The Wisconsin men's cross country team began their 2006 campaign to repeat as national champions in winning fashion, taking first in the Pioneer Harrier Invitational this past weekend. The women's team also won the Pioneer Harrier Invitational and started off their season on the right foot. The race was hosted by Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis.
It was a landslide victory for the Wisconsin men's team, who beat out second place Monmouth by 59 points. The Badgers scored 17 points and swept the top four spots, and placed all five of their runners in the top seven.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Bethke ran off with first place for the Badgers. The Lake Forest, Cal. native finished the 8,000-meter course with a time of 25 minutes and 50 seconds. Sophomore Christian Wagner finished barely a step behind Bethke, and therefore earned the same 25:50 time as Bethke did.
Redshirt freshman Ryan Gasper finished third overall on Saturday. Gasper, a native of Fort Atkinson, Wis., ran a time of 25 minutes and 53 seconds, only three seconds behind Bethke and Wagner.
Senior Ben Porter finished fourth and only two seconds behind Gasper with a time of 25.55. Redshirt freshman Tim Pierie completed the scoring for UW by taking seventh place. The Mokena, Ill. native finished with a time of 26:45.
As for the Wisconsin women's team, they also dominated the course and captured their second straight Pioneer Harrier Invitational. The Badgers beat second place UW-Oshkosh by 21 points.
Redshirt freshman Maggie Hippman led the Badgers by winning the 5,000 meter race in 18 minutes and 48 seconds. The Badgers had two other underclassmen finish in the top five. Freshman Annette Daehler finished second on the team and fourth overall at the Invitational with a time of 19 minutes and 23 seconds. Also, freshman Maggie Collison took third on the team and sixth overall with a time of 19 minutes and 47 seconds.
Rounding out the Badger scorers were freshman Erica Schoeller and sophomore Krystle Wasmundt. Schoeller, a Cross Plains, Wis. native, finished in a time of 19:59 for fourth on the team and ninth overall. Wasmundt, a native of Antigo, Wis., finished just four seconds later with a time of 20:03 to round out the top ten finishers.
The Wisconsin men's team's next stop to defend their national title is Sept. 23 at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis. The race will begin at 11:20 a.m. The women's team's next meet is Sept. 15 at the Eastern Illinois Invitational in Charleston, Ill. The race is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
In other news, the men's cross country team was recognized by the Wisconsin State and Senate Assembly Tuesday for their 2005 national championship win.
