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BIG TEN CHAMPIONS! The Wisconsin volleyball team won its first Big Ten Championship since 2014 and its sixth overall with a 3-0 sweep of Rutgers on Saturday. Seeded fourth in the NCAA Tournament, the Badgers will host the first and second rounds at the UW Field House this weekend and open play against Illinois State on Friday at 7 p.m. PHOTO BY BIANCA MICELI
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THE AXE IS BACK Players like OLB Zack Baun (56), DE David Pfaff (52) and C Tyler Biadasz (61) got their swings, while TE Jake Ferguson (84) shared a victory lap with fans after the Badgers regained Paul Bunyan’s Axe with their dominant 38-17 victory over Minnesota last Saturday in Minneapolis. PHOTOS BY DAVID STLUKA
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BAHAMA BADGERS Sunshine, sand and great hoops! The women’s basketball team competed in the inaugural Bahamas Hoopfest in Nassau, Bahamas over Thanksgiving, picking up a 67-56 win against Ball State and a narrow 68-64 loss to No. 25 Arkansas. PHOTOS BY CARISSA BRZEZINSKI
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WHATEVER IT TAKES Junior forward and assistant captain Tarek Baker gets low to win a face off against Michigan. The Badgers split the series 1-1 with the Wolverines. PHOTO BY TOM LYNN
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A SMASHING SUCCESS Celebrating one of their five goals against Harvard, the Badgers swept both games at the Country Classic women’s hockey tournament in Nashville, Tennessee and retook the No. 1 spot in the country. PHOTO BY A.J. HARRISON
CONTENTS
DECEMBER 4, 2019 ▪ VOLUME 10, ISSUE 10
DAVID STLUKA
24 NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER Late October saw the Badgers struggle through two tough losses. November saw a team focused on small details and the big picture — winning the Big Ten West. December, and the Badgers’ destiny, now awaits …
FEATURES 2
IN FOCUS
16 LUCAS AT LARGE 19 BY THE NUMBERS
YOUNG TALENT
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The Badgers’ young playmakers are hitting their stride at the right time for Jim Leonhard and eager for a rematch with Ohio State.
23 VIRAL VIDEO 39 INSIDE FOOTBALL 41 INSIDE BASKETBALL 45 INSIDE VOLLEYBALL 47 INSIDE HOCKEY 51 INSIDE WRESTLING 53 INSIDE SWIM & DIVE
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20 WHAT TO WATCH
LUCAS AT LARGE
MY WORDS
30 APPRECIATE
THE JOURNEY Redshirt junior Molly Haggerty’s road back from injury has made her stronger — both on and off the court. 13
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LUCAS AT LARGE
BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM SENIOR WRITER
Young talent hitting stride at right time
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ased on what Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard saw out of Semar Melvin at Ohio State in late October, he wanted to see more of the true freshman cornerback from St. Thomas Aquinas High School, a powerhouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that produced James White, Dez Southward, et al. “We left the game saying that he should play more reps,” Leonhard said of the 5-foot-11, 166-pound Melvin, a four-star prospect. “I’m excited for him because it’s an opportunity that he has earned. It’s not given. It’s not a situation where other guys have made mistakes. He has earned the role. “It’s awesome when you can reward a guy. It’s why we’ve tried to be smart with the number of games that he played during the middle portion of the season because we felt like this growth was coming and we felt the opportunity could be there.” It materialized at Minnesota. In only his third collegiate appearance, Melvin made his first career start as part of the nickel package. And it didn’t take him long to experience a “Welcome to the Big Ten moment” at the (soft) hands of wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who beat him on a long touchdown pass. Leonhard really didn’t have to say anything to Melvin when he came off the field. “That’s what I love about the kid — you look in his eyes and he’s fine,” Leonhard said. “He
came over and asked, ‘What can I do better?’ We had a conversation and he went back out there and played extremely well the rest of the day.” From Melvin’s first game exposure in the season opener at South Florida, Leonhard has been conscious of preserving Melvin’s year of eligibility by not exceeding the NCAA’s redshirt limit of four games. He’s definitely planning on using Melvin in Saturday’s Big Ten title game against Ohio State.
“AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON, ANY TIME YOU CAN GET CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER GUYS, IT’S BIG. WE’LL BE AT OUR BEST WHEN MORE GUYS CONTRIBUTE.” “He’s got a great approach and we’ve seen his progression throughout the season,” he observed. “It’s probably not right to play him more than four games. But we said when he gets his next opportunity it’s going to be a big one and he has been ready for it now for a while. “It was awesome to see him be a big piece of why we won the game and won the West. He has tremendous trust in his speed. He can run, so he never panics. He always understands he’s in a position to make a play because he trusts he can run with guys and get his eyes back on the football.” Melvin was not the only unsung contributor on Leonhard’s defense.
