The Wisconsin Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams achieved success in their first on-the-road race of the season, hosted by Loyola University Chicago on Sep. 29. The men’s team placed first and the women’s team placed third among many top-ranked teams in the Tom Cooney Championship Division.
After returning from a two-year COVID-19 break last fall, the 44th annual Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational fostered strong competition.
But the Badgers men proved their dominance. Senior Bob Liking (23:26) and fifth year Jackson Sharp (23:31) blew the field away by placing first and second overall. Evan Bishop (23:54) and Micah Wilson (23:58) were right behind them in 11th and 14th place.
Following in similar fashion, ranked No. 17 and finishing in first place at the Badger Classic on Sep. 9, the women’s team looked to continue their strong season.
Junior Leane Willemse (20:05) climbed her way to a 10th place finish in the women’s 6K race. Samantha Stieve and Daniella Orie were right behind her in 13th and 23rd place, leading the Badgers to place well among many top-30 teams, including No. 25 Ole Miss, No. 26 Michigan and No. 30 Ohio State.
The Badgers will return home for their next race to host the Nuttycombe Invitational on Oct. 13. Both teams look to continue their success and gain experience on the Zimmerman Championship Course, the same location that the Big Ten Championship will be held in early November.
