Moosletter — Week of December 15th!

December 15, 2024Leave a comment

Final Week Recap

Happy last week of the semester, Cows! Our last few runs were very merry and we hope that your last week is full of productivity, good grades, and relaxing runs. We have a quick edition of the Moosletter for you all, filled with brain-break games, cows, and favorite kinds of milk, and we're excited to be back training with you all in 2025. As a reminder, practice resumes the same day as classes, on January 21. Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

Wordle

Cownnections

Cow Studying Ambiance

Cute Baby Cows Video

Rapid-Fire Meet the Board

Your 2025 WTC Board is so excited to lead the club next year and get to know every single Cow on the team! We asked everyone some very important questions to get to know them better.

Jacob Alejandro (President)
- Favorite Route: The Arb
- Favorite Meet: Gene Davis
- Favorite Milk: Chocolate
Nathan Phillips (VP Men's Distance)
- Favorite Route: Great Dane
- Favorite Meet: Club Relays
- Favorite Milk: Skim
Lauren Fligge (VP Women's Distance)
- Favorite Route: Bike Path to Monroe
- Favorite Meet: Border Battle
- Favorite Milk: Vanilla Almond
Sam Culwell (VP Men's Sprints and Field)
- Favorite Place to Practice: McClimon (especially when it's warm)
- Favorite Meet: Club Relays
- Favorite Milk: Fairlife Chocolate
Grace Nwankwo (VP Women's Sprints and Field)
- Favorite Place to Practice: McClimon
- Favorite Meet: Club Relays
- Favorite Milk: Soy or Almond
Nora McCormick (Secretary)
- Favorite Route: Hoyt Park
- Favorite Meet: Border Battle
- Favorite Milk: Oat
Adam Kitay (Treasurer)
- Favorite Route: Lakeshore Path
- Favorite Meet: NIRCA Regionals
- Favorite Milk: Aged milk (in other words, cheese)
Lauren Tears (Travel Coordinator)
- Favorite Route: Bay Loop
- Favorite Meet: Club Relays
- Favorite Milk: Chocolate
Nathan Simon (Meet Coordinator)
- Favorite Route: Hospital Loop
- Favorite Meet: Club Relays
- Favorite Milk: Anything but chocolate
Maia Nebo (Webmaster)
- Favorite Place to Practice: The Shell (rip)
- Favorite Meet: Club Relays
- Favorite Milk: Fairlife Chocolate
Jenna Auth (Volunteer Coordinator)
- Favorite Place to Practice: The Shell (rip)
- Favorite Meet: Club Relays
- Favorite Milk: Almond
Kate Bjorklund (Brand Ambassador)
- Favorite Place to Practice: McClimon when it's above 60
- Favorite Meet: Club Relays
- Favorite Milk: Chocolate
Elliot Grodsky (Photography Lead)
- Favorite Route: Bay Loop
- Favorite Meet: Any overnight meet
- Favorite Milk: Chocolate

Moosletter — Week of December 8th!

December 8, 2024December 8, 2024Leave a comment

Elections

Meet the 2025 WTC executive board!

Elected
President: Jacob Alejandro

Men’s VP of Distance: Nathan Phillips
Women’s VP of Distance: Lauren Fligge
Men’s VP of Sprints/Field: Sam Culwell
Women’s VP of Sprints/Field: Grace Nwankwo
Secretary: Nora McCormick
Treasurer: Adam Kitay
Travel Coordinator: Lauren Tears
Meet Coordinator: Nathan Simon

------------------ -------------------

Appointed
Webmaster: Maia Nebo
Volunteer Coordinator: Jenna Auth
Brand Ambassador: Kate Bjorklund
Photographers: Elliot Grodsky

Congratulations to everyone who was elected or appointed for a position. It looks like there's lots to look forward to in 2025!

awards

The herd had a busy cross country season, full of many award-winning contributions and performances.

