MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men’s cross country team cruised to their sixth-consecutive Big Ten Championship on Friday at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course, posting the fourth-lowest score in conference history with 19 points.
Junior Bob Liking became the seventh athlete to win three straight individual Big Ten titles as he covered his home 8K course in 23 minutes, 57 seconds.
Liking wasn’t the only Badger to etch his name in the conference record on Friday as UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne earned his 13th Big Ten men’s cross country title, passing Badger legend Martin Smith for the most in conference history.
Wisconsin’s dominant performance was highlighted by strong runs across the board. Senior Jackson Sharp was runner-up to Liking, crossing the line at 24:06.4. Junior Evan Bishop finished fourth with a time of 24:23.3, while sophomore Adam Spencer rounded out the top-five at 24:26.0.
Junior Rowen Ellenberg placed seventh overall, finishing in 24 minutes, 30.8 seconds. Freshman Micah Wilson finished 10th with a time of 24:39.0. Finally, junior Josh Truchon was the Badgers’ seventh runner across the line, finishing 26th overall in 25:04.9.
Liking, Sharp, Bishop, Spencer and Ellenberg were all named first-team All-Big Ten for their race, while Wilson earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Notes to Know
– Wisconsin earned its sixth-straight conference title and its 54th Big Ten men’s cross country crown.
– Liking is one of eight Big Ten athletes to win three conference titles and is the first to do so since UW legend Simon Bairu won three-straight crowns from 2003-05.
– It marks the fourth-straight year that Ellenberg and Sharp have earned first-team All-Big Ten honors while Liking earned his third first-team All-Big Ten accolade.
– Wisconsin’s team score of 19 points is the fourth-best score in Big Ten history and the best mark since UW posted 17 points en route to the 2011 Big Ten title.
Straight from the Course
UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne
“They make it look easy, but it’s not easy. We don’t take it for granted because championships are hard to win. Our athletes get excited about making…
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