OFFICIAL Wisconsin Invite Thread

The CC course is open to the public as long as the golf course is open. It's a 15 minute drive from the campus.

Thanks everyone.

Twitter Feed for Live Coverage.

@Badger_Track

don't get all the predictions out here. its still relatively early in the season, and it will be nice enough just to see so many really, really good guys go at it with one another. wisconsin puts on a nice meet and this one should be no different. wish there was a live feed - i would think with a field of this caliber and the rolling hills in the course someone will have to throw in a big move from the pack and not run away from the gun.

Hey 26mi235, you always seem to know a lot about what's going on with Wisco - any idea why they chose to have this meet on Friday? I'm pretty bummed not to be able to go watch, and I'm sure there are lot of other fans in the same situation. I'm assuming it's due to the homecoming football game tomorrow, but the course is far enough from downtown that I wouldn't think it would be too much of an issue.

Anyway, looking forward to following the race on Twitter, at least. Hopefully there will be video of the race somewhere afterward.

Wisco Coach says it much better than I did - puts this meet in perspective for his team:

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/240308-Wisconsin-adidas-XC-Invitational-2011/video/510231-Mick-Byrne-Badgers-coach-on-staying-focused-Wisonsin-Invite-2011

Page 5:

"Does their coach need to be that smart and/or do the Wisconsin runners need to be that shielded from the "expectations" of having enough talent to win NCAA's so why wouldn't they win their home meet that they went out and recruited all these great teams to come to?"

This has nothing much to do with fashion and probably more to do with the training program and where they are at at this point in the season. My guess is that at this point in time they are most likely transitioning from high mileage to less and from long tempo runs to getting in some track work.

If you ever attempted to peak for a goal race, how long did you hold that peak? Probably not for 3 months.

Also, keep in mind that they most likely started this meet to host a high quality meet, stay at home, and not have to get into the Pre-Nats mess.

Unfashionable wrote:

Also, keep in mind that they most likely started this meet to host a high quality meet, stay at home, and not have to get into the Pre-Nats mess.

This is also a trial run for next year's regional meet, and an audition for a probable national bid.

Yes, Saturday is Homecoming and hotel rooms will be very difficult to get for eighty teams for (think needing rooms for 600 people in addition to an already sold-out Madison area). In addition, getting rooms for an event that was not planned long in advance and for teams that usually cannot commit that long in advance. The mid-afternoon timing allows many teams to return Friday afternoon/evening. In a few cases (Indiana) teams are going to both PreNats, which is on Sunday, and Wisconsin. [Plus women's hockey hosts biggest rival and #3-ranked Minnesota Friday evening => Friday night hotels and volleyball against #5 Nebraska and then Minnesota]

The switch in the timing arose somewhat suddenly as Nationals were going to be in Oregon and then had to be abruptly switched to Indiana State, who also had homecoming that weekend, I think, and would not be able to host PreNats on Saturday, so they switched to Sunday. Sunday does not work for a lot of teams, plus people have run on the course so many times that they do not really need to see it again. In addition, mid-October in Terre Haute and running in warm temps is not necessarily a good test compared to the cool temps expected at Regionals/ Nationals. In addition, the course can have a very hard surface on a dried out course because it is located on top of a clay cap and if it rains, the surface gets problematic. Thus, Wisconsin decided to jump up their schedule to a timeframe that is a bit better for the team in terms of timing for the season (plus they could go to Dellinger, which was moved to the beginning of October).

However, I know what you mean, I have been trying to get people from work to come to the meet and it does not work that well for most of them.

Flotrack will be there, but I am not sure if they will only be doing interviews etc. One possible complication is that the Big Ten Network might have a monopoly on official Big Ten school events, but I do not know. For me it is moot, as I will be there.

Wisco Fan wrote:

Unfashionable wrote:

Also, keep in mind that they most likely started this meet to host a high quality meet, stay at home, and not have to get into the Pre-Nats mess.

This is also a trial run for next year's regional meet, and an audition for a probable national bid.

Why does he want a national meet?

Ryan said they are filming the races and will upload them as soon as possible (see meet page on the Flotrack site), but they will not be broadcasting live.

Why does he want a national meet?[/quote]

Referring to hosting future NCAA Championships.

results?

asdjfaoiwneenenen wrote:

results?

Firstly, race times (1:00PM and 1:40) are CST.

Secondly, even if they were EST there would no results to be posted seeing as how I am writing this at 1:15PM EST.

Looks like Sheila Reid will be making her debut today.

I believe the women start at 2pm, the men at 2:40pm...

THE WOMEN ARE OFF! MY GOD THAT IS A LOT OF RUNNERS!

any updates as to how the race is going?