November 21, 2005
Cross Country
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WISCONSIN CLAIMS NATIONAL TITLE, BY PLACING THREE IN TOP NINE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Wisconsin, the 2005 Great Lakes Regional Champions, placed three runners in the top nine to take the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championship. UW’s Simon Bairu earned individual honors for the second consecutive season with a race time of 29:15.9, the third-fastest 10K time ever posted at the LaVerne Gibson Championship Course. This is the third time in the last four seasons that Indiana State University has hosted the national championship race.

Bairu posted the fastest time on the course since the 2002 NCAA Championship Race. Iona’s Richard Kiplagat finished second individually with a time of 29:21.9. Wisconsin’s Chris Solinski was third in 29:27.8, pacing the Badgers to a team score of 37 for the national title. The Badgers’ team score is the lowest since the 2003 Stanford squad won with a team total of 24.

After a dry week of weather leading up to race, this year’s winning time is just over 45 seconds faster than the top times posted in 2004 following a week of rainy weather. In 2005, it was sunny but cold as the race get off under mostly sunny skies and with the temperature hovering near 40 degrees.

Following the Badgers was Arkansas, who placed in the top two for the first time since winning the championship in 2000. The Razorbacks have won the NCAA Cross Country Championships a national-record 11 times.

Notre Dame was third in the met with a team score of 178 while Iona’s 205 was fourth and defending champion Colorado was fifth at 222.

Butler, who raced today less than 70 miles from its own campus in Indianapolis went on to finish 25th with a team score of 531. Indiana was 29th in the meet.

Liberty’s Josh McDougal was the top unattached individual in the race, finishing fourth overall with a time of 29:32.6. He won his race at the Pre-Nationals back in October.

Indiana State University will host the 2006 NCAA Cross Country meet, hosting the event for the third consecutive season. The LaVern Gibson Championship Course is a dedicated cross country only facility that hosts numerous high school and collegiate cross country meets throughout the year.