3 Wisconsin men's cross country runners to know this season (2024)

The University of Wisconsin men’s cross country will look to continue its dominance of the Big Ten Conference this season as it tries to extend its streak of conference titles to seven consecutive seasons.

Wisconsin track and field and cross country director Mick Byrne won his sixth consecutive Big Ten and 10th career Great Lakes regional coach of the year awards last season after leading the Badgers men to a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Championships and a runner-up finish at the Great Lakes Regional Championships.

With a number of key competitors returning, here are three runners to watch this season as Byrne attempts to match the success the program had en route to the 2011 NCAA cross country title.

Adam Spencer

Adam Spencer, who is entering his redshirt sophom*ore season, will be looking to build off a campaign that saw him earn a spot on the 2023 All-Big Ten team.

The Melbourne, Australia, native, who also competes on the Badgers indoor and outdoor track and field teams, took fifth place at the Big Ten Championships in October with a time of 24 minutes, 26.0 seconds. He was bested by three Wisconsin teammates, as seniors Bob Liking (first overall), Jackson Sharp (second) and Evan Bishop (fourth) dominated the leaderboard.

Spencer followed that with a sixth-place finish Nov. 10 at the Great Lakes regional with a time of 29:47.8, before wrapping his cross country season by taking 70th overall eight days later at the NCAA championships in a time of 30:15.5.

Micah Wilson

Micah Wilson will aim to continue his consistent effort after finishing among the Badgers’ top five performers at three of the four meets he competed in last season, which included the NCAA championships.

The St. Charles, Illinois, native, also a member of the Wisconsin track and field teams, took 36th at the Great Lakes Regional championships with a time of 30:33.0, which was the fifth best among Badgers athletes that day. It was the second time last season that Wilson finished among Wisconsin’s top five after taking 14th overall, and fifth among Badgers, with a time of 23:58.1 at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational on Sept. 29.

The then redshirt freshman was the Badgers’ sixth highest finisher at the Big Ten Championships, taking 10th overall with a time of 24:39.0. He closed his cross country season by finishing 133rd overall at the NCAA championship, which was fifth among Badgers competitors, trailing only Liking, Sharp, Spencer and then-junior Josh Truchon.

Josh Truchon

Speaking of Truchon, he will be one of the key pieces for Byrne as a senior this season. Not only was he one of Wisconsin’s top finishers as the NCAAs, but he also showed early signs of his potential.

The West Allis native, who joins Spencer and Wilson as crossover members of the track and field teams, took first overall in the opening meet last season. Truchon turned in a time of 24:10.3 at the Badger Classic on Sept. 9 to finish atop the podium but didn’t compete in the following two meets.

Truchon was able to close the cross country season strong, taking 26th overall, and seventh among Badgers athletes, with a time of 25:04.9 at the the Big Ten Championships. He followed that with a 25th place finish, and fourth among Badgers, in a time of 30:21.3 at the Great Lakes Regionals. He closed his season with a time of 30:19.9 to take 75th overall at the NCAA championships while trailing teammates Liking, Sharp and Spencer.