INSIDE
CROSS COUNTRY
BY AJ HARRISON
@BADGER_TRACK
SCHEDULE
COMING UP
Oct. 12
adidas
11a.m.
Invitational
Oct. 25
UW-Oshkosh
4 p.m.
Open
Nov. 2
Big Ten
10:15 a.m.
Championship
Another classic meet on
tap at adidas Invitaitonal
Badgers host fantastic field at Zimmer
here is more excitement
around the Wisconsin
cross country program
this week as the Badgers host
the fifth-annual Wisconsin adidas Invitaitonal on Saturday
at the Zimmer Championship
Course.
"Our kids right now know
it's adidas week," UW director
of track & field and cross country Mick Byrne said. "It means
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just a different atmosphere
around the locker room, out
on the practice field, and the
kids are very excited about it."
The UW harriers have plenty of reasons to be excited for
the weekend, as many of the
top schools will compete in
the event.
In the men's 8-kilometer
race that begins at 11 a.m., five
of the nation's top 10 teams,
including No. 3 Northern Arizona, No. 5
BYU, No. 6 Arkansas, No. 7 Portland and
No. 8 Columbia will run. In all, 36 teams
will compete at the meet this weekend,
including 20 of top 30 teams in the latest
USTFCCCA poll.
On the women's side, 37 teams will
run in the 12 p.m. 6-kilometer race. 17
ranked teams will run, including seven of
the country's top 10 teams (No. 1 Providence, No. 3 Arizona, No. 4 Washington,
No. 7 New Mexico, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9
Michigan State and No. 10 San Francisco).
Byrne believes his runners will have
an advantage on the field of talented
teams.
"We know every twist and turn," Byrne
said. "Guys just feel comfortable. It's no
different than any other sport. There's
obviously a big advantage when you
start running in a meet of this caliber,
when you look at the number of nationally ranked teams, it just kicks things up
a notch as opposed to like an invitational
like in Boston. And obviously, running in
front of our fans. A lot of crazy, knowledgeable, opinionated Wisconsin Badger
fans, and the guys love that, and the girls
love running at home."
The meet marks the second-to-last
chance for fans can catch Wisconsin at
home, as the Badgers will host the Great
Lakes Regional for the second straight
year on Nov. 15.
