The men’s and women’s cross country teams both finished their seasons strongly this weekend at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.
The men finished ninth overall, the 18th consecutive season in which they have finished in the top 10. Meanwhile, the Badger women finished 21st overall. The Colorado men and Providence women brought home national titles.
It was a somewhat vindicating performance for the men of Wisconsin, who earlier this month failed to capture the Big Ten championship for the first time since 1999. Despite this, the team finished as the runner-up in the Great Lakes regionals to qualify for their NCAA-record 42nd straight championship meet appearance.
Redshirt freshman Malachy Schrobilgen finished 33rd overall to lead the men, receiving All-American honors in the process.
After missing the championship meet last year, the Badger women rebounded by qualifying with a fifth-place finish in the Great Lakes regional. Sophomore Emma-Lisa Murphy led the team, finishing 35th overall while earning UW’s first All-American honor since 2010.
In addition to Murphy, freshman Sarah Disanza completed an outstanding debut season by finishing first or second on the team in every race she competed in.
The cross country programs at Wisconsin are certainly underappreciated, finishing among the nation’s best year-in and year-out. With young athletes like Schrobilgen, Murphy, and Disanza contributing early in their careers, the future is bright for Wisconsin’s runners.
