Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/44590
Big stage helps Byrne learn about his lads LUCAS AT LARGE MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM He's technically a New Yorker after having spent better than two de- cades at Iona College. He still has a home in the Bronx (City Island). Truth is, Byrne stands out in a crowd — by the force of his person- ality alone. Question is, how many of his runners will stand out Friday in third running of the Wisconsin adidas Invitational? And, rest assured, there will be a W crowd. "You're going to be surrounded by bodies the entire race,'' Byrne predicted. Not only is the field large — around 300 athletes are expected to compete Friday in the "varsity'' 8-kilometer race over the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course — but it's talented and deep. "You've got to be mentally strong to know that 30th place is not bad in a meet of this caliber,'' said By- rne, acknowledging the race will be a mid-season measuring stick for his No. 2-ranked team. "We're at a certain point in our training, where our guys know where they are physically and men- tally. The big thing for us right now is to translate that physical fitness into the mental part. "You can only put so much men- tal energy into a meet like Friday's. You don't want to get too stressed out about it. The athletes don't isconsin men's cross country coach Mick Byrne is used to crowds. "We're still six or seven weeks out from the national champion- ship,'' Byrne said. "It's a high quality meet and it's at home. This will be a good barometer for us.'' want to overthink it. "Certainly the worst thing a coach can do is overthink it, be- cause it's the 14th of October and there's a long ways to go (until the NCAA meet). We don't want to get too far ahead of the process.'' How would Byrne evaluate his top five runners? "It's hard to sepa- rate them,'' he said. "All five of the guys who ran in Eugene (Ore.) are training hard and looking good and they're very excited.'' On Oct. 1, the Badgers won the team title at Oregon's Bill Dellinger Invitational. Five runners finished in the top 10, including Reed Connor, who was second behind Southern Utah's Cameron Levins. Ryan Collins, the senior transfer from Virginia, was fourth. "It was exciting to see him run his first race in a Wisconsin uniform,'' Byrne said. "He was actually quite ner- vous.'' Collins will cross paths Friday with his younger brother, Shayne Collins, a UCLA freshman. "So we've got a bit of a family duel,'' enthused Byrne, a long-time friend of their mom and dad. In addition to Connor and Col- lins, the Badgers will be banking on the experience of Mohammed Ahmed (fifth at the Dellinger), El- liot Krause (sixth) and Maverick Darling (seventh). "Mohammed is further along in training at this time of the year than he's ever been because of com- peting late into the summer in each of the last two years,'' Byrne said. "Maverick is so very even-keeled, along with being a great workhorse and team leader. He's very excited about racing here at home and so is Elliot, a Wisconsin boy, who will get pumped up.'' Rounding out the top seven for the Badgers will be Drew Shields and Michael Brice. "In Drew's own words, he says that he's in the best shape of his life,'' Byrne said. "Michael earned a spot in this race by winning at Il- linois. He loves running in front of the Badger fans.'' Byrne has his own anticipation level for Friday's race. "We're still six or seven weeks out from the national champion- ship,'' he said. "But it's a high qual- ity meet and it's at home, so that's always good. This will be a good barometer for us.''