After the Gophers took a quick 7-0 lead, they were driving for another score on their second possession. On second-and-2 from the UW 35, defensive end Isaiah Mullens and linebacker Chris Orr combined to stop tailback Mohamed Ibrahim for no gain. It was Mullens’ first career tackle. On third-and-2, freshman nose tackle Keeanu Benton and defensive end Garrett Rand held quarterback Seth Green, the short-yardage specialist, to no gain. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck conceded afterward the result of those two plays factored into his thinking to punt the ball on fourth down. “It was huge, especially knowing how successful that team has been in those short-yardage situations,” Leonhard said. “When they have won first down, not many teams have had success against them. To get a win and get off the field, there was a lot of confidence for this defense that we needed. “It’s really early in the game but when you look back on it, and you see what happened on that series and how it settled us down and you see a guy like Isaiah (Mullens) make a play, it’s big time. We had the game plan, we had what we needed to win the game and we just needed to get it done.” With the Badgers protecting a 17-7 lead in the third quarter, Ibrahim broke loose on a 36yard run. After juking the safety, it looked like he had clear sailing
TOM LYNN
to the end zone. But backup outside linebacker Christian Bell never stopped hustling and brought him down from behind on the UW 22. The Wisconsin defense stiffened and the Gophers were forced to settle for a field goal. “It was high-effort,” Leonhard said of Bell. “He was the only guy who could stop him (from scoring). Christian has been great the last couple of weeks. You just see the energy. He gets a sack (against Purdue) and then makes that play. It’s how you earn more reps. “You build trust in your teammates and coaches.” Melvin. Mullens. Bell. Who would have guessed they would have factored into the win? “At this point in the season,” said Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst, “any time you can get contributions from other guys, it’s big. For some, it’s one play. For some, it’s 10 plays. For some, it’s more than that. We’ll be at our best when more guys contribute.” After grading the Minnesota film, Leonhard was pleased with the attention to detail on “what
DAVID STLUKA
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our plan was and what we needed to do it execute it” against the high-scoring Gophers. He also drew a telling conclusion, “That was the best that we’ve tackled in a while, maybe the whole month of November; maybe in a month and a half that was the best we’ve tackled.” Tackling can be problematic from a repetition standpoint. “It gets tougher as the season goes on because you’re not hitting as much,” Leonhard said. “So, you have to get creative, you have to find ways to emphasize it. We still do as much as we can within a practice. If you put yourself in a position to execute a tackle the right way, it gives you a chance.” Coaches can’t afford to let anything slide, he stressed, fearing bad habits will develop. “That’s what shows up throughout the course of a year,” Leonhard said. “The teams that continue to tackle the best generally have the most success … you’ve got to make plays in other areas, but if you tackle well, you’re going to have an opportunity to win the game.” The Ohio State rematch has
CHRISTIAN BELL
piqued Leonhard’s curiosity. He’s excited. So are his players. “It’s rare in college football to play a team twice,” said Leonhard, who played 10 years in the National Football League. “Having experience in the NFL, you see how much of a difference that makes in understanding who’s lining up across from you and how they attack and how you attacked them. “What hurt you? What did you do well? It’s truly a chess match. You know more information about them. They know more information about you. You understand the issues that they create and maybe something you thought was a big issue going into the game ended up not being one. “There’s a lot of learning that can happen when you play a team a second time … We know that we’ve got nothing to lose. I’m not saying they have less to lose or more to lose than we do. “But we see this as an opportunity to go in there (Indianapolis) and really represent what growth we’ve had since we stepped off that field the last time.” ▪
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BY THE NUMBERS
DAVID STLUKA
WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING ▶ Reigning Big Ten Swimmer of the Year Beata Nelson raced to a school-record finish of 50.65 in the Women's 100 Fly at the NC State GAC Fall Invitational.
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◀ MEN’S HOCKEY Collecting 10 goals so far, freshman forward Cole Caufield is the first player in the Big Ten to reach double figures in goals this season.
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DEB LINDSEY
GREG ANDERSON
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ▶ Senior Kendra Van Leeuwen entered Wisconsin's record book on Nov. 30 after collecting her 362nd career assist. She is now tied with Faith Johnson for 10th place on UW's all-time list.
199.4 50.65
◀ FOOTBALL QB Jack Coan is 30-for-41 (73.2%) for 483 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception over the last two games, good for a pass efficiency rating of 199.4.
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WHAT TO WATCH TOM LYNN
TOURNEY TIME
VOLLEYBALL VS. ILLINOIS STATE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 ▪ 7PM UW FIELD HOUSE ▪ BTN+ Seeded fourth in the NCAA Tournament, newly-crowned Big Ten Champion Wisconsin hosts NCAA first and second-round action this Friday and Saturday. Wisconsin plays Illinois State on Friday at 7 p.m. in the UW Field House on BTN+. If the Badgers win, they’ll face the winner of UCLA vs. Notre Dame on Saturday at 6 p.m. on BTN+.
DAVID STLUKA
B1G OPENER
MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. INDIANA SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 ▪ 3:30PM KOHL CENTER ▪ BTN Wisconsin returns home to open the Big Ten season against undefeated Indiana on Saturday. Watch the Badgers face the Hoosiers at 3:30 p.m. live on Big Ten Network.
TOM LYNN
B1G CHAMPIONSHIP
FOOTBALL VS. OHIO STATE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 ▪ 7PM INDIANAPOLIS ▪ FOX For the third time in six years, West Division champion Wisconsin and East Division champion Ohio State will meet in Indianapolis to decide the Big Ten title. The No. 10 Badgers and No. 2 Buckeyes are set to clash Saturday in the 2019 Big Ten Football Championship Game. Kickoff is live on FOX at 7 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY 12/4
THURSDAY 12/5
MEN’S BASKETBALL at NC State Raleigh, N.C. 8:15 p.m. Watch: ESPN2
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at Georgia Tech Atlanta 6 p.m. Watch: ACC Net. Extra
MEN’S & WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING at Toyota U.S. Open Atlanta All day
FRIDAY 12/6 MEN’S HOCKEY at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. 6 p.m. Watch: BTN+
MEN’S & WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING at Toyota U.S. Open Atlanta All day
VOLLEYBALL NCAA Tournament First Round vs. Illinois State Madison, Wis. 7 p.m. Watch: BTN+ Ticket info » WOMEN’S HOCKEY vs. Minnesota Duluth Madison, Wis. 7 p.m. Watch: BTN+ SOLD OUT View more 12/6 events »
SUNDAY 12/8 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at North Dakota State Fargo, N.D. 2 p.m. Watch: MidcoSN
ALL TIMES CENTRAL
MONDAY 12/9
TUESDAY 12/10
SATURDAY 12/7 MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Indiana Madison, Wis. 3:30 p.m. Watch: BTN SOLD OUT VOLLEYBALL (If win Friday) NCAA Tournament Second Round vs. UCLA/Notre Dame Madison, Wis. 6 p.m. Watch: BTN+ Ticket info » MEN’S HOCKEY at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. 6 p.m. Watch: BTN+ View more 12/7 events »
WEDNESDAY 12/11 MEN’S BASKETBALL at Rutgers Piscataway, N.J. 6 p.m. Watch: BTN
VIEW FULL CALENDAR ON UWBADGERS.COM »
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VIRAL VIDEO
DO MOORE. BE MOORE. 4 MOORE. UP NEXT:
ONE PURPOSE: WISCONSIN VS. MINNESOTA HIGHLIGHTS
BADGERS TAKE DOWN EASTERN ILLINOIS, 63-55
FOLLOW THE BADGERS â–¶
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fter closing out October with a whimper — back-to-back losses at Illinois and Ohio State, the first defeats of Wisconsin’s season — it would have been damaging, and maybe even understandable for some players to lose confidence and question what they were doing and how they were doing it. “Once you have second thoughts and doubts, you bring the energy level down and it can kind of have a snowball effect, so you have to fight against that,” said tailback Jonathan Taylor, who along with his teammates never wavered on the commitment to having a November to remember. Why not? “It was the energy at practices. You would think after those two losses that the energy would be low and guys would be quiet. But the guys were flying around and trying to keep the energy levels up because we knew that’s what was going to keep this team rolling.” Not many probably saw the November 2 scheduling bye as a bridge from a two-game losing streak to winning four straight against West Division opponents. But the Badgers took that road to Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis and a rematch with the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes.
