INSIDE
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
BY AJ HARRISON
@BADGER_TRACK
SCHEDULE
DELLY CARR / ITU
COMING UP
Sept. 6
Badger Opener 5 p.m.
Sept. 14
Sycamore
10 a.m.
Invitational
Sept. 14
Warhawk
11:45 a.m.
Invitational
Sept. 27
Coast-To-Coast
5 p.m.
Battle
A cross country journey:
Triathlete to run for UW
Kelly Whitley joins Wisconsin squad
he journey that Kelly
Whitley took to arrive in
Madison was a unique
one, to say the least.
Whitley started competing
in triathlons when she was 7
as her mother introduced her
to the sport. Once Whitley got
to Geneva (Ill.) Community
High School, she decided to focus on cross country, track and
basketball.
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VARSITY September 5, 2013
Following her junior cross
country season, Whitley decided to go back to competing
in triathlons, and after high
school left Illinois for Colorado Springs, Colo., where she
trained at the Olympic Training Center.
After competing on the triathlon circuit for a year and a
half, which included a fourthplace showing at the 2012
Olympic Trials, Whitley decided to return to the Midwest and run track and
cross country collegiality.
"I realized I didn't want to miss out
on the whole college experience," Whitley said. "My older sister (Taylor) played
basketball at Indiana State and she told
me how special the student-athlete experience is.
"I wanted to gain that experience for
myself, and I thought the right move for
me right now was to run at Wisconsin."
A two-time USA Triathlon Junior Athlete of the Year, Whitley was a heralded
cross country runner in high school. She
finished runner-up at the state cross
country meet her freshman and sophomore years leading her high school to a
pair ofthe team state championships.
After a few years away from cross
country, Whitley looks forward to her return to the course.
"I loved cross country in high school.
I love the racing environment and I'm
ready to see what I'm able to do on the
cross country course."
UW STARTS 2013 SEASON ON FRIDAY
● Wisconsin opens up its 2013 season on
Friday by hosting the Badger Opener.
The women's 4K race starts at 5 p.m.
at the Zimmer Championship Course.
The Badgers will compete against DePaul, Marquette, Loyola, Green Bay,
Northwestern and Edgewood.
