They are the champions, my friend.

It’s been a year of firsts for many UW-Eau Claire athletes. This past spring the men’s indoor track and field team won its first NCAA National Championship, and on a bitterly cold Nov. 21, the men’s cross country team snagged a NCAA Division III National Championship of its very own during a competition hosted by UW-Oshkosh. Three Blugolds – junior Josh Thorson, senior Ryan Mugan, and sophomore Darin Lau – led the way, finishing in the top 14 runners overall and nabbing All-American honors. This year’s two national titles do not mark a sudden influx of talent where previously there had been none. Both men’s track and field and men’s cross country have had lots of individual athletes perform impressively over the years. Perhaps it’s a heightened sense of partnership and team spirit; perhaps it’s that intangible element that some call luck and others call fate. Whichever is the case, keep an eye on our Blugolds for what surprise they have in store for us next.