“This is just a resilient group, a tough-minded group of guys that understood exactly where they were at,” said UW strength and conditioning coach Ross Kolodziej, “Despite where we sat (3-2 in the Big Ten), we still knew it really came back to doing what we do.” By working hard and focusing on details, Kolodziej was content with “letting everything else fall where it may,” like Minnesota stumbling at Iowa (Nov. 16) and re-opening the door for Wisconsin after the Gophers had taken a twogame division lead at the end of October. “Coming out of the bye,” Kolodziej said, “we knew that we had all division games. You really didn’t need to manufacture or try to create anything else. We have great leadership … and all those guys did a great job of communicating to the group.” In this context, Kolodziej singled out Jonathan Taylor, A.J. Taylor, Chris Orr, Tyler Biadasz and Zack Baun, who took a very pragmatic approach to the schedule by breaking down the season in thirds based on the two byes. The first one was on September 14, the Saturday before the Michigan game. “Ending our second third with two losses,” Baun said, “we used the second bye week to
re-evaluate where we were at individually and suits. “We will do this and we will get it done.” as a team — as a defense and an offense, every Vision will lead to reality, a tenet in the book. aspect of our game. Then we knew the oppor“We all trust in each other and we trust in tunity we had in front of us was to gain what the coaches,” Baun said. “So, you have to play we wanted back. your heart out every game and each game will “And that was to win November while conget more important than the next leading up tinuing to get better.” to this opportunity (Big Ten title game). We Baun admitted the continued to improve road trips to Chamall November. paign and Columbus “The bye week real“THIS IS JUST A RESILIENT GROUP, A spawned questions. TOUGH-MINDED GROUP OF GUYS THAT UNDERSTOOD ly helped us to go back “You lose two games and re-evaluate what EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE AT. DESPITE WHERE and you’re like, ‘Are we we were doing.” WE SAT (3-2 IN THE BIG TEN), WE STILL KNEW really doing everything There was some newIT REALLY CAME BACK TO DOING WHAT WE DO.” necessary? What are found clarity in bouncwe doing differently? ing back from defeat. What were we doing in these two weeks that “The losses spoke a lot to us,” said left tackwe weren’t doing before? What were we doing le Cole Van Lanen. “We knew that we weren’t so well at the beginning of the season to play playing our football and we just needed a week the way we were playing?’” to collect ourselves and understand, ‘This is it’ Even head coach Paul Chryst confessed and we knew that we had to do everything we Monday, “Wasn’t sure that we’d be playing this could over the next four games. week.” The UW head coach went on to note that “You want it to go perfect … it seldom does.” But he was proud of his players’ “response to self-analysis” upon taking a step back and the time to catch their breath during the bye week and leading up to the Iowa game. It all reinforced his belief in this team. One of Chryst’s favorite authors is Andy Andrews, who wrote “The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success.” Chryst had players read the book during a previous offseason, and he’s fond of quoting select passages when warranted. “Coach talked a lot recently about having a ‘decided heart,’” said Baun, interpreting it to mean being steadfast in your decision-making and pur-
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“In the first part of the season, it showed how good we can play when we put it all together — when we played with confidence, when we played with emotion. I don’t want to say we lost that a little bit, but we obviously didn’t play with that as much for a couple of games. “But we’ve battled back really well and I think that we’re playing close to our best football … what really helped was the trophy games, the rivalry games. They really kicked us in gear. Against Iowa, we were juiced and ready to go.” On November 9, the Badgers beat the Hawkeyes to spark their late-season run. There was no margin for error. “We were at a point,” Baun said, “where if we lost one game and didn’t play up to Wisconsin’s standard, our chances to do what we wanted were minimized.”
