UW Cross Country Team Kicked Off Title Season in Peninsula State Park

In November the University of Wisconsin Cross Country team finished 7th in the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, IN, completing another stellar season that began on the trails of Peninsula State Park in August.

Second-year Badgers coach Michael “Mick” Byrne brought his team to the Parkwood Lodge in August for a week-long pre-season training and bonding retreat that kicked the team’s 11th consecutive Big Ten Championship season.

“It was a great experience, absolutely fantastic,” Byrne said. “We’ll do it again next year.”

Byrne said his squad featured a big freshmen contingent and the retreat helped break them in while giving them a chance to bond with the veteran athletes. The Parkwood is located across the street from Peninsula State Park, home of the Door County Half Marathon, and just a few strides from the Gibraltar High School track facility.

“We were able to get some great soft-surface running in, use the roads when we wanted, and get track workouts in as well,” Byrne said. “And it was all 400 meters from the hotel.”

Byrne spent 24 years coaching at Iona University in New York before coming to Wisconsin, so he had to ask around a bit to find a place to take the team. An assistant coach recommended Door County, and after Byrne checked it out he said it was a perfect fit.

“I did some searching online and I liked what I saw of the area and the resort,” he said. “It looked like a great area to train in, had a hotel right next to the park, and great opportunities for the kids to see a part of Wisconsin most of them had never been to.”

His team played football in open fields, went swimming in the lake, and ventured up to Newport State Park. Byrne said they look forward to checking out Washington Island next time around, when they kick off another run at the Big Ten title and the NCAA Championship.