Wisconsin Badgers
Badger Classic
Five things to know: Wisconsin starts the season at home
September 02, 2026 | Women's Cross Country
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's cross country team starts the 2026 season at home, hosting the Badger Classic on Friday, Sept. 4 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. The women's 6K race is set to start at 10 a.m. while the men's 8K will follow at 10:45 a.m.
Admission and parking are free at the course.
Live results will be available through PTTiming. Fans can follow the action @BadgerTrackXC on X and Instagram.
1. NEW YEAR, NEW LEADER: Friday's race will mark the first competition under Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Chris Solinsky, who was hired in June. Solinsky won five NCAA titles while competing for the Badgers and was elected to the Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame.
2. FRESH FACES: Eleven of the nineteen athletes on the Badger women's cross country roster this season are freshmen. These fresh faces are led by 2024 Wisconsin Women's Cross Country Gatorade Player of the Year Emmerson Drobac and two-time WIAA Division 1 Cross Country State Champion Ella Anschutz.
3. STAYING HOME: The Badgers will host a total of three races at the storied Thomas Zimmer Championship Course this season, including the highly anticipated Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational presented by Under Armour set for Friday, Oct. 9. The course will see post-season action this year with the addition of the Big Ten Championships on Friday, October 30.
4. CHASING PERFECTION: Wisconsin will look to secure another home win following last year's perfect score at the Badger Classic. Veteran Liv Phillips came in fourth to help round out the sweep.
5. LOOKING AHEAD: In two weeks, the Badgers will get some practice on the NCAA Championships course when they head to Terre Haute, Indiana, for the John McNichols Invitational hosted by Indiana State on Saturday, Sept. 19. The women's 6-kilometer race is set to start at 8:30 a.m.