Rookie Cow: Claire Matthai and Felix Boeing

Freshman Cow: Lottie Anderson and Mason Weber

Social Cow: Claudia Salgado and Nathan Phillips

Most Improved: Jacob Alejandro and Anna Nguyen

Behind the Scenes: Tommy Dougherty

MVP: Dasha Vorontsov and Adam Kitay

Leadership Cow: Emma Hudson

Breadstick Felon: Ashton Yarrington

"I definitely know the course" cows: Nathan Simon and Alex Marrione

Most Likely to Go to the Wrong Shelbyville: Nathan Phillips

Cutest Cow (Hrishi), Most Adorable Runner (Hrishi), My Little Pookie Bear Schnookems (Hrishi): Hrishi Ingle

Meet The Prez:

Hi Cows! I'm Jacob, your new track club president for year 2025. I'm a sophomore from Brookfield, WI, studying computer engineering. I've been in track club since the very beginning of my freshman year, and I am beyond grateful for the experiences I've made. Now, I'm excited and honored to give back to the club as your president, and I look forward to meeting all of you! Whether you've been in track club for years now or are reading the Moosletter for the first time, I would encourage you to recognize the value of this club, both as an incredible opportunity to compete in the sport we love and a chance to enjoy socials with some of your closest friends. You're always welcome to contact me if you have any questions, thoughts, or ideas. I look forward to giving my it my all to keep this the best club on campus. Cows achieve!

MIlk MIle

Only the bravest of Cows ran this past Friday at the most important race of the season.... the Milk Mile- where the only thing that stood between them and the finish line were four large glasses of chocolate milk filled to the brim.

We saw some great shows of grit, but two emerged victorious. Congratulations to Aimon Van Houten and Whitney Sylvester for taking home first place for their respective genders!

The Milk Mile year after year continues to be a defining aspect of the club, and it... spewed? lots of memories yet again this year (maybe some a few of you might want to forget already). Thanks for coming out and continuing the legacy of what it means to be a Cow!!

ALSO... there is officially a Milk Mile top 10 list! (time to start training for next year?)

Secretary Spotlight

With a new year comes a new WTC Secretary! Nora McCormick is going to be taking over the role in 2025, so here are a few of her thoughts about stepping into the position.

"I'm so excited to be the new WTC secretary!! I'm most excited for the chance to connect with more of my fellow cows and to spread the word about all of our amazing activities, Cows Achieve!"

1. Why did you decide to run for secretary?

I wanted to run for secretary because I wanted to give back to this team, and being on the board is one of the best ways to do that. Being secretary allows me to connect with so many new cows, especially since many people's first point of contact is the Instagram page or the ,Mosletter!

2. What change or new implementation for your position are you most excited about?

I'm most excited to interview everyone to hear more perspectives about the club (and to make tiktoks with Milkerz, of course)

Moosletter — Week of December 1st!

December 1, 2024December 2, 2024Leave a comment

Thanksgiving:

Happy holidays cows! We hope you had a nice break and killed it at your local Thanksgiving races. We have a lot happening this week, so hopefully you are well rested and ready! Be ready for elections, holiday lights run... and the MILK MILE!

Here's why a few cows are thankful for

Claire Wisniewski: "I am thankful for fun, interesting people to run with (especially when it's cold and dark!)"

Lauren Tears: "I'm thankful that there are always people to run with in WTC to help ground me during finals"

Jacob Alejandro- "I'm thankful for the strong team dynamic that balances competitive energy with fun socials"

Nora McCormick- "I'm grateful for my WTC friends and the Hoyt Park loop"

Addison Bass- "I'm thankful for my family, my roommates, casetta sandwiches, jello, Mound St., and all of the amazing people I met here at WTC"

Nathan Simon- "I'm thankful for my VP's"

(Nathan Simon would also be thankful for those who want to purchase cow print uniforms to send him a message on Slack with your jersey size and to show up to election night!)

Lauren Fligge- "I am grateful for being part of an amazing and supportive running community and for our new holiday, Brinner"

Adam Kitay- "Ethan"

elections

Would you like to help run the club next year? Well, you're in luck! With the start of 2024 comes the end of the current board members' terms. They will be on Wednesday, December 4th at 8 P.M., so start thinking about what positions you could see yourself in! Add your name to the list of candidates!

There are 13 positions, so there are many ways you can contribute to the club. If you are interested in running for a board position, please reach out to the current board members to learn more and ask questions.