The Badgers outscored Nebraska and Purdue despite struggling defensively. “There were a lot of ups and downs,” conceded Baun. “A lot of those big plays that were made were mistakes on our part whether it was a missed alignment, not communicating, or a lot of missed tackles. We had to focus on the little things and get back to how we play football.” It all fell into place Saturday during a convincing 38-17 win at Minnesota. “We gave up something early and really didn’t give up much more after that,” said senior linebacker Chris Orr, referencing Minnesota jumping out to a 7-0 lead with a 51-yard touchdown pass on its second offensive play. “We definitely showed some resiliency.” The Gophers had been averaging 35.9 points per game, the program’s highest average in 16 years. They had outscored Big Ten opponents 294-143 while passing for a school-record 26 touchdowns and rushing for 24. The Badgers held them to 17 points, their lowest scoring output of the season. “This is when championships are on the line, this is big boy football, the month of November,” enthused linebacker Jack Sanborn. “Who’s the more resilient group? You’re deep into the season, both teams are going to have injuries. Who’s going to be the one still pushing that extra bit to keep going?” It was clearly the Badgers. Defensively, they controlled the line of scrimmage. “Come November,” said redshirt junior Isaiahh Loudermilk, “you do have to flip your mindset. A season can be made in November. It’s Big Ten ball, it’s ‘gotta’ win games. It’s pretty much a mentality. If a game slips away (i.e. Illinois), November is your time to get things back in order.” Garrett Rand had a career-high seven tackles, including a sack and forced fumble, while Loudermilk had four tackles. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s offensive line did such a terrific job
protecting quarterback Jack Coan that the who caught five passes for 114 yards and a Minnesota pass rush rarely got a sniff of Coan TD. “We work with that in mind knowing we (zero sacks). The numbers reflected the time have to turn it up. The best teams separate that he had in the pocket and his accuracy: themselves in November.” Coan was 15-of-22 for 280 yards and two Once again, the Badgers proved to be the scores. best in the West. “We’ve got a lot of guys on this team who “I definitely bought into it — a November to can make plays,” said Coan, who cited the imremember — that’s what everyone was saying,” portance of playing complementary football as said cornerback Caesar Williams, who broke units. “We’re not always going to score on evup four passes and had an interception against ery possession, but if we Minnesota. “Each week can get a few first downs in November is more and it flips the field and makes more important. If you “EACH WEEK IN NOVEMBER IS MORE AND it easier on the defense.” keep winning, the bigger MORE IMPORTANT. IF YOU KEEP WINNING, The diversity of Wisthe game gets.” THE BIGGER THE GAME GETS.” consin’s offensive attack None bigger than Saturwas striking, though. day’s championship game “We’re using our talents to the fullest,” said against Ohio State. Biadasz. “Our coaching staff knows how tal“We’ve seen them up-close — schematically ented our group is and it’s just getting them in and personnel-wise,” Kolodziej said. “Will they the best position to succeed. That is the plan have a new wrinkle or two? Absolutely. But all the time. Coach Chryst says, ‘We can give they’re going to do what they do and we need you a great game plan, but it’s us that creates to do what we do. the magic to bring it to life.’” “It comes down to executing and playing our November magic. brand of football. Smart, tough, physical foot“They’ve instilled in us that November is ball.” when you have to be playing your best footThe formula worked in November. Why not ball,” reiterated wide receiver Quintez Cephus, December?
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grew up seeing myself as a strong person. I especially took pride in being mentally tough. I believed that I could get through anything if I was in the right state of mind. That’s just how I was raised. I’m the youngest of four and all my siblings were Division I scholarship athletes in college, so I learned early on that if I wanted to keep up I needed thick skin and a hunger to be better than my opponent, even if that opponent was someone I looked up to and loved. We were all very competitive and, looking back, I think that brought out the best in each other. I think that upbringing is a big reason why my brother Ryan, the oldest, wound up playing men’s basketball at UW-Milwaukee; why my sister Meghan was a standout volleyball player at Nebraska; and why my sister Maddie played volleyball at Michigan State where she was the team captain as a senior. I fell in love with volleyball when I was little. It eventually led me to my way to my second home and my second family at Wisconsin. I credit my sisters with showing at an early age that there was a volleyball path for me if I wanted to make the journey. I went to watch their club and high school matches and saw how they learned the game and excelled. I paid
attention to how hard they worked each and every day. I believe one of my strengths and competitive advantages is my volleyball IQ. I’m pretty sure I developed that IQ by observing and mimicking Meghan and Maddie. They were — and still are — huge role models for me. Growing up, I thought it was great being the youngest. I often talk to my sisters about it, how they would always be beating me up, which I loved because I didn’t want to be known as the little kid. Their treatment of me would eventually toughen me up and it made me try even harder to beat them at any sport we played. I remember games of basketball in the driveway until one of us would eventually run into the house crying, saying the others had cheated. Two minutes later all of us would be back outside playing again. This was almost a daily occurrence at the Haggerty house. The neighbors had to think we were crazy. I’ve always been closest to Maddie because she’s two years older than I am and I considered her to be my measuring stick. This might sound strange, but it’s true. I would lie and cheat to try and beat Maddie. If we were playing a board game and she looked away, I’d move a piece to my advantage. Maddie wanted to win. I needed to win to prove a point.
I came to Madison from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, rehab it again and hope for the best. a very confident person because of my family, I have to admit that quitting was in the back but I soon learned the hard way how quickly of my mind because I’d come to doubt myself that confidence can be stripped away in an inso much. I thought, “Maybe it’s time to hang stant and in the worst of ways. An injury will up the jersey and knee pads and walk away.” It do that to you. was so frustrating because, deep down, that’s We were playing Penn not what I wanted at all. State at the Field House The idea of going back in late October of 2016, to square one in my reI CAME TO MADISON A VERY CONFIDENT my freshman season, hab intimidated me and I PERSON, BUT I SOON LEARNED THE HARD when I fell awkwardly and didn’t like that feeling. I’d WAY HOW QUICKLY THAT CONFIDENCE felt my left leg go numb. lost a lot of strength after CAN BE STRIPPED AWAY IN AN INSTANT I thought I hurt my knee, my surgery. During one of AND IN THE WORST OF WAYS. but an MRI showed a my first attempts at core AN INJURY WILL DO THAT TO YOU. badly herniated disk in my exercises I realized I didn’t back. I was shocked when have any strength in my the doctors showed me the damage because I glutes due to nerve issues. I literally couldn’t never had back problems or any previous back squeeze my butt cheeks together. It took me pain. They told me it could have happened in two months to be able to do that. It was humhigh school — that it was a cumulative thing bling and frustrating. I’m not a patient person — but outside of a sprained ankle, I don’t ever recall being hurt. Hearing them say I needed surgery was crazy and it took me a while to believe it. I wound up finishing out the season and had surgery in January of 2017. That’s when things started to get rough. My recovery was brutal because I was not allowed to do much of anything physical. I couldn’t walk more than a mile and couldn’t lift anything more than five pounds. Ugh. I’m the type of person that likes to work out because it’s my stress reliever. Having that taken away was awful. It got worse. I was four months into my rehab, just starting to feel good about my progress, when I reinjured my back. How? No one’s sure, but they said disk re-herniation could occur from something as simple as a sneeze. Anyway, I was devastated. I went back to the doctor who performed the original surgery and he gave me three options. He said I could have another procedure — with no guarantees of success — I could retire from volleyball for good or I could
