SHELBYVILLE, Ind. — Coach Mick Byrne said "a lot of teams got very excited when the rosters were announced (Friday) night" and the names of three of the University of Wisconsin men's cross country team's top five runners were absent.
"That gave a lot of teams hope," Byrne said.
Turned out it was false hope.
Redshirt freshman Rowen Ellenberg finished third and all five of UW's scoring runners placed in the top 15 as the Badgers captured their third straight and 51st Big Ten Conference championship Saturday on the Blue River Cross Country Course.
UW had 40 points, 11 fewer than second-place Indiana.