The question most asked of Jim Stintzi is one he's never been able to answer definitively.

Five years into his tenure rebuilding the University of Wisconsin women's track and cross country programs, Stintzi routinely is quizzed about a breakthrough.

The cross country team — which won 13 Big Ten Conference titles and finished in the top 10 in the NCAA meet 11 times from 1982 to 2000 — appears on the cusp: Three straight top-20 finishes in the NCAA meet after failing to qualify during Stintzi's first season in 2004. That includes a fourth-place showing in 2006.

But the track program — which won seven Big Ten indoor and eight outdoor titles from 1982 to 2000 — has been a bigger puzzle: No finish higher than fourth in either Big Ten meet under Stintzi, though that fourth-place effort came in the indoor meet in March.

In advance of the three-day Big Ten outdoor meet that starts today in Champaign, Ill., Stintzi had an interesting answer to the old question about breakthroughs.

"I think we've made substantial progress this year," he said. "I think that we have a team that can do some exciting things this weekend."

Katrina Rundhaug, a senior distance specialist from Dodgeville, has a similar analysis.

"If we put our team together the way that we can, and if everyone brings their 'A' game on the right day, we definitely have a shot at bringing home a title, a title we haven't had in quite awhile," she said. "I don't want to jinx anything, but it's definitely a goal. We've been talking about it and our coaches are very motivated about it."

The foundation of this project is built upon multi-event athletes such as Rundhaug (5,000 meters, 10,000), Lodi senior Ann Detmer (800, 1,500), Lake Mills junior Amanda Hoeppner (shot put, discus, hammer), junior Gwen Jorgensen (1,500, 5,000), junior Alicia Pabich (5,000, 10,000), Clinton senior Kayla Schultz (shot put, discus, javelin) and senior Venus Washington (100, long jump).

Rundhaug is a cornerstone since she is the only one in the group with a Big Ten title.

She won the 5,000 indoors earlier this year and the 10,000 outdoors in 2005. Rundhaug is seeded third in the 10,000 (33 minutes, 29.48 seconds) and sixth in the 5,000 (16:18.99) for the Big Ten outdoor meet.

"I'm going to do the best I can to get my share of the points," Rundhaug said. "I feel the pressure, but it's a good pressure. I have confidence in my training, and things have been going well for me."

Funny, there was a time when Rundhaug was convinced she had no business running for the Badgers.

A WIAA state champion in cross country and the 3,200, she opted to go to Minnesota because she felt then-UW coach Peter Tegen set the distance bar higher than she felt she could reach.

"Wisconsin, in my mind, was just this elite, elite school that I didn't think I was at the level of," Rundhaug said. "It was mostly intimidation and just not really being confident that I could run at this level."

Rundhaug ran well at Minnesota — she was voted the cross country Freshman of the Year — but wasn't happy.

"I guess I just kind of doubted myself that last minute when I was trying to decide (between schools)," she said. "I didn't really go with my gut feeling — and I should have."

A year later, with Stintzi having replaced Tegen, Rundhaug went from finishing 10th in the Big Ten 10,000 to winning it.

"I'm running at the level that I didn't really see myself ever running at," she said.

In a way, Rundhaug is a microcosm of the UW programs under Stintzi.

"We've come a long way," she said. "Where we've come to now is pretty impressive."