Five things to know: Badgers buckle down for Big Ten Championship

Friday, May 16

University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

2:00 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Big Ten Outdoor Championships

Bob Liking, Micah Wilson and Oliver Paleen running at the Badger Challenge

Photo by: Dan Sanger

Five things to know: Badgers buckle down for Big Ten Championship

May 13, 2025 | Men's Track & Field

UW seeks 19th outdoor title in program history

By: Dani Savin

MADISON, Wis. — Ranked No. 18 in the nation, the Wisconsin men's track and field team heads to the Big Ten Championships, hosted by the University of Oregon at Hayward Field, from May 16 to May 18. Competition begins at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Fans can follow the action from Ann Arbor live on Big Ten Plus and RunnerSpace ($) or @BadgerTrackXC on social media. Live results can be found on PTTiming.

1. LAST TIME OUT: Jake Schaefer claimed the discus title at the Augustana Qualifier with a personal-best throw of 187 feet, 8 inches (57.21 meters), a mark that now stands sixth all-time in program history. Cole Hooper secured first place in the hammer throw with a distance of 207-7 (63.28m), while Kyle Clabough earned the shot put victory with a toss of 55 feet, ¾ inch (16.78m).

2. B1G REWIND: Adam Spencer led the way for the Wisconsin men's track and field team at the 2024 Big Ten Outdoor Championships, capturing the gold medal in the 800-meter final on Sunday. The Badgers secured a strong third-place team finish overall. In the 10,000 meters, Micah Wilson and Johnny Livingstone delivered an impressive performance, taking second and third place, respectively. On the sprinting side, sophomore Jalen Williams earned a bronze medal in the 400 meters with a time of 46.73, just behind Ohio State's Mason Louis. Williams had previously taken silver in the same event during the 2024 indoor season, where he also set a school record. Logan Measner also won the steeplehcase crown while Quinn Lansill finished third in the decathlon.

3. DEPTH IN THE RING: The No.1 ranked throws squad in the nation is primed to make a major impact at the Big Ten Championships. Leading the charge is Jason Swarens, who enters the meet ranked first in the Big Ten and the entire NCAA in the shot put with a throw of 70-1 1/2 (21.37m) at the Badger Challenge. Close behind is Joseph White, ranked second in the Big Ten in both the shot put with a throw of 66-8 1/2 (20.33m) and the discus with a toss of 203-8 (62.08m), with national rankings of fifth and tenth in those events, respectively. Andrew Stone adds further firepower in the shot put, ranked sixth in the conference with a mark of 63-0 3/4 (19.22m) from the Texas Invitational, and will also compete in the discus. In the hammer throw, Cole Hooper holds the 10th-best mark in the Big Ten at 215-6 (65.69m), while Kyle Clabough ranks 18th in the shot put with a heave of 58-6 3/4 (17.85m). In the javelin, Jacob Zednik is ranked fifth in the conference with a top throw of 213-3 (70.50m) from the Texas Invite.

4. SPEED ON TRACK: Bob Liking enters the championships ranked first in the Big Ten in both the 5000 meters with a time of 13 minutes, 32.52 seconds and 10,000 meters clocking 27:55.50, with the latter performance ranking 15th nationally. He'll be joined in the 10,000 meters by Johnny Livingstone, who is ranked fifth in the conference with a time of 28:24.77, and Micah Wilson. Matan Ivri adds even more depth in the 5000 meters, sitting second in the Big Ten with a time of 13:33.05 from the Stanford Invite. Christian de Vaal and Rowen Ellenberg are ranked ninth and tenth, respectively, while Archie Noakes will double in the 1500 and 5000 meters. In the middle distances, Patrick Hilby ranks 14th in the 800 meters with a time of 1:47.89, joined by Andrew Casey who will run the event after clocking 1:48.34. In the 1500 meters, Adam Spencer leads the Big Ten with a blistering time of 3:34.57 from the Australian National Championships, which ranks eighth in the nation. He'll be joined by Liam Newhart, Bryce Stachewicz, and Noakes. On the sprint side, Jalen Williams is ranked fifth in the 400 meters with a time of 45.49, while Gio Wearing brings podium potential in the 110-meter hurdles, ranked third in the Big Ten with a time of 13.53. The 4x400-meter relay team of Harris, Hilby, Casey, and Williams is currently ranked 13th in the conference.

5. UP NEXT: Select Badgers will compete at the NCAA West First Round starting May 28 in College Station, Texas. Qualified athletes will have a chance to punch their ticket to the 2025 NCAA Championships.