Wisconsin Badgers
NCAA Great Lakes Regional
November 09, 2026 | Men's Cross Country
Wisconsin enters the meet as top-ranked team
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin's postseason run continues as the No. 12 UW men's team prepares to race at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday, Nov. 13. The meet will take place at Forest Akers Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich, as the men eye their first Great Lakes Regional victory since 2022.
The women's 6K race will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET, followed by the men's 10K race at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Results will be posted on SuperiorTiming. Fans can also follow along for updates on the @BadgerTrackXC Instagram and X accounts.
1. HIGH EXPECTATIONS: Wisconsin enters the meet as the top-ranked Great Lakes Regional team in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Coaches' Poll, at No. 12. No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 21 Michigan State, No. 28 Michigan and No. 29 Butler will provide a tough test in the penultimate meet of the season for the Cardinal and White.
2. LAST TIME OUT: The Badgers finished as the runner-up at the 2026 Big Ten Championships at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, beating fellow Great Lakes Regional teams Michigan and Michigan State. Archie Noakes had a stellar performance for Wisconsin, finishing second in 23 minutes, 6.2 seconds. Grady Lenn also received All-Big Ten honors, finishing tenth in 23:19.1. Lenn was the top freshman in the race, and was just the third Badger in program history to earn Big Ten All-Freshman team honors.
3. FAMILIAR TERRITORY: Wisconsin returns to East Lansing for the first time since the 2025 Big Ten Championships. This meet marked the eighth-straight year that UW secured a top-three finish as a team. Christian de Vaal led the team with an eighth-place finish of 23:36.2, followed by Matan Ivri (23:41.5) in ninth and Liam Newhart (23:41.6) in 10th. All three Badgers secured All-Big Ten honors.
4. REGIONALS REWIND: Wisconsin secured its eighth-straight NCAA championship bid at the 2025 Great Lakes Regional. The Badgers finished third in the 10K race behind Notre Dame and Butler, powered by the seventh-place finish of Christian de Vaal (29:55.8) and Liam Newhart (29:55.9).
5. END OF THE ROAD: The field for the NCAA Cross Country Championships will be announced on Saturday, Nov. 23 on NCAA.com. The top two teams from each of the nine regions, along with 14 at large teams, will be selected to compete in the NCAA meet along with 38 individuals.
The 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships will take place on Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Ind. at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time here: NCAA DI 2026 Cross Country Nationals | Indiana State University.