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at all, so I constantly had to fight the demon of ple around me happy. I was bringing the mood doubt in my head and tell myself, “It will hapdown and making everyone miserable. Looking pen. Be patient.” back, I can’t believe that’s who I was at that After my re-herniation, I came to lean a lot time in my life. on my parents, Jerry and Stacey. They knew Maddie had a similar experience. When she me better than I thought I knew myself. They tore the labrum in her shoulder in high school know how much I love volleyball. They knew if and was out for an extended period, her atI quit I’d be making a big mistake and I’d regret titude completely changed for the worst. She it. Looking back, I’m so thankful for my parents wasn’t the same person and I was very upbecause they didn’t let set about that. She really me take the easy way out. struggled. I didn’t underI decided to try rehabstand it because I hadn’t (MY PARENTS) KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE bing the back again, which walked in her shoes yet. VOLLEYBALL. THEY KNEW IF I QUIT I’D BE meant redshirting and not It was only after I had my MAKING A BIG MISTAKE AND I’D REGRET IT. playing for the Badgers in injury that it hit me. I felt LOOKING BACK, I’M SO THANKFUL FOR MY 2017. the same disconnect that PARENTS BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T LET ME I cringe inside when Maddie must have felt. TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT. I think about that time. She kept fighting, though, Since I didn’t have volwhich gave me a greater leyball and didn’t know what else to have in appreciation for her character and her place as my life, I went through a period where I didn’t my role model. care about school anymore and my relationAt one point after my surgery, I began keepships weren’t that great with my coaches or my ing a journal. I’m so glad I did. It became an teammates. I was selfish. It was all about me. outlet for all the things I was feeling — the I think they knew I was in bad place because doubt, the fear, the isolation, the frustration that wasn’t me. I didn’t even recognize myself. and the pain. I wrote something almost every I just wasn’t happy and I wasn’t making peoday. A lot of the entries are very personal; stuff
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TOM LYNN
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I’ve never shared with anyone. All that writing and reflecting gave me some much-needed perspective on my life. At that time, I acted and thought I was the only athlete who’d ever gone through something like this. I thought I was the only one who’d ever lost confidence. I thought I was the only one who’d thought they’d lost their identity. I sat down with two sports psychologists at different times and they helped me work through my issues. I also had some heart-to-heart talks with my parents and my coach, Kelly Sheffield. Occasionally when I’m having a bad day even now I’ll look back, read some of what I’d written and realize how far I’ve come. I stopped keeping the journal after my sophomore year. Why? Good question. I’m not sure, but I think
I wanted to leave that part behind me because it represents a time when I was struggling. I know I’m in a better place now. Going into my redshirt year I decided to be the best teammate I could be. I figured that if I’m not going to help the team on the court, I wanted to help it off the court. Because of this injury, I think I’ve become a much better teammate. From my freshman year to right now I’ve learned so much about myself. I don’t know if that would have happened without the injury. Being on the court now is amazing. Last year it was great to be back playing, but I didn’t feel like my old self. I felt like I was just another outside hitter on the court. That’s not the case anymore. Coming into this season I was able to bring that confidence I had as a player before my injury. I believe I have brought even more confidence than I had my freshman year. I feel on top of the world. I’m in a good place mentally, emotionally and physically. People tell me I have a swagger on the court. I don’t know how to respond to that. My siblings were always a great example to me of how to be humble about accomplishments on and off the court. What I do know is that I have confidence in my ability, which started at an early age and has developed over time. I know I have an ego, but I hope in a good way. I know I will do anything it takes for me to help my team achieve its goals. If I do bring a swagger to the court and that swagger helps pump up my teammates, then I will continue to bring that. I don’t see swagger as arrogance. I see it as a way of showing my teammates that I always have their backs, that I’ll be a rock for
them when things are tough, that I’m a person Winning the Big Ten Conference championthey count on to give them additional strength ship is always on our to-do list, so it was great to when they need it. check that off. Now we’re focused on the next For the longest time I envisioned being back project, namely the NCAA tournament. Being to where I am now. One can always wish and a competitive athlete, everyone’s goal is to win dream for something like that, but for it to acchampionships and make your program better tually happen has been a pretty cool experithan it was before you got here. Obviously our ence. I thought I was back last year and clearNo. 1 objective is to win our first national tily wasn’t, which was tle, but I try not to think deflating. But I spent about that a lot. I’m all offseason working just doing all the things MY INJURY TAUGHT ME THAT YOU NEED TO with Kevin Schultz, I think I need to do to APPRECIATE THE JOURNEY. IF YOU FOCUS ON our strength and conmake the team better. ONE ASPECT, YOU’LL LIKELY MISS A LOT OF THE ditioning coach, and I Everyone on our BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. IT TAKES TIME AND A LOT credit him with flipping team wants to win a OF HARD WORK TO GET WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. a switch in me. It’s difnational championship, ficult to put into words but I think if we talk too how great I feel physically because of the hard much about it then we are focused too much work Kevin and the entire strength and condion the final outcome. My injury taught me that tioning staff did on my behalf. I’m also grateyou need to appreciate the journey. If you foful for the patience my teammates and coachcus on one aspect, you’ll likely miss a lot of the es showed me during my recovery journey. I beautiful scenery. It takes time and a lot of hard wasn’t at my best for a long time, but their love work to get where you want to go. I realized and support made a huge difference. that you should use that time to enjoy the ride.
