Jerry Schumacher, Wisconsin Head Coach

MS: Jerry, a lot different outcome than last year.
JS: Yeah, it’s been a long year waiting to get back to this point. I don’t know what we can say right now. We’re very excited.

MR: What does this mean to you?
JS: The class that graduated last year was a big part of setting this up. They’re all here today. The group that ran - they weren't going to give anything away for free today. They just did a great job.

MR: Was there anything you told them last night that may have made a difference in their races today?
JS: The thing they did better today than I have ever seen them do was [run] the race plan we would typically run, but [today] they didn't’ put a lot of emotional energy into the first part of the race. They had the patience they needed to carry them the second half of the race. They ran that to perfection today.

MR: When was it apparent to you that they were running the race plan?
JS: At 5K, I knew they were right were we wanted them to be. They were showing a lot of poise and control. You could see they were going to carry it the distance today.

MR: Simon just looked fantastic.
JS: Yeah, he’s something else. This was his last day in a Badger uniform - for cross country, at least.

MR: Chris rebounded really nicely after the past couple of years.
JS: Unbelievably well. Today truly. He’s done what we’ve worked on all season long. He just showed a lot of athletic control out there [and] did what he knew he was capable of doing.

MR: Six in the top 18 were announced.
JS: I would have never predicted that. From top to bottom, the entire team did a great job today.

Simon Bairu, Wisconsin, 1st Place

MR: Simon, how did the race go today?
SB: I was telling the guys earlier that Schumacher [and I] had a really long talk yesterday [and] decided that, as tough as it was going to be out there, I was going to run for the team. If the pace was too hard from the gun, I was going to check off a little bit and make sure I didn’t blow up. That was our goal. [At] about 6 or 7K, I decided I was feeling good and that it wasn’t that big a gamble to go for the win. I stuck with the leaders. [I] didn’t want to make any moves in the race like I did last year. At 8K, Schumacher yelled that we had the team [win] in the bag, and that’s all I needed. That was a green light. I decided to test the other guys a couple of times after the 8K mark, and they responded to it. I decided to hang back until the 9K, and that’s when I made a big surge.

MR: You looked so comfortable the whole way. Was that how you were feeling?
SB: It was really mental. I just wanted to make sure that no matter how I felt physically, I was strong mentally. Half the battle in a race like this is the mental aspect. I wasn't going to let pain or stitches ruin my race. All week I’ve been working on staying focused mentally, and that is what I did today.

MR: As defending champ, how did you prepare?
SB: I prepared myself the way I always prepare myself. I tell myself that the competition is training twice as hard. That’s honestly what drives me - knowing that I have to step up my game. I have to do more than what I did last year in order to win. That’s very much been my mentality all year. My summer training increased, and my fall training increased. All the way around, I was able to focus and do more than what I have been doing.

MR: Now you get to share a championship with your team.
SB: Yeah, that is what we are here for. That is what cross country is all about. Track is about individual achievements, and cross country is about team achievements. To be a senior and go out as team champion and individual champion - I can’t think of a better way to end it. It’s pretty amazing.

Chris Solinsky, Wisconsin, 3rd Place

MR: Chris, talk about your race.
CS: It went pretty much as perfectly as possible. The goal was to be in the top five, be conservative at the beginning of the race and not get in trouble like I did last year. It went perfectly. Someone just told me my splits. I didn’t pay attention to them at all. I went 14:55 and 14:32. I can’t be happier. I felt great until 1500 meters to go, but was able to recompose and finish hard still. To finish third and win the team title with this bunch of guys is just great. I can’t ask for anything better.

MR: Did you feel the pressure? There is always pressure, but for this one, you had a lot of pressure on your team.
CS: Yeah, I think there was quite a bit of pressure. We knew coming in that we were the best team, and we didn’t want to do what we did last year. That was our main motivation to get our heads on straight and do what we needed to do to get the job done - not get ahead of ourselves. I think it was over before it started. The pressure was great, but I think this group of guys handled it well. I can’t be happier.

MR: You came on pretty strong at the end. Do you think you had too much left at the end?
CS: No, I think I timed it pretty well because that last stretch still hurt pretty bad. For a while I was thinking of trying to get up with the lead group, but I think I’ll save that for next year maybe. I’m real happy with the place and the effort.

Josh McDougal, Liberty, 4th Place

MR: Josh, talk about the race.
JM: It was a great race. I felt great and in control. I did a little more leading than I would have liked to, but I don’t think anyone expected it to go out that slow. I didn’t want to let it go any slower.

MR: You were pressing the pace at the beginning. Did you expect them to start surging back on you?
JM: I wasn’t pressing the pace in the beginning, just cruising and wondering why we were going so slow. It wasn’t until 5K when we hit 14:50 mid to high that Westley and I looked at each other and just took off. I think I ran roughly 14:55 and 14:32. We definitely came back a whole lot faster.

MR: Chris Solinsky came by you there at the end. How were you feeling towards the end?
JM: I was feeling really good at 8K, like I could maintain the pace. But Bairu just threw it down, and Kiplagat went with him. I had surged before that to break it down to just us three. I knew beforehand that Chris was going to be running for the team. He came on really strong, and it actually jolted me back into it, and I was able to finish if off strong.

MR: You said in yesterday’s press conference that you wanted to finish higher than you did last year. Are you happy with how you finished today?
JM: Yeah. I left it all out there on the course. I gave it my best effort today. I think Bairu proved he was the favorite. He was the favorite in my book all year. I don’t know why people didn’t give him [more] respect. I wanted to win, but oh well. Two more years. I’ll get it next year maybe.