MADISON, Wis. –  Wisconsin men's cross country standout Bob Liking continued to earn honors during his historic 2024 season, as he was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Associations (USTFCCCA) Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year on Tuesday afternoon. Liking last won this award in 2022. 

The St. Charles, Illinois, native grew his list of accomplishments exponentially this season, including becoming the third man ever to win four consecutive individual Big Ten Championship titles.  Liking also collected All-Big Ten honors and All-Region recognition. It capped off his dominant season with a top-40 finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships to notch his fourth All-American honors.

Liking has been named the Big Ten Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week twice, Named the Big Ten Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week (Oct. 4,19), and was named National Athlete of the Week by the USTFCCCA (Nov. 4).

The Badgers Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne was named the 2024 Great Lakes Region Men's Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA.

Coach Byrne led the Badgers to team victories at the Badger Classic (Sept. 6), Big Ten Preview (Sept. 13), Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational (Oct. 4), and Big Ten Championships (Nov. 1). This was the seventh-consecutive year the Badgers took home the Big Ten trophy. The Badgers capped off a great season with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships (Nov. 23). 

It is the third consecutive Great Lakes Region Men's Coach of the Year recognition for Coach Byrne.