“
DARREN LEE
37
INSIDE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (10-2, 7-2) Home events in bold. All times CT. Aug. 30 at South Florida W, 49-0 Sept. 7 Central Michigan W, 61-0 Sept. 21 #11 Michigan W, 35-14 Sept. 28 Northwestern W, 24-15 Oct. 5
Kent State
W, 48-0
Oct. 12 Michigan State W, 38-0
Homecoming
Oct. 19 at Illinois
L, 23-24
Oct. 26 at #4 Ohio State L, 7-38
▲ TAP TO WATCH - One Purpose: Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Highlights
THIS WEEK For the third time in six years, West Division champion Wisconsin and East Division champion Ohio State will meet in Indianapolis to decide the Big Ten title. The No. 10 Badgers (10-2 overall, 7-2 B1G) and No. 2 Buckeyes (12-0, 9-0) are set to clash Saturday in the 2019 Big Ten Football Championship Game. LAST WEEK The Badgers regained possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe and took a 61-60-8 lead in the alltime series with Minnesota by dispatching the No. 9-ranked Gophers, 38-17, to claim the Big Ten West Division crown and berth in the Big Ten Football Championship Game.
GOOD TO KNOW Wisconsin has posted at least 10 wins in five of the last six seasons. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Georgia are the only other programs to win double-digit games in five of the last six years.
#18 Iowa
W, 24-22
Nov. 16 at Nebraska
W, 37-21
Nov. 23 Purdue
W, 45-24
DAVID STLUKA
Nov. 9
Nov. 30 at #9 Minnesota W, 38-17 Dec. 7
at Big Ten Championship vs. #2 Ohio State Indianapolis 7 p.m. View full schedule/results »
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Saturday’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. CT and airs live on FOX, with Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft on the call. Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas and Patrick Herb will call the game statewide on the Badger Sports Network and worldwide via iHeartRadio. Live stats are available via UWBadgers.com and the Badger Gameday app.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Baggot: Bounty of playmakers team up to bring home axe
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▶ The Axe is Back! Wisconsin storms past Minnesota, 38-17 ▶ Bowl Buzz: Bowl trip packing list? Sunglasses and flip flops
39
UA SPOTLIGHT MC
UA HIGHLIGHT MC
S P E E D U A
S P O T L I G H T
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U A
H I G H L I G H T
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U A
T H AT
N E V E R
S P O T L I G H T
/ / / /
S T O P S U A
:
S P E E D
H I G H L I G H T
T H AT / / / /
N E V E R
U A
S T O P S
S P O T L I G H T
:
S P E E D
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U A
INSIDE MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE (4-4, 0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Nov. 5
vs. #20 Saint Mary’s Sioux Falls, S.D. L, 63-65 OT
Nov. 8
Eastern Illinois W, 65-52
Nov. 13 McNeese St. W, 83-63 Nov. 17 Marquette
W, 77-61
Nov. 21 Green Bay
W, 88-70
at Legends Classic, Brooklyn, N.Y.:
Nov. 25 vs. Richmond
L, 52-62
Nov. 26 vs. New Mexico L, 50-59 Dec. 4
at NC State
Dec. 7
Indiana
THIS WEEK Wisconsin returns home to open the Big Ten season against Indiana at the Kohl Center on Saturday. The Badgers (4-4 overall, 0-0 B1G) tip off against the Hoosiers (8-0 overall, 0-0 B1G) at 3:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. LAST TIME OUT The Badgers fell to NC State, 69-54, on the road in Raleigh, N.C. as part of the B1G/ACC Challenge. Aleem Ford led the Badgers with 13 points and seven rebounds against the Wolfpack.
GOOD TO KNOW Ford entered the year with nine career games scoring in double figures. He’s had 10-plus points now in five of eight games this season.
3:30 p.m.
Dec. 11 at Rutgers
6 p.m.
Dec. 21 Milwaukee
4 p.m.
Dec. 28 at Tennessee ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Do Moore. Be Moore. 4 Moore.
L, 54-69
Dec. 31 Rider
TBA 6 p.m.
Jan. 3
at #6 Ohio State 6 p.m.
Jan. 8
Illinois
Jan. 11
at Penn State
8 p.m. TBA
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Saturday’s Big Ten opener against Indiana is set to tip off 3:30 p.m. at the Kohl Center. All radio broadcasts can be heard on the Badger Sports Network. Follow @BadgerMBB on Twitter for updates.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Wisconsin to compete in 2020 Fort Myers Tip-Off
FOLLOW US:
▶ Best seats in the house: Celebrating 25 years of Mike & Matt ▶ Lucas at Large: Griffith keeps Moore family front and center
41
INSIDE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE (5-2, 0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 30 UW-Whitewater W, 67-34
Exhibition
Nov. 5
North Florida W, 75-62
Nov. 10 Wofford
W, 78-65
Nov. 14 at Colorado
L, 57-74
Nov. 17 Milwaukee
W, 71-40
Nov. 26 Eastern Illinois W, 63-55 at Bahamas Hoopfest, Nassau, Bahamas:
Nov. 29 vs. Ball State
W, 67-56
Nov. 30 vs. #25 Arkansas L, 64-68 Dec. 5
at Georgia Tech
6 p.m.
Dec. 12 Alabama State
7 p.m.
Dec. 20 Prairie View A&M 7 p.m.
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badgers take down Eastern Illinois, 63-55
THIS WEEK The Badgers (5-2 overall, 0-0 B1G) are headed to Georgia Tech for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. They then travel to North Dakota State on Sunday, Dec. 8 to take on the Bison at 2 p.m. LAST WEEK Wisconsin competed in the Bahamas Hoopfest on Nov. 29 and 30. They defeated Ball State 67-56 and fell to No. 25 Arkansas 64-68.
GOOD TO KNOW The Badgers will not be back home until Thursday, Dec. 12 when the team hosts Alabama State at 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
Dec. 28 Rutgers
2 p.m.
Dec. 31 at Purdue
3 p.m.
Jan. 4
Penn State
3 p.m.
Jan. 9
at Nebraska
7 p.m.
