The cross-country season has all led up to one race. This past Saturday the UW-Whitewater Men’s Cross-Country team traveled to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Warhawks finished tenth as a team. The Warhawks have now finished among the top 10 as a team at the NCAA championship three consecutive seasons and six times overall in program history.

The Warhawks were led by national runner-up Christian Patzka who also finished as the runner-up last year. Gunner Schlender finished eleventh, both he and Patzka earned All-American honors for their performance at the meet. Dan Anderson was 78th, Chris Allen was 131st, Craig Hundley was 163rd, to round out the Warhawks top five runners.

Q: What was your strategy for the race?

A: My strategy was to relax until the 5k mark then start to hunt. I came up short of winning. I was second with Gregg winning with a 100m lead in front of me. It is always a gamble to leave it up for the last half of the race and I had to roll the dice with it for my best outcome.

Q: How did you cope with the nerves and pressure of a NCAA championship race?

A: The way I cope with the pressure of it is knowing that I am one of the best in the field and I have the training and results to prove it.

Q: How do you take this race and move forward into the track and field season?

A: I learned from this race that there are certain tactics that I need to work on during the race with not being too comfortable. It will be my advantage during track with the race distances being shorter than the 8k in cross-country.

Q: What is your favorite moment from this season?

A: I do not have a specific moment from that season that is particularly special to me. What I mean is that I have always treasured the times at practice when myself and my teammates bond over inside jokes and the passion we have for each other and the sport.

Q: What’s something that you and the team can learn from this meet to prepare for next year?

A: What I can learn to prepare for next year is to lead from the front and to take the race and race it like a champion should. I need to run with endurance, strength, and take no prisoners.

Q: What’s something you miss about this team next year?

A: I want to give a special shout-out to our seniors Justin Krause and Nick Hardin. They are excellent examples of hard work and leadership and have helped build the foundation of what this team stands for.

With the cross-country season coming to an end Patzka and other cross-country runners will move onto the indoor track and field season. Patzka will look to carry this momentum into track and field season where he is the defending national champ in the 3,000m steeplechase.