Badgers head south for NCAA Championship

Saturday, November 22

Columbia, MO

9:20 AM

Wisconsin Badgers

NCAA Championships

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Badgers head south for NCAA Championship

November 18, 2025 | Men's Cross Country

Badgers chase fourth consecutive top-10 finish

By: Dani Savin

MADISON, Wis. – The five-time national champion UW men's cross country team prepares for another NCAA Championship opportunity on Saturday, Nov. 22. The women's race begins at 9:20 a.m. CT at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, located in Columbia, Missouri, while the men's race is set for 10:10 a.m. CT. The event will be televised on ESPNU with coverage starting at 9:00 a.m.

UW will make its 63rd appearance and tenth consecutive at the NCAA Championships this Saturday, the most of any school in the country. The Badgers have won five individual titles, their last coming in 2011. The last Badger to win the individual championship was Morgan McDonald in 2018. He joined the elite company of three fellow UW runners, including consecutive champion Simon Bairu (2004-2005), Tim Hacket (1985) and Walter Mehl (1939).

Fans attending the NCAA Championships must purchase their packing and their admission tickets online. An admission ticket is required for all spectators. An admission ticket is $23 and a parking permit ranges from $6-$18. All transactions, including on-site sales, will be cashless. To purchase admission tickets and parking, click HERE. Spectators can also check out more of the meet info, HERE.

LAST YEAR AT NCAAs: Led by four-time Big Ten Champion Bob Liking, the Wisconsin men's cross country team secured a fourth-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships on their home course. The Badgers finished with 212 points to claim their 38th top-10 finish at NCAAs, marking the third-straight season the Badgers finished top-10. In his final collegiate cross country race, Liking finished 16th overall, crossing the 10K course in 29 minutes, 9.2 seconds. With this race, Liking earned All-American honors.

HOW WE GOT HERE: The Badgers delivered a strong performance at the 2025 NCAA Great Lakes Regional, placing third with 99 points at Angel Mounds in Evansville. Led by sophomores Christian de Vaal and Liam Newhart, the pair went 7-8 crossing the line in 29 minutes, 55.78 seconds and eighth at 29:55.81 respectively. Johnny Livingstone added a top-20 result, placing 16th in 30:31.31. By finishing in the top-25, the trio of Badgers earned All-Region honors.

A PACKED FIELD: The NCAA Championship features the nation's top-32 teams. UW comes into Saturday's race ranked No. 16 in the last USTFCCCA poll, trailing West Region runner-up California Baptist. Big Ten foe Oregon comes in ranked No. 6 following their win at regionals, while Great Lakes rivals Notre Dame and Butler are ranked No. 13 and No. 14, respectively.

NAMES TO KNOW: A pair of sophomores, Christian de Vaal and Liam Newhart, have led the charge for the Badgers throughout the 2025 season. de Vaal earned All-Region honors after placing seventh at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. A First Team All-Big Ten selection, he finished eighth at the Big Ten Championships with a time of 23:36.2 in the 8K. Newhart collected All-Region honors with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional and First Team All-Big Ten honors after taking tenth at the BIg Ten Championships.

TWICE AS NICE: After battling through the regional meet, Wisconsin became one of just 15 programs nationwide to qualify both its men's and women's teams for the NCAA Championships. This marks the fifth straight season both squads have punched their ticket to the Big Dance, and the tenth consecutive appearance for the men.