A look at Big Ten teams in preparation for the conference meet

By Adam Hensley
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Entering their biggest meet of the season to date, Big Ten cross-country teams look to hone in their skills and buckle down for the Big Ten Championship.

While Iowa tries to build on recent success, the Hawkeyes are overshadowed by the top teams in the conference leading into the big meet.

No matter the team, the coaches want to keep distractions to a minimum and treat this like a normal meet, even though it’s the conference championship.

“[It’s] pretty much business as usual,” said Walt Drenth, Michigan State’s director of cross-country. The Spartans are ranked 19th in the country.

Iowa head coach Layne Anderson agrees with this. Following his team’s third-place finish at the Bradley Pink Classic, he stressed that he did not want to make any major changes in training heading into the championship season.

“[We will] continue to train well and race with the same poise as Bradley,” he said.

But while business remains usual for the teams, the focus sharpens and sights are set on the championship stretch.

Kevin Sullivan’s Michigan comes into the meet ranked fifth in the nation and first in its region. While they have run strong all season, their priorities lie in the backstretch.

“We’ve really made the focus of the season the Big Ten, Regional and National Championships,” he said. “All of our racing has been building toward this moment and opportunity.”

Michigan turned heads and moved up in the polls on Oct. 15 at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational. Senior Mason Ferlic led the Wolverines to third place against two of the top four teams in the country, Syracuse and BYU.

While Michigan is the top team (in the rankings) heading into the Big Ten meet, the Wolverines know that rankings are just a number. When it comes down to it, the only number Sullivan cares about is his team’s finish.

“When the gun goes off, the rankings are insignificant, and we have to be aware that we are a team that the rest of the Big Ten is looking to take down and respond to that without letting the pressure adversely affect us,” he said.

Among the teams trying to knock off Michigan, Purdue brings up-and-coming talent to the meet.

In their last meet before the conference championship, the Boilermakers won the Illinois Open. Harlow Ladd placed third for Purdue, with three more of his teammates in the top 10.

Jeff Kent, the assistant cross-country coach at Purdue, expects big things from his team.

“Our team is strong and confident,” he said. “We are excited to compete against the other Big Ten schools. If we put our best self out there, the results will take care of themselves.”

Right behind the Boilermakers in the regional rankings sits Ohio State.

The Buckeyes rank seventh in the Great Lakes Region, and they are a force to be reckoned with.

“We always want to be a conference contender, a regional powerhouse, and a national presence. This is the first of three championship meets that define our program’s success,” associate head coach Brice Allen said.

The Big Ten has four teams ranked in the top 30 nationally (Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Indiana). Outside of those four, the other eight teams should not be taken lightly. All have shown the ability to run well during the season.

On Nov. 1, these teams will put their athletes to the test, and cross-country enthusiasts can expect yet another entertaining Big Ten Championship.

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