Wisconsin Hosting Tennessee, South Florida, Purdue And More For Two-Day Meet At Chicago's Gately Park

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Tim Healy/Ken Martinez/Tavan Smith photos

The University of Wisconsin will host its fifth annual Badger Windy City Invitational Feb. 6-7 from Chicago's Dr. Conrad Worrill Track & Field Center at Gately Park. This year's meet expects to be its most competitive, featuring talent from power four schools conferences as well as NCAA champions.

WATCH THE WISCONSIN WINDY CITY INVITATIONAL FEB. 6 & 7 ON RUNNERSPACE+

Host-Wisconsin will showcase two NCAA champions with ties to the program competing in field events: Taylor Kesner and Jason Swarens. Kesner, the reigning women's weight throw champion, is the top entry in the invitational weight throw section, where she ranks NCAA#11 this season with a throw of 71 feet, 6.25 inches (21.80m). Swarens, the reigning men's outdoor shot put champion, is the top entry in the invitational shot put section. The recent Wisconsin graduate threw 70-1.50 (21.37m) last outdoor season.

Another NCAA champion, the South Florida Bulls men's 4x400 meters relay team, will look to improve their NCAA#6 time of 3 minutes, 4.65 seconds from the UL Lenny Lyles Indoor meet on Jan. 31. South Florida won last year's outdoor 4x400 title in 3:00.42 and only returned Alexavier Monfries.

South Florida will also have a presence in the men's individual sprints and hurdles: Terrell Robinson Jr. in the men's 60, Shevioe Reid in the men's 200, Kelsey Singleton in the men's 400 and Markel Jones in the men's 60 hurdles.

Wisconsin's Jalen Williams figures to challenge Singleton in the men's 400. Williams was both the Big Ten indoor and outdoor runner-up in the 400 last year.

In women's sprints and hurdles, Tennessee will showcase Kaniya Johnson in the 60 and 200 and Myreanna Bae in the 60 hurdles. Kiley Robbins, a former Wisconsin standout and 2024 Big Ten indoor 60 champion, will be good competition in the 60 for Johnson.

Purdue's Alexia Smith is scheduled to race in the women's 400, where she ranks No. 15 in the NCAA with her 52.63.

Wisconsin's distance depth expects to be on full display on both the men's and women's side.

Patrick Hilby, the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week for Jan. 21-28, will be racing teammate Andrew Casey, Indiana's Camden Marshall and Louisville's Ethan Brouw in the men's invitational 800. Abdullahi Hassan of adidas is the top entry in 1:44.30.

Hassan is also the top entry in the men's mile, racing Charles Wheeler of Kiprun and Wisconsin's Matan Ivri, Pierce Seigne and Liam Newhart.

Wisconsin's Johnny Livingstone and Micah Wilson are the top two collegians in the men's 5,000, facing top entry George Wheeler with a seed time of 13:30.

Wisconsin's Leane Willemse and Kylie Finger are scheduled to triple the women's mile, 3,000 and 5,000 races. Indiana's Nola Somers Glenn is the top entry in the 800.

In men's high jump, Bode Gilkerson of Purdue brings in his NCAA#14 clearance of 7-1.75 (2.18m)