Five Things to Know: Badgers head back to California

Wednesday, April 16

Azusa, Calif.

7:00 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Bryan Clay Invitational

Kylie Finger runs at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.

Photo by: AJ Harrison

Five Things to Know: Badgers head back to California

April 14, 2025 | Women's Track & Field

Distance prepares to compete at Bryan Clay Invitational

By: Maddox Durst

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin women's track and field team returns to competition this week in Azusa, California at the annual Bryan Clay Invitational between Wednesday, Apr. 16 and Friday, Apr. 18.

All of the action is set to start late in the evening for fans in Madison, as everyone can follow along with the live results with the link here. Updates will be posted to the @BadgerTrackXC social pages on Instagram and X all week.

1. LAST TIME OUT: The Badgers competed in a pair of meets between the 44 Farms Team Invitational and UW-Platteville Invitational, exiting the weekend with a few noteworthy performances. Taylor Kesner led the way in the javelin, earning the third-highest mark in UW's Outdoor Track history with a toss of 168 feet, 2 inches (51.27m). Emma Kelley advanced to No. 6 all-time in the 400 meters—covering the distance 54.31 seconds.

2. BADGERS IN THE RANKS: At about the halfway point of the 2024-25 outdoor season, there stands multiple members of UW who sit in the top-48 of the NCAA West qualifiers. Emma Kelley leads the way in the 800 meters for the Badgers, placing fourth in the region with a time of 2:03.89. Leané Willemse, Chloe Lindeman and Taylor Kesner all rank within the top-20 of their events, including Kesner sitting in 15th after her most recent throw in the javelin. Zonica Lindeque ranks in the top-48 in both the discus and the shot put, joining Kelley as the second Badger to be placed in multiple events heading into the weekend.

3. SHEA RETURNS TO CLAY: Shea Ruhly is back in action this weekend, making her return to the track after last competing in the Stanford Invite at the beginning of April. Ruhly ran in the 5000 meters with a time of 16:03.47, placing 13th in the second-fastest section. Last year, Ruhly made her season debut at the Bryan Clay Invitational in the 5000 meters. On Wednesday, the Middleton native will run in the nightcap in the 10,000 meters—looking to make her first appearance in the event since she ran in the 2024 NCAA West Preliminary round in Fayetteville, Arkansas last spring.

4. MIDDLE DISTANCE IS BACK: Mya Bunke and Kylie Finger are also back in action over the course of this week in the 1500 meters, looking to build upon their prior performances at the Stanford Invite. Bunke ran a 4:22.98 and Finger covered the distance 4:23.40, each looking to continue to decrease their time ahead of the postseason in just over a month.

5. UP NEXT: Wisconsin enters their busiest weekend of the season, as they plan to compete in five separate meets between Friday, Apr. 25 and Saturday, Apr. 26. The week is highlighted by the annual Penn Relays and Drake Relays. More information on the meets can be found on our website.