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MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women’s tennis team shifts its focus to conference competition this weekend, beginning Big Ten play with a road matchup against Illinois on February 20th at 5 p.m. CT. The Badgers enter the contest following a successful Arkansas road trip, poised to test themselves against a challenging conference opponent.

Wisconsin recently concluded its Arkansas swing with consecutive victories, first defeating Arkansas 4-1 and then sweeping Kansas with a 4-0 shutout. A key moment from the weekend came courtesy of senior Maria Sholokhova, who secured a ranked upset over No. 22 Carolina Gomez Alonso of Arkansas, setting a positive tone for the Badgers. The momentum continued against Kansas, where Parker Christensen clinched the team win at No. 6 singles with a straight-set performance.

The Badgers are looking to build on this momentum as they enter Big Ten competition. Wisconsin holds a historical advantage in the series against Illinois, with a record of 29-24, according to the official Wisconsin Badgers athletics website. Their most recent victory against the Illini came last season, a 4-1 win on their home court.

Illini Prepare for Tough Test

Illinois enters the match with a 3-5 record, having recently secured a 4-3 road win at Iowa State on February 16th. Despite dropping the doubles point in that contest, the Illini rallied in singles play, earning victories from Tess Bucher, Cara Mester, and Lizzie Isyanov, with Isyanov ultimately clinching the match in three sets. The Illini will look to carry that momentum into their home contest against Wisconsin.

Projected Lineups

Wisconsin is expected to field the following lineup against Illinois:

• Doubles:
• No. 1 – Maria Sholokhova and Lucie Urbanova
• No. 2 – Ekaterina Ivanova and Ellison Reynoldson
• No. 3 – Tianna Rangan and Kaede Usui
• Singles:
• No. 1 – Maria Sholokhova
• No. 2 – Ekaterina Ivanova
• No. 3 – Tianna Rangan
• No. 4 – Ellison Reynoldson
• No. 5 – Kaja Jacobson
• No. 6 – Kaede Usui

Maria Sholokhova, a senior from Sochi, Russia, has been a standout performer for the Badgers. She is coming off a junior year where she posted a 19-2 singles record and was ranked as high as 5th nationally, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors and becoming the first Badger to win the ITA Women’s All-American Singles Championship. She also teamed with Lucia Urbanova to win the doubles championship at the ITA All-Americans, a historic achievement for the program.

Looking Ahead

Following the match at Illinois, Wisconsin returns to Nielsen Tennis Stadium for a West Coast weekend, hosting UCLA on Friday, March 6th, and USC on Sunday, March 8th at 12 p.m. CT. This stretch of matches will provide another opportunity for the Badgers to test themselves against top competition as they navigate the Big Ten season.

The Badgers will be looking to continue their strong form and build on their recent successes as they aim for a strong showing in conference play. Fans can follow the team’s progress throughout the season on the official Wisconsin Badgers athletics website.

What do you think of the Badgers’ chances this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Liévin, France – A stellar evening of athletics unfolded at the Lievin meeting, as Italian athletes delivered impressive performances, highlighted by a near-European record and multiple personal bests. Nadia Battocletti led the charge, setting a new Italian record in the 3000m, while Federico Riva and Marta Zenoni also achieved significant milestones.

Nadia Battocletti clocked a remarkable 8:26.44 in the women’s 3000m, surpassing her previous Italian record of 8:30.82 set at the same meet last year. The performance places her tantalizingly close to the European record of 8:26.41, held by Laura Muir since 2017, falling just three hundredths of a second short. Battocletti also came close to her own outdoor national record of 8:26.27, achieved in Rabat last season. This latest achievement underscores Battocletti’s consistent rise to prominence, following her successes at the World Championships and as a multiple European champion.

The race saw a strong field, with Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia taking the win in 8:24.59 and Aleshign Baweke securing second place in 8:26.29. Battocletti’s performance, however, was a clear indication of her form heading into the World Indoor Championships, scheduled to seize place in Torun, Poland, from March 20-22. Before Torun, Battocletti will compete at the Festa del Cross in Selinunte, Sicily, on Sunday, February 22nd.

Battocletti Reflects on Record-Breaking Run

“The objective was to reach the standard for the World Indoor Championships in Torun, set at 8:35.00, and to feel comfortable on the indoor track,” Battocletti said, as reported by Il Messaggero. “The European record was within reach, but I still have to learn to race indoors. This time is significant, especially considering yesterday marked the start of Ramadan and I recently finished my university exams. It’s been a challenging period, but I have a great support team.” Ludovica Cavalli also competed, finishing 12th in 8:45.49, just one second off her personal best.

Riva Sets Italian Record in 1500m

Federico Riva continued the Italian success story, setting a new Italian indoor record in the 1500m with a time of 3:33.04. This improved upon his recent personal best of 3:33.94, achieved on February 8th in Karlsruhe. Riva finished second behind reigning world champion Isaac Nader of Portugal, who won in 3:32.44, with Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran taking third in 3:33.09. Riva, a World Championships finalist, also holds the Italian national record for the mile outdoors with a time of 3:48.11.

“I felt particularly calm at the start, having already secured the qualifying time for the World Championships, so I wanted to run an attacking race and take some risks,” Riva explained. He is now focused on the Italian Absolute Indoor Championships in Ancona, where he plans to compete in both the 1500m and 3000m.

Zenoni Breaks Long-Standing Italian Record

Marta Zenoni also made her mark, breaking the Italian indoor record in the 2000m with a time of 5:42.43. This surpassed the previous record of 5:52.01, set by Agnese Possamai in 1982, a record that stood for 44 years. Zenoni finished seventh in the race. Notably, Battocletti passed through the 2000m mark in 5:37.62 during her 3000m race, further highlighting the strength of the Italian middle-distance runners.

Fabbri Dominates in Shot Put

Leonardo Fabbri secured a prestigious victory in the men’s shot put, defeating American Joe Kovacs, a three-time Olympic silver medalist, with a throw of 21.82m to Kovacs’ 21.40m. This marks Fabbri’s third consecutive win at the Gold-level meet in France. He currently leads the world rankings for 2026 with an outdoor throw of 22.50m, achieved in Stellenbosch, South Africa, last week. “I’m happy to achieve these distances, especially on a day when I wasn’t feeling my best,” Fabbri stated. He will continue his indoor campaign at the Torun meeting and in Nehvizdy, Czech Republic, before the Italian Absolute Indoor Championships in Ancona.

The Italian team’s strong showing at the Lievin meeting signals a promising outlook for the upcoming World Indoor Championships. Gaia Sabbatini finished 11th in the 1500m (4:10.88), and Lorenzo Simonelli narrowly missed qualifying for the final of the 60m hurdles, finishing fourth in his heat (7.63).

In other notable results from the meet, Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain shattered the world indoor record in the 800m, clocking a time of 1:54.87, breaking the previous record of 1:55.82 set by Jolanda Ceplak in 2002.

The Italian athletics federation continues to demonstrate a commitment to developing world-class talent, and the performances in Liévin are a testament to the dedication of the athletes and their coaches. The focus now shifts to preparation for the World Indoor Championships, where the Italian team will look to build on this momentum.

Share your thoughts on these incredible performances in the comments below, and be sure to share this article with fellow athletics fans!