Both the men’s and women’s cross-country teams wrapped up their regular seasons with impressive showings at the Illini Open last Friday.

The meet was hosted at the University Arboretum where the Illini took on five teams from around the state, including Big Ten rivals Northwestern.

Senior Katie Porada won the individual title for the women, posting a 5-kilometer time of 17:35 — just shy of her personal best of 17:22. The performance earned her Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors. The men’s contingent was pleased as well, as all three Illini placed in the top 10. 

The 8K men’s course proved lucky for the Illini as the top-five finishers were all Illinois cross-country runners, though some ran unattached.

While the Illini Open proved successful for Illinois’ cross-country teams, the real challenge will be the Big Ten Championships coming up this weekend. This year’s meet will be held in West Lafayette, Ind., and is sure to host incredible competition, as many of last year’s champions — such as Michigan’s Mark Beams and Morsi Rayyan — return for another go.

But the big story lies in the question of whether either Illinois team has enough muscle and experience to make a difference. Both teams are young — babies, by collegiate standards.

Of the 20 athletes that make up the women’s team, only three are seniors and among them, only Illini Open winner Katie Porada has competed at the Big Ten Championships in the past.

The men face a similar dilemma. Their inexperience is a glaring weakness and distance coach Jake Stewart must rely heavily on Jannis Toepfer and redshirt sophomore Sam Telfer if the Illini hope to make a statement.

Last year Toepfer was named to the men’s Second Team All-Big Ten after his ninth place finish at the Big Ten Championships in East Lansing, Mich. Toepfer, a graduate student from Bochum, Germany, will act as a leader for this young Illinois team during its quest for postseason greatness.

Come November, Wisconsin is looking to nab its 15th consecutive Big Ten Championship. Other teams, Illinois among them, must be itching to knock the Badgers off their throne.

When you have a team like Wisconsin, that wins year in and year out, they turn into the bad guy. To the competition they are a team hell-bent on winning, a cross-country machine, a villain, the one everyone wants to see fail. Sure, they might be hated, but it doesn’t matter if they’re the best.

Wisconsin is like the LeBron James of Big Ten men’s cross-country. They’re great, and you despise them for it.

The women’s team faces a different kind of threat. Last year Michigan won its first Championship since 2006, and only their ninth overall — a paltry comparison to the 46 championships of the Wisconsin men’s team. The title is up for grabs.

Illinois could fill that hole. Yes, the Illini women have a young team, but without a constant domineering presence like the Wisconsin men to contend with, a win seems more plausible – heck, even possible.

Competition in the postseason is different. Sometimes it’s almost like what a team did during the regular season gets thrown out the window. It doesn’t matter anymore. You’ve arrived, and now anything is possible.

Granted, teams that do well during the regular season do so for a reason. But weirder things have happened than a cross-country Cinderella story. Illinois should take comfort in this. They might come in anxious and overlooked, but perhaps they’ll leave West Lafayette as the belle of the ball.

Aryn is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @arynbraun.