Wisconsin’s Liking Named 2024 Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Wisconsin senior Bob Liking was selected as the unanimous 2024 Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year through a vote of the Big Ten head coaches, the conference announced Wednesday.

It is the first postseason honor for Liking, who is the 17th Badger in program history to be named athlete of the year. He is just the eighth unanimous selection in Big Ten history.

Liking competed at the 2024 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships, where he finished 16th in the 10K race (29:09.2), the only Big Ten runner to place in the top 20. His performance helped Wisconsin come in fourth overall, its best finish since 2012.

Liking won his fourth consecutive individual title at the 2024 Big Ten Cross Country Championships, where he paced Wisconsin to its seventh-straight team championship. He finished the 8K course in a time of 22:47.3, a new championships record. Liking joined an elite group with Craig Virgin (Illinois), Bob Kennedy (Indiana) and Kevin Sullivan (Michigan) as the only runners in Big Ten history to capture four individual championships.

The St. Charles, Ill., native also received recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Liking was tabbed as the Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year for the second time in his career, last winning it in 2022. He picked up first team All-Big Ten honors, All-Region recognition and his fourth All-America laurel this season.