Jan. 12
at #19 Michigan St. TBA
Jan. 16
#24 Michigan
Jan. 19
Iowa 2 p.m. View full schedule/results »
7 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Follow @BadgerWBB on Twitter for live in-game updates and other game information, including previews, recaps and promotions.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Badgers fall to Razorbacks
FOLLOW US:
▶ Wisconsin brings down Ball State ▶ Badgers push past Panthers
43
INSIDE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE (22-6, 18-2) Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 5
at #2 Nebraska
W, 3-0
Oct. 9
at Northwestern W, 3-0
Oct. 13 #6 Minnesota
W, 3-0
Oct. 18 #17 Illinois
W, 3-2
Oct. 19 Northwestern
W, 3-0
Oct. 25 at Michigan State W, 3-0 ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Driven || Season 5 || Episode 11
THIS WEEK The Badgers (22-6 overall, 18-2 B1G) were selected as the No. 4 seed in the 2019 NCAA Championship and will host first- and second-round matches on Friday-Saturday in the UW Field House. UCLA (18-11) takes on Notre Dame (19-9) in the opening firstround match on Friday at 4:30 p.m. before Wisconsin faces off against Illinois State (2211) at 7 p.m. First-round winners advance to the second round of the tournament on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Field House.
GOOD TO KNOW UW is making its seventh-straight and 23rd overall NCAA tournament appearance. The Badgers are 46-22 in 22 years of the tournament, advancing to at least the Sweet 16 the last six consecutive years. Wisconsin has been a top-four seed in the tournament just two other times, a No. 3 seed in 2016 and a No. 4 seed in 2014.
LAST WEEK Wisconsin won its first Big Ten championship since 2014 and its sixth overall with a 3-0 win at Rutgers on Saturday. The Badgers started off their weekend with a 3-2 loss at No. 7 Penn State and needed a win on Saturday to claim the
NEED TO KNOW All NCAA matches will be streamed live on BTN+ ($). Fans can listen to all Wisconsin matches on 100.9FM or anywhere using the iHeartRadio app. Follow @BadgerVB on Twitter and Instagram for live updates.
title. UW won the title outright after Minnesota downed the Nittany Lions, 3-1, on Saturday.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Badgers earn No. 4 seed in NCAA tournament
Oct. 27 at Michigan
W, 3-1
Oct. 30 Maryland
W, 3-0
Nov. 3
at Indiana
W, 3-0
Nov. 8
at Ohio State
L, 1-3
Nov. 9
at Maryland
W, 3-0
Nov. 14 at #5 Minnesota W, 3-1 Nov. 16 Michigan State W, 3-0 Nov. 22 Iowa
W, 3-0
Nov. 24 #6 Nebraska
W, 3-0
Nov. 29 at #7 Penn State L, 2-3 Nov. 30 at Rutgers
W, 3-0
NCAA Tournament:
Dec. 6
Illinois State
Dec. 7
UCLA/Notre Dame 6 p.m.
7 p.m.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ Champions once again: Badgers clinch Big Ten title ▶ Badgers edged in five-set thriller at PSU
45
SCHEDULE (7-8-1, 2-5-1-1)
TOM LYNN
INSIDE MEN’S HOCKEY Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 25 #13 Clarkson
L, 0-4
Oct. 26 #13 Clarkson
W, 4-3
Oct. 31 at #12 Penn State L, 1-6 Nov. 1
at #12 Penn State L, 2-4
Nov. 8
at #20 Omaha
W, 5-2
Nov. 9
at #20 Omaha
L, 2-5
Nov. 15 #4 Notre Dame W, 3-0 Nov. 16 #4 Notre Dame L, 4-5 OT
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Wisconsin Hockey || Ep 14 || For Each Other
THIS WEEK No. 19 Wisconsin (7-8-1, 2-5-1-1 B1G) travels to Michigan State (6-7-1, 4-3-1 B1G) for the last series before the mid-season break. Game times are at 6 p.m. both Friday and Saturday nights. LAST WEEK Wisconsin split a home series with Michigan, winning 3-2 on Saturday night and dropping a 3-1 contest on Sunday. GOOD TO KNOW Sophomore defenseman K’Andre Miller boasts a ca-
reer-long, six-game point streak with three goals and four assists during the stretch. The streak is the longest for the Badgers this season. NEED TO KNOW Watch both this weekend’s games via livestream on BTN+ ($) with radio available Friday on 1310 WIBA and Saturday on 1070 WTSO and the iHeartRadio app. Live stats and updates are also available at UWBadgers.com and by following @BadgerMHockey on Twitter.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Holloway invited to Canada’s NJT selection camp
Nov. 22 at Minnesota
L, 1-4
Nov. 23 at Minnesota
T, 3-3 OT
Nov. 30 Michigan
W, 3-2
Dec. 1
Michigan
L, 1-3
Dec. 6
at Michigan State 6 p.m.
Dec. 7
at Michigan State 6 p.m.
Jan. 1 vs. U.S. Under-18 Team (Exhibition) 3 p.m.
Plymouth, Mich.
Jan. 10
#7 Ohio State
8 p.m.
Jan. 11
#7 Ohio State
7 p.m.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ Badgers rally to beat Michigan ▶ Wisconsin splits series with Wolverines
47
AJ HARRISON
INSIDE WOMEN’S HOCKEY SCHEDULE (16-1-1, 8-1-1) Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 18 at LIU
W, 10-2
Oct. 19 at LIU
W, 12-0
Oct. 26 Bemidji State
W, 4-1
Oct. 27 Bemidji State
W, 4-1
Nov. 2
at #2 Minnesota
L, 2-4
Nov. 3
at #2 Minnesota T, 2-2 2OT
Nov. 16 Minnesota State W, 3-2 Nov. 17 Minnesota State W, 6-1 Nov. 22 at St. Cloud State W, 5-3 Nov. 23 at St. Cloud State W, 6-2 at Country Classic, Nashville, Tenn.:
Nov. 29 vs. Harvard
W, 5-1
Nov. 30 vs. #8 Boston College W, 5-3
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Mark Johnson Press Conference - 12.02.19
THIS WEEK The No. 1 Badgers (16-1-1, 8-1-1-0 WCHA) end the 2019 calendar year with a home series against Minnesota Duluth at LaBahn Arena. Puck drop on both Friday and Saturday is set for 7 p.m. LAST WEEK Wisconsin went a perfect 2-0 at the Country Classic in Nashville after defeating Harvard 5-1 in its opening game before earning a 5-3 win against No. 8 Boston College on Saturday. Eight different
Badgers scored during the weekend for UW. GOOD TO KNOW Wisconsin leads the country in scoring offense, averaging 5.22 per game and has outscored its opponents 94-27 this year.