Elections will be run as follows:

You can sign up for as many positions as you like, but indicate which position you would like most with a "$" before your name
Elected position candidates will deliver a speech (maximum 2 minutes) to everyone present at elections
Appointed position candidates will deliver a speech (maximum 2 minutes) to only the newly-elected board members
Candidates will receive 30 seconds and 10 seconds remaining
Positions will be voted on in succession from left to right on the form (starting with president and ending with meet coordinator)
If you run unopposed, you are not required to give a speech

Moosletter — Week of November 24th!

November 25, 2024December 1, 2024Leave a comment

elections

Elections will be run as follows:

Moosletter — Week of November 17th

November 17, 2024November 17, 2024Leave a comment

elections

Elections will be run as follows:

You can sign up for as many positions as you like, but indicate which position you would like most with a "$" before your name
Elected position candidates will deliver a speech (maximum 2 minutes) to everyone present at elections
Appointed position candidates will deliver a speech (maximum 2 minutes) to only the newly-elected board members
Candidates will receive 30 seconds and 10 seconds remaining
Positions will be voted on in succession from left to right on the form (starting with president and ending with meet coordinator)
If you run unopposed, you are not required to give a speech

BRINNER!

The Wisconsin Track Club is delighted to introduce our very first HOLIDAY: BRINNER! Even though this was a tradition before, we are taking this to a whole new level where breakfast meets festive cheer! Don your coziest holiday PJs and join us for a night of warm laughter, good company, and a feast fit for St. Milkerz himself—our jolly mascot who keeps the chocolate milk flowing all season long.

On the menu: fluffy pancakes (chocolate chip and plain), velvety chocolate milk, refreshing orange juice, and make sure to BYOB (Bring your own Bacon) Together, we’ll turn this magical night into a new cornerstone of WTC traditions. Let’s celebrate the season with full hearts and even fuller plates. See you at the Cow House Thursday night!!

NCAA NATIONALS

The NCAA Cross Country National Championship is coming to Madison this weekend, and it’s going to be vert exciting! Be sure to keep an eye out for a sign-up list from Dylan, our travel coordinator, so you can secure your spot and join in on the action. This is a fantastic opportunity to witness some of the best collegiate runners in the nation compete right here in our city. Don’t miss out—let’s show up and support the athletes while enjoying a great day of racing!

Also, check out the events that Heartbreak is hosting throughout the week too!!

Moosletter — Week of November 10th

November 11, 2024November 11, 2024Leave a comment

elections

Would you like to help run the club next year? Well, you're in luck! With the start of 2025 comes the end of the current board members' terms. They will run in December, so start thinking about what positions you could see yourself in!

These 13 board positions include: President, VP of Women's Distance, VP of Men's Distance, VP of Women's Sprints/Field, VP of Men's Sprints/Field, Treasurer, Meet Coordinator, Travel Coordinator, Secretary, Volunteer Coordinator, Webmaster, Photographer, and Apparel Coordinator.

Moosletter — Week of November 3rd

November 3, 2024November 4, 2024Leave a comment

elections

DISTANCE WORKOUTS

DISTANCE: Meet at Engineering Hall at 4:30 pm

Day	Workout
Monday November 5	Interval Workout: 2x200, 3x1200m 2 mile warmup, drills, and a few strides 3x1200m @ threshold (1:30 rest); run the first two reps at a controlled, even pace. On the third rep, run the first lap at threshold and then slowly ‘wind up the pace’, finishing fast (ex. Threshold - 10k/5k - 3k/mile) 2x200m @ 3k effort (200m jog rest b/t intervals, 2:00-3:00 set rest) ”The hay’s in the barn”. Don’t overextend in this workout. Save that energy for race day.
Tuesday November 6	Optional Accels + Steady Easy Volume Accels: preferably at a track or turf field with distance markings Sprint drills warmup routine and then some neuromuscular speed development Take a little extra time to actively stretch and ‘get loose’ if you need to 4-5x40m accelerations @90-95% max sprint speed (take your time decelerating and run through the accel, it’s okay if you end up 80-100m down the track/field (2 minutes walking or standing recovery in between accels) Following the accels, run at a very easy pace. 4-8 miles, depending on your training load and how you’re feeling.
Wednesday November 7	Steady Run + 4x30” surges 4-6 miles at a moderate effort. Towards the end of the run, perform 4x30-second surges at 5k down to mile effort (90 seconds easy jog recovery). Don’t overstrain, just focus on running fast with good form.
Thursday November 8	Recovery Day 3-7 miles easy or Light Cross Training Ancillary: Barefoot 1&3
Friday November 9	If racing: Pre-Race 3-5 miles, drills & 4-6 strides Ancillary: none
Saturday November 10	NIRCA NATIONALS
Sunday November 11	Flex Day a few miles of easy running, light cross training, or off Ancillary: Optional General Strength Circuit (1-4) x1

