Matt Tegenkamp took home the Big Ten title for Wisconsin (Dyestat.com) |
It was a relatively cold morning (about 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in West Lafayette,
Indiana, the home of the Purdue Boilermakers and the host of the 2002 Big Ten
Cross Country Championships. The course was a legitimate cross country course
with hills, turns, and rough footing, just as every course should have. At 11:30
the men’s race took off with about 90 runners tearing down the first straightaway.
It would be roughly 24 minutes until the first runner would cross the finish
after a grueling 8 kilometers.
Within the first four minutes the Wisconsin Badgers had established their position
with six runners in the top fifteen. The six were Adam Wallace, Isaiah Festa,
Matt Tegenkamp, Bobby Lockhart, Simon Bairu and Tim Keller. The pack was still
very bunched up at this time. A few Ohio State runners along with Chris Toloff
of Michigan State helped the pacing for the first 3k. The first big move of
the race happened between the 3k and 4k mark where Wisconsin’s Adam Wallace
surged through the back part of the course posting a 2:57 for one of the hilliest
kilometer of the course. The race started to break open at that point and the
lead pack started to separate themselves from the field. Six Badgers went with
the big move along with a handful of others.
Wallace set the pace with Tegenkamp on his heels and continued to lead through
the 6k mark with Lockhart and Festa close behind. A group consisting of John
and Sean Jefferson, Brannen, Willis, Bairu, Keller, and McComb were about 50
meters back. With 2k to go the race was on. Wallace, who had done most of the
early work started to fade along with Lockhart. Meanwhile Brannen and the Jefferson
twins were closing rapidly. Festa was hanging close gearing up for the kick.
Simon Bairu and Tim Keller were holding their positions.
Coming into the final
homestretch, it was Tegenkamp leading with Festa and Brannen closing fast. Tegenkamp
won in 24:01 beating runner-up Festa by a couple seconds (24:04) and Brannen
(24:06.) John Jefferson, a redshirt freshman running for Indiana ran a tough
race with a big kick to claim fourth in 24:07. Wallace had faded to fifth in
24:10, still a respectable finish considering the early work he had done. John’s
twin Sean Jefferson ran a smart race to take 6th while Michigan freshman Nick
Willis took 7th. Willis, out of New Zealand was a sub four minute high school
miler last year. Wisconsin’s 4th and 5th runners were Bobby Lockhart and
Simon Bairu both true freshman. Andrew Carlson of Minnesota rounded out the
top 10.
Sidenotes
• One of the pre-race favorites, Chris Toloff of Michigan State faded
badly throughout the race to finish 17th in 24:44.
• Wisconsin finished with 25 points, 54 points ahead of runner up Ohio
State who totaled 79 points. The Badgers had a 23 second spread from their one
to five runners and a 32 second spread from one to six. Tim Keller was the Badgers
6th man in the race finishing 12th overall in 24:33. They placed 1-2-5-8-9-12-25-29-34.
Wisconsin placed five runners ahead of runner-up Ohio States number one.
• Ohio State gave a solid team effort packing their top five from 11th
place to 23rd place, with Dan Glaz leading the way in 11th in 24:30. The Buckeyes
had a 20 second spread from one to five. They beat out Michigan (who had 2 in
the top 10) by one point.
• The Michigan duo of Nate Brannen andf Nick Willis placed 3rd and 7th.
Brannen, from Canada, ran 1:46.00 for the 800 meter last year…impressive
range (800m to 3rd at big 10’s xc.) Willis is a miler out of New Zealand
who had run sub four minutes for the mile in high school.
• John and Sean Jefferson originally from Florida, now racing for Indiana
placed 4th and 6th. They proved many wrong (who thought they were milers only)
and ran a smart and solid race. Fastest twins ever in the big 10?
Top 5 Freshman of the Big 10
• John Jefferson (Indiana): 4th. 24:07 (redshirt freshman)
• Sean Jefferson (Indiana): 6th. 24:13 (redshirt freshman)
• Nick Willis (Michigan): 7th. 24:15
• Bobby Lockahrt (Wisconsin): 8th. 24:22
• Simon Bairu (Wisconsin): 9th. 24:24
• The course was one of the worst for spectators. It was very hard to
get around and see how everyone was doing.
• After the race many runners said it was by far the hardest course they
have run this year. There were many complaints of sore calves due to the uneven
footing and hills.
• It was definitely a legitimate course, but unfortunate for the spectators.