The distance crew of the Wisconsin men's track team could very likely be cheering on one or more of their training partners in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing this August.
Former Badgers Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky are gearing up for the Olympic Trials in June for the United States, while Simon Bairu is looking to represent Canada, his home-country.
Each run professionally for Nike, graduated from UW in 2005 to 2007, respectively, are coached by UW men's distance coach Jerry Schumacher and continue to workout with the current Badger team a couple times a week.
I think it helps us a lot,"" sophomore Craig Miller said. ""It makes our workouts a lot faster, and just being around them gives us something to shoot for.""
Miller, along with freshman Evan Jager and sophomore Jack Bolas competed against Tegenkamp, Solinsky and Nike runner Jonathan Riley, who also trains in Madison, in the 1,500 meter run at the Arizona State Sun Angel Classic.
The trio all finished the race in 3 minutes, 42 seconds, acheiving the Midwest Regional qualifying standard, while the pros all came in at 3:40.
Both Miller and Jager stressed that Tegenkamp, Solinsky and Riley typically race longer distances and are not going to be in peak shape until the Olympic Trials.
It seemed a bit surreal for Jager, who is only a year out of high school.
""It was weird,"" said Jager. ""I got right in behind Solinsky for a lap, and I was just chilling behind him, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm up here with these guys right now.'""
Most of the distance runners will compete at the Oregon Relays in Eugene, Ore., this weekend, and Miller, Jager and Bolas will compete in the 1,500 meters at the Stanford Cardinal Invitational in two weeks.
Again, they will have the benefit of Tegenkamp, Solinsky and Riley setting the pace for them at Stanford.
The last two recruiting classes shifted Wisconsin's strength from long distance to the shorter distance events.
Solinsky, Bairu and Tegenkamp specialized in races between 3,000 and 10,000 meters, while the younger guys are best at the 1,500 meters. This year, five UW runners - all underclassmen - have qualified for regionals in the 1,500 meters.
But Madison did not become a training hub for professional runners until awhile after Jerry Schumacher began coaching the distance team in 1998.
In 10 years, athletes under Schumacher have earned seven individual NCAA titles, 27 Big Ten titles and 82 All-American honors. He also coached two NCAA Championship teams and won a record nine-straight Big Ten team titles in cross country.
Schumacher's coaching prowess in the professional arena became apparent after 2005 graduate Tegenkamp busted out on the national scene.
While Tegenkamp had significant success as a 10-time All-American while running for UW, he never attained an NCAA title, as recurring injury problems kept him out of peak shape.
One year out of college, Tegenkamp ran 13:04.9 in the 5,000 meters, making him the fourth fastest all-time American in that event. Then, last year, he broke the U.S. record in the 2-mile by over 4 seconds and finished fourth in the 5,000 meters at the World Track Championships in Osaka, Japan, missing a bronze medal by 0.03 seconds.
Riley and Solinsky took fourth and seventh, respectively, in the 2007 USA Championships, while Tegenkamp finished second to be one of three to advance to Osaka.
Of course, the opportunity to train with some of the best athletes in the country is a great selling point for recruits.
""A big part of why I came here is I wanted to get that experience of training with the best there is in the United States right now,"" Jager said. ""I didn't come here for the weather.""
Besides helping to push the pace for workouts and training runs, Miller and Jager said the post-collegiate runners are great mentors.
""All those guys are really helpful in making sure that I'm doing alright,"" Jager said. ""They're always congratulating me when I finish a workout or perform well in a race, and if I ever need pointers on racing or training, they're all really helpful.""
Also, the professional runners have probably encountered all the problems the UW runners will face.
""If something is hurting, I'll go to Tegenkamp or one of the other guys and see what they did to get through it,"" Miller said.
Miller and Jager said that they, along with Solinsky, Tegenkamp and the other professionals training under Schumacher put a lot of trust in his coaching, which has produced undeniable results.
""He must be doing something right if they all choose to stay here,"" Miller said. ""If I run fast enough, I will definitely run pro. That's really my main goal right now, to do the same thing they're doing and get paid to run.""
It appears that as Wisconsin's track and cross country programs continue to recruit top-notch runners and alumni stick around to train with their college coach into their professional careers, the house that Schumacher built is here to stay.
""If I'm running fast enough by my fifth year to be offered a spot on a professional team, I'm definitely planning on taking it,"" Jager said. ""And I know I'm not going to go anywhere else but here. I'm definitely staying with Jerry.
