The leaves are turning, the air’s cooling and Wisconsin Cross Country is chasing another Big Ten crown.
The Badgers head to East Lansing, Michigan — home of the Michigan State Spartans — on Friday for the Big Ten Cross Country Championships, looking to win their eighth-consecutive conference title. The races unfold across the rolling fairways of the Forest Akers Golf Course, with the men’s 8k at 10:35 a.m., followed by the women’s 6k at 11:35 a.m.
For the Wisconsin men, the goal couldn’t be clearer: keep the streak alive.
After seven straight Big Ten titles, the Badgers enter championship weekend with their sights set on an eighth, ready to defend their dominance against a hungry field.
The team wrapped up its schedule at the Nuttycombe Invitational on Oct. 17, racing on their home Thomas Zimmer Championship course where the men placed ninth overall in one of the nation’s most competitive fields.
Sophomore Liam Newhart led the charge for Wisconsin, clocking (23:37.2) to finish 16th overall. Close behind was Matan Ivri with a (23:51.0) finish, helping secure the team’s top 10 finish.
Wisconsin men totaled 272 points, narrowly behind Michigan State (7th, 242 points). The Spartans, who edged the Badgers at Nuttycombe, could once again be the team’s biggest challenger this Friday.
The Wisconsin women will look to climb the conference standings after finishing 11th at the Nuttycombe Invitational with 345 points. Leané Willemse paced the Badgers with a 34th place finish (20:29.9), while Kylie Finger (20:48.6) and Nora Gremban (20:53.1) provided key support.
The Big Ten race will be another chance to sharpen their pack running and build momentum into the postseason, with Oregon and Penn State standing in their way — two teams Wisconsin will have to beat to make a statement in East Lansing.
As the championship season begins, both Badger squads carry familiar motivation — to run tough, defend tradition and keep Wisconsin cross country among the Big Ten’s best.