Dec. 6
#10 Minn. Duluth 7 p.m.
Dec. 7
#10 Minn. Duluth 7 p.m.
at Battle at the Burgh, Pittsburgh:
Jan. 4
vs. Robert Morris 6 p.m.
vs. Colgate/#3 Northeastern Jan. 5 1/4 p.m.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Fans can watch both games this weekend on BTN+ ($) and FloHockey ($) while Friday’s game can be heard on The Big 1070 as Reid Magnum has the call from LaBahn.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Country Classic Champs: No. 2 Badgers clip No. 8 Eagles
FOLLOW US:
▶ It’s a Country Classic: Badgers crush Crimson in Nashville ▶ Women’s hockey team outdoor skate set for Jan. 15
49
INSIDE WRESTLING SCHEDULE (6-1, 0-1) Home events in bold. All times CT. at Battle on the Midway, San Diego:
Nov. 1
vs. Fresno State W, 31-8
vs. Army
W, 16-15
vs. Navy
W, 24-12
Nov. 7
at Buffalo
W, 33-3
Nov. 8
at Edinboro
W, 28-15
Nov. 23 at #18 Utah Valley W, 31-13 Dec. 1
at #1 Iowa
Dec. 7
at SIUE Invitational
Edwardsville, Ill.
Dec. 19 Kent State
L, 3-32
7 p.m.
at Midlands Championships ▲ TAP TO WATCH - Jump Around Monday With Chris Bono (12/2/19)
THIS WEEK The ninth-ranked Badger wrestling team is headed to Edwardsville, Illinois, to compete at the Cougar Clash on Saturday. Fifteen athletes will travel to the first invitational of the year for Wisconsin. LAST WEEK Wisconsin faced off against No. 1 Iowa and lost 32-3. Redshirt senior Johnny Sebastian was the lone victor for Wisconsin, winning his match in sudden victory after a takedown.
GOOD TO KNOW Trent Hillger was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week last week after defeating No. 3 Tate Orndorff of Utah Valley. This was Hillger’s first time winning the honor and Wisconsin’s first time winning it since 2017. NEED TO KNOW Wisconsin is hosting its first dual of the season on Dec. 19 against Kent State in the UW Field House at 7 p.m. The match will feature a Sock Toss, where fans can throw new, packaged socks onto the mat and have them donated to local children in need.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Sebastian notches first Big Ten victory as a Badger
Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Jan. 10
at #22 Minnesota 8 p.m.
Jan. 12
#3 Nebraska
2 p.m.
Jan. 17
#5 Ohio State
7 p.m.
Jan. 31
at Indiana
6 p.m.
Feb. 2
at #16 Purdue
TBA
Feb. 7
#2 Penn State
8 p.m.
Feb. 9
Michigan State
3 p.m.
KASSIE DUNNIHOO
Dec. 29-30
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ Hillger hauls in Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors ▶ No. 8 Hillger’s heroics continue as he pins No. 3 Orndorff
51
ONE CALL... THAT’S ALL!
PROUD PARTNER OF WISCONSIN ATHLETICS
ACCIDENTS | INJURIES
INSIDE MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING SCHEDULE (2-1, 1-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 4
Green Bay
Oct. 25 at Virginia Nov. 8
W, 219-74 L, 124-193
at Minnesota W, 177-123
Nov. 21-23 at NC State/GAC Fall Invitational Greensboro, N.C. Results » Dec. 4-7
at Toyota U.S. Open
Atlanta
Jan. 4
at Denver
Jan. 25
Northwestern
Feb. 2
Badger Red/White Meet
Feb. 26-29 at Big Ten Championships
Bloomington, Ind.
Mar. 4-6 at NCAA Zone Diving Championships
Dallas
Mar. 25-28 at NCAA Championships
Indianapolis
View full schedule/results »
THIS WEEK No. 24 Wisconsin will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, for USA Swimming’s Toyota U.S. Open. LAST TIME OUT The Badgers placed third in North Carolina at the NC State/GAC Fall Invitational in Greensboro.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Beata, Beata, record beater
GOOD TO KNOW Junior MJ Mao took first in the men’s 100 breast (52.71) and senior Cameron Tysoe nearly missed a first-place finish as he came away with second in the men’s 100 back, touching at 47.02.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Fans can follow along by following @BadgerSwimDive on Twitter and Instagram. FOLLOW US:
▶ One day down, two to go ▶ Badgers take down Minnesota
53
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INSIDE WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING SCHEDULE (2-1, 1-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 4
Green Bay
Oct. 25 at Virginia Nov. 8
W, 212-82 L, 120-192
at Minnesota W, 155-145
Nov. 21-23 at NC State/GAC Fall Invitational Greensboro, N.C. Results » Dec. 4-7
at Toyota U.S. Open
Atlanta
Jan. 9
at Hawaii
Jan. 25
Northwestern
Feb. 2
Badger Red/White Meet
Feb. 19-22 at Big Ten Championships
Iowa City, Iowa
Mar. 4-6 at NCAA Zone Diving Championships
Dallas
Mar. 18-21 at NCAA Championships
Athens, Ga.
View full schedule/results »
THIS WEEK No. 19 Wisconsin will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, for USA Swimming’s Toyota U.S. Open.
GOOD TO KNOW Reigning Big Ten Swimmer of the Year Beata Nelson raced to a school-record (50.65) finish in the women’s 100 fly.
LAST TIME OUT The Badgers placed fifth in North Carolina at the NC State/GAC Fall Invitational in Greensboro.
NEED TO KNOW Fans can follow along by following @BadgerSwimDive on Twitter and Instagram.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Beata, Beata, record beater
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ One day down, two to go ▶ Badgers take down Minnesota
55