Wisconsin's men's track team has already captured one national championship this year, but UW took their act to the West Coast last weekend in the hopes of claiming another.
There are still several stops along the road to the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships, which will take place in Sacramento, Calif., nearly two months from now. But a number of Badger runners used Saturday's Oregon Invitational to qualify for the Midwest Regional meet in May, the last competition before nationals.
In the same stadium made famous by University of Oregon star Steve Prefontaine in the 1970s, UW cross country standout Chris Solinski ran the 5,000 meters in 13:30, finishing a close second and easily qualifying for regionals. Prefontaine won the indoor 5,000 meters in March with a time of 13:38 and took third place in last year's outdoor final.
Badger success in Oregon was not limited to distance running. UW sophomore and former Milwaukee Riverside star James Groce ran the 400-meter dash in just under 47 seconds, finishing second in his race and, like Solinski, easily making the cut for the regional meet.
While Solinski and Groce finished a close second, a Wisconsin women's track record was broken halfway across the country on Saturday. In Iowa City, Iowa, for the Iowa Musco Invitiational, Badger senior Havahla Haynes ran, jumped and hurdled her way to a school record with a win in the 3,000 meter steeplechase event.
Haynes finished the race in 10:18, clearing 28 hurdles and seven 12-foot-long water pits on the way. Sophomore Sarah Hurley finished after Haynes with a time of 10:54, a personal best and yet still over 30 seconds behind her teammate.
NCAA Regionals were also a key concern at the women's meet, with pole vaulter Jenny Soceka joining Haynes in qualifying for the trip to Missouri next month. Soceka finished second in the pole vault on Saturday, clearing 3.80 meters. She also finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles.
With about two weeks left until postseason competition, both the men and women are winding up the 2007 outdoor campaign. The Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa are the only multi-day meet left on the schedule and could be the last chance for Badger runners to qualify for regionals based on time alone.
