Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Morgan McDonald

Wisconsin’s McDonald caps collegiate career with NCAA title

By

Morgan McDonald

In his final race as a Badger, senior Morgan McDonald made a statement by winning the 5,000 meters at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend in Austin, Texas.

McDonald crossed the finish line in 14 minutes, 6.01 seconds, to become only the third man in NCAA history to win the Cross Country, Indoor 3,000 meters, Indoor 5,000 meters and Outdoor 5,000 meter championships in the same season.

McDonald became only the third Badger to win four NCAA titles in a single season, joining women’s greats Suzy Favor and Claire Eichner.  He leaves Wisconsin as a four-time NCAA Champion, a six-time first-team All-American and an Eight-time Big Ten Individual Champion.

In the men’s 1500 meters, junior Olli Hoare finished fourth in 3:42.29, to collect his fourth first-team All-America honor of the 2018-19 season and the seventh of his career.

The UW men finished in a tie for 18th place with 16 points and were the top-finishing team in the Big Ten.

McDonald helps Badgers finish 4th at NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships

By

Morgan McDonald

Led by senior Morgan McDonald’s sweep of the distance races, the Wisconsin men’s track and field team claimed a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, marking the Badgers’ best showing since 2013.

After winning the 5000 meters Friday night, McDonald came back to the track and delivered another top performance in the 3000 meters, beating Grant Fisher of Stanford to the finish line.  McDonald crossed the line in a track-record time of 7 minutes, 52.85 seconds to complete his sweep of the distance titles.  McDonald, also the reigning cross country national championship, is the first Badger to win both the 3K and 5K at the indoor national championships.

Olli Hoare finished third  in the mile with a time of 4 minutes, 8.14 seconds.  With his third-place finish,  Hoare is now a five-time All-American, a total that includes his national title outdoors in the 1500 meters last season.

Hoare also finished fourth in the 3000 with a time of 8:21.63.

Trent Nytes picked up points for the Badgers thanks to his seventh-place finish in the heptathlon.  The senior recorded a season-best score of 5,746 points and notched two team points for UW in his effort.

Up next, the Badgers will head into the outdoor season, starting March 23 with the Aztec Invite in San Diego.

McDonald, Byrne collect Big Ten honors

By

morgan-mcdonaldAfter leading the Badgers to the program’s 48th Big Ten Conference title and bringing home an individual crown as well this past weekend in Minnesota, Morgan McDonald (pictured) was honored as the Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

Joining McDonald is Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Mick Byrne, as Byrne was named the Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.  It’s the 35th Coach of the Year honor that Byrne has accumulated during his esteemed collegiate coaching career, including his seventh Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year honor.

McDonald earned the award by dominating the field on Sunday at the Les Bolstad Course in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.  The junior crossed the finish line in 24 minutes, 35.7 seconds, over eight seconds in front of the next runner.  His success led Wisconsin to the team title, beating Michigan State by three points.

Wisconsin returns home to host the 2016 NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 11 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.

Card claims NCAA discus title

By

Kelsey CardThe Wisconsin women’s track and field team finished 14th at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday in Eugene, Oregon.  Senior Kelsey Card played a big role in that finish.

Card claimed a national championship in the discus with a lifetime-best throw of 208 feet, 5 inches on Saturday.

Card became Wisconsin’s first NCAA track and field champion since Kathy Butler won the 3000 meters at the 1997 NCAA Outdoor Championships.  She is also the first UW field athlete to win a national title since Pat Johnson won an AIAW title in the long jump in 1982.

The senior entered the meet with a Big Ten record of 204-2, yet she shattered that mark on each of her throws in the NCAA final on Saturday. [Read more…]