Moosletter — Week of October 27th

October 27, 2024October 28, 20241 Comment

elections

DISTANCE WORKOUTS

DISTANCE: Meet at Engineering Hall at 5:30 pm

Day	Workout
Monday October 28	Fartlek Run @ CC Effort (ideally on grass or turf) 2 mi warmup, sprint drills, and a few strides 8 x 2:00 @ 6k-8k race effort & rhythm (jog 1:00 recoveries). Start out at CC effort and then progress the effort slightly faster, if you’re feeling good. 2-3 mile cooldown
Tuesday October 29	Recovery Day 3-7 miles easy or Light Cross Training
Wednesday October 30	Workout: Threshold + 800m Fast 2 mile warmup, drills, and a few strides 2-3-mile Threshold Tempo Run (Cross Country Effort + 15-20 seconds per mile) (jog 5-minutes) + 1 x 800m @ 97% effort. Groups 1&2: 3mi Continuous Threshold, 800m Fast Group 3: 2-2.5mi Threshold, 800m Fast The goal is to keep the threshold tempo run under control and not hammer it. The 800m hard rep is for pushing yourself hard as you would at the end of a race. Pace is not important, just a hard effort.
Thursday October 31	Steady Volume Day + 6x20/20 Fartlek Strides 3-8 miles easy 6x20 seconds at mile effort, 20 seconds easy jog.
Friday November 1	Flex Day a few miles of easy running, light cross training, or off
Saturday November 2	Long Run 9-13 miles + 4-6 strides post-run (starting every minute) Ancillary: Hip/Glute Circuit #2
Sunday November 3	Flex Day a few miles of easy running, light cross training, or off

Moosletter — Week of October 20th

October 20, 2024October 21, 20242 Comments

NIRCA REGIONALS

What a start to the championship season! Both the men and the women SWEPT at Regionals, both taking first, and setting themselves up for great performances at Nationals! Hopefully you kept up via instagram with Claudia's amazing instagram takeover!!

A strong showing of the women's team with Dasha Vorontsov, snagging 1st place with a time of 21:23 and putting the Cows in a great spot to win. She was followed up by Leah Remiker(3rd), with a time of 22:33, Anna Nguyen(4th), with a time of 22:43, Claire Matthai(6th), with a time of 23:14, and Maya Winfield(11th), with a time of 24:01!!

A strong showing of the men helped to propel the cows to a Regionals win as well. Mason Weber(4th) led off that charge as a freshman, with a time of 25:53, and was backed up by Adam Kitay(5th), with a time of 25:59. Then, Jacob Alejandro(8th) with a strong finish of 26:13, Felix Boening(10th) with a time of 26:17, and Tony Comacho(12th) with a time of 26:23!

Photos and Results

Senior Spotlight:

1. Introduce yourself!!

My name is Stephanie (or Steph:) ) and I am a senior majoring in Psychology hoping to pursue a career in school psychology

2. What initially drew you to join the Wisconsin Track Club, and how did you get involved?

During my freshman year, I realized how much I missed being a part of a team and competing. I still wanted to run for fun but also make more running friends and have the chance to compete again. I started researching clubs and found WTC and decided to try it out my sophomore year, and I am so glad I did and regret not joining the club sooner! Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed arriving at the first day of practice, everyone was just so welcoming and right off the bat I felt like part of the team. Throughout the years, I’ve met so many amazing people and have gotten opportunities to compete and give back to the community through volunteering! As a senior, I’ve also been able to talk to some of the newer cows to help them feel more welcome like what I experienced when I first joined.

3. What was your most memorable moment with the Wisconsin Track Club, and why did it stand out to you?

There are just too many to choose from! If I really had to pick one, I would have to go with NIRCA Nationals my sophomore year track season. This was one of my first overnight meets with the club and was probably the most fun I’ve had traveling with the cows. So many people on our team went to this meet and it was such a cool experience not only racing with my friends but cheering on everyone during their events!

