018 when McDonald claimed the individual title on his home course in 29:08.3. His winning time is still the fastest 10k recorded at Zimmer during NCAA competition.
