PROVO, Utah—The No. 5 BYU men’s cross country team will travel to the University of Wisconsin to compete in a loaded field at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational Saturday.
“This will be the biggest, most competitive race of the year, other than nationals,” head coach Ed Eyestone said. “There will be a lot of top-quality teams going head to head. This is a great opportunity to find out how good we really are.”
Of the 35 teams participating, 19 are ranked in the USTFCCCA coaches poll top 30. Five are ranked in the top 10, with No. 3 Northern Arizona ranked the highest.
“On paper, we are the second-highest ranked team there, so we should be near the top,” Eyestone said. “If we have a good day, we could beat Northern Arizona and win the whole thing, but if we have a bad day we could lose to some of the lower-ranked teams.”
The Cougars are coming off a victory at the Griak Invitational over 15th ranked Colorado State and 30th ranked Arizona State. Tylor Thatcher, named the West Coast Conference Runner of the Month for September, led the Cougars and finished first overall. It was Thatcher’s second consecutive individual victory and third team win of the season for the Cougars.
Jason Witt has been consistent as the No. 2 BYU finisher in the last two races. Sophomore Jonathan Nelson has also been a key contributor to the Cougars’ success, scoring in every race this season.
The men’s race will be an 8K and will begin at 11 a.m. CDT. The race will take place at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, Wis. This is the last race before the Cougars head to the WCC Championship meet in Malibu, Calif., on Nov. 2.