4. What will you miss most about the club + cross country?

The people! I’ve met some of my closest friends through the club and the people there are what motivate me to show up to practice and keep putting in the effort to get better. As for cross country specifically, I just love the energy that comes with warming up together, doing our pre-race cheer, and starting the same race as one big team.

5. What advice would you give current or future WTC members?

For current cows, be present and cherish the moments you have with the club. I know that sounds really cliché but those times (and race times hehe) go by so much faster than you might expect.

For future cows, get involved and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone! There are so many opportunities to get involved in the club and get to know your fellow cows, whether it’s volunteering, going to a social event, running for a board position, or even just striking up a conversation with someone new at practice. Make new friends and put yourself out there!

The breadstick eating competition

In the hallowed halls of Olive Garden, a legendary battle unfolded—one that will echo in the annals of breadstick lore for eternity. Ashton Yarrington, a seasoned warrior of wheat, rose to glory, devouring an astonishing 21 breadsticks atop his entire entrée and a plate of salad, shattering the WTC record in an epic feat of gastronomic prowess. But freshman rookie Luke Baustert was hot on his heels, consuming 17 breadsticks, his entrée, and a salad to claim 3rd place all-time in a debut performance that stunned the crowd. Legends were born that day, and the breadsticks shall never be forgotten.

Ashton's Race: 29:05

Luke's Race: 28:44

Words from the Breadstick Champion himself:

"Olive Garden has to start looking out for me because I’m going to start putting them out of business with how many breadsticks I eat. The 21 breadsticks was definitely a challenge but I completed it for a new WTC record! Somehow the breadsticks didn’t inhibit my race the next day either because I ran one of my fastest races ever!" -Ashton Yarrington

Here's some words from another WTC Member:

"The breadsticks allowed me to transcend the walls of this sacred establishment and imagine I was being rowed down a serene Venetian canal. Fantastic Service" -Claire Matthai

Upcoming Meets:

It's all down to this. We have one meet left this year, and its the big one. NIRCA Nationals is coming up quick!

NIRCA Nationals - Hershey, Pennsylvania

The culmination of our cross country season - nationals! There will be a championship race for our top 7 fastest runners, but there are also open races for everyone to participate in! You will need to have raced at either Border Battle or NIRCA Regionals in order to race here. This is another overnight meet, we will stay two nights. Also, NIRCA runners will be gifted $15 off for Hershey Park!

Moosletter — Week of October 13th

October 13, 2024October 13, 2024Leave a comment

Upcoming Meets:

NIRCA Regionals: Come take a historic journey to University of Caitlyn Clark where we will take on NIRCA regionals against all of the track clubs in the great plains region!! This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow cows, as it is a overnight meet! By racing in this meet, you will also qualify for nationals as well! (if you didn't already run Border Battle!)

NIRCA Nationals: Do you have a sweet tooth? If so you are in luck, this years nationals is in THE Hershey, Pennsylvania! It is the culmination of our cross country season, and there will be a championship race for our top 7 fastest runners, but there are also open races for everyone to participate in! You will need to have raced at either Border Battle or NIRCA Regionals in order to race here.

Final Week Recap

Rapid-Fire Meet the Board

Join the club!

Elections

awards

Meet The Prez:

Holiday Lights Run

MIlk MIle

Secretary Spotlight

Thanksgiving:

AWARDS

elections

MIlk MIle

Holiday Lights Run

Volunteering

Join us

Week Recap:

AWARDS

elections

MIlk MIle

Holiday Lights Run

Volunteering

Join us

elections

BRINNER!

Pie a board member!

NCAA NATIONALS

COWNNECTIONS!!

Volunteering

Join us

NIRCA NATIONALS

BRINNER!

elections

Volunteering

Join us

Distance Practice Time Change

ONE MORE MEET!

elections

Volunteering

Join us

Screamin' Acres

ONE MORE MEET!

elections

Volunteering

Join us

NIRCA REGIONALS

Senior Spotlight:

The breadstick eating competition

Fall Colors Run/Hike

Upcoming Meets:

Volunteering:

Join us

Gene Davis

Fall Colors Run/Hike

Upcoming Meets:

Cownnections and WTC Wordle!

Volunteering:

Join us