Five Things to Know: Wisconsin set to host Pre-Nationals

Saturday, October 19

Madison, WI

10 AM

Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin Pre-Nationals

Five Things to Know: Wisconsin set to host Pre-Nationals

October 14, 2024 | Men's Cross Country

Wisconsin welcomes 19 ranked teams to Madison on Saturday

By: Dani Savin

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men's cross country team will wrap up their regular season on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, hosted by the University of Wisconsin at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course. The Men's "A" 8-kilometer race is set to start at 10:40 a.m., followed by the Men's "Open" and Men's "B" races at 12 p.m. and 1:20 p.m.

For this year's Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, an admission ticket is $20, which includes a shuttle ride, and a parking permit is $5. One parking permit is required per vehicle and an admission ticket is required for each individual riding the bus. Spectators are encouraged to purchase parking and tickets in advance. All transactions, including on-site sales, will be cashless. Fans can purchase parking and tickets here.

On meet day, viewers can keep up with all of the action by following our socials on Instagram and X with @BadgerTrackXC, up-to-date results at PTTiming, or watch live on RunnerSpace.

1. TOP COMPETITION: Nineteen of the top-30 teams in the country according to the USTFCCCA Coaches Poll will compete in the prestigious event, including seven from the top 10 and thirteen from the top 20. The Badgers enter the weekend ranked No. 10 in the USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll.

2. LOOKING BACK: The last time the Badgers competed at Pre-Nationals was 2018. Wisconsin finished 13th overall in the "Cardinal" race with 396 total points. First to cross the line for the Badgers was freshman Shuaib Aljabaly, who ran in 24:27.0, finishing 46th overall as well as recording a personal best.

3. B1G MOVES: Bob Liking was named the Big Ten Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week after leading the Badgers to the win at his first race of the season, the Sean Earl Invitational, on Friday, Oct. 4. The St. Charles, Illinois native has now been awarded the honor for a fourth time in his career.

4. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Led by three-time Big Ten cross country champion Bob Liking, the No. 18 Wisconsin men's cross country team won the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Friday morning. UW defeated a pair of teams ranked higher than them in the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll as UW finished with 69 team points, defeating then-No. 10 Alabama, who was second with 73 points.

5. UP NEXT: The Badgers will travel to Urbana-Champaign, Illinois for the Big Ten Championships on Friday, Nov. 1. The Badgers have won the last six Big Ten men's titles.