Wisconsin Badgers
NCAA Great Lakes Regional
Five things to know: Wisconsin hosts NCAA Great Lakes Regional
November 07, 2023 | Men's Cross Country
Badgers gear up for penultimate postseason event
MADISON, Wis. -- The postseason rolls on as the UW men's cross country team gets set to host the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday, Nov. 10. The women will compete in a 6K race at 11:30 a.m. CT with the men's 10K to follow at 12:30 p.m.
The top-two teams from the meet will punch their ticket to the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championship in Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 18.Â
Wisconsin are 31-time regional champions and have eight individual winners. The last Badger to win the region was Malachy Schrobilgen, who won on his home-soil Zimmer Championship Course in 2016.
Admission is free for the meet, but there will be no spectator parking on site. Parking is prohibited on County Highway PD or County Highway M near the Zimmer Championship Course. Any vehicles violating this will be subject to ticket and tow at the owner's expense.
Spectator parking for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional will be located at Blackhawk Church in Middleton, Wisconsin. Spectator shuttles, which are free this season, are available for transportation to the course. One accessible shuttle will be available. The shuttle service begins at 9:30 a.m. and concludes after the award ceremony.Â
Fans can follow along @BadgerTrackXC on Twitter and Instagram. Live results will be available through PTTiming.
1. LAST YEAR AT REGIONALS: The 2022 NCAA Great Lakes Regional saw the Badgers get back in the win column, claiming the regional championship for the first time since 2018. Evan Bishop led the pack-finish as six Wisconsin runners finished consecutively between eighth and 13th place.Â
2. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Flash forward to the 2023 season, where UW continued to see success. The Badgers won their sixth-straight, and 54th overall, Big Ten Championship just two weeks ago. Senior Bob Liking won his third-straight individual title, crossing the 8K course in 23:57.0. At the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational Presented by Under Armour, grad student Jackson Sharp finished in the top-five while he and Liking finished 1-2 at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational in early October. Finally, junior Josh Truchon jump-started the season with his win at September's Badger Classic.
3. A PACKED FIELD: Thirty-one teams are set to compete at Friday's race, including four ranked programs. The Badgers will be the highest-ranked team in the field, coming in at No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll. Butler will be a team to watch as the Bulldogs are ranked No. 12. Butler runners finished 1-2 at last year's regional. Finally, No. 17 Notre Dame comes into Madison looking to avenge last year's second-place finish at regionals while No. 25 Michigan gears up for its fourth race at the Zimmer Championship Course this season.Â
4. AWARD SEASON:Â Award season has officially begun. For the 13th time, UW Director of Cross and Track and Field Mick Byrne was named Big Ten Coach of the Year following Wisconsin's efforts two weeks ago. Micah Wilson won Big Ten Freshman of the Year after his 10th-place finish at Big Tens. The Big Ten also named their first and second team All-Conference honorees, featuring six Badger runners: Bob Liking (First Team), Jackson Sharp (First Team), Evan Bishop (First Team), Adam Spencer (First Team), Rowen Ellenberg (First Team), Micah Wilson (SecondTeam).
5. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPÂ ON THE HORIZON:Â Regionals mark the penultimate event of the NCAA cross country season. The NCAA Championships will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18, in Charlottesville, Virginia. UW finished sixth at last year's championships.
Players Mentioned
