This Saturday, April 24th, is the 29th annual Crazylegs Classic Run! According to the Crazylegs Classic website, the race was thought up over a couple beers (how Wisconsin of them). The run raises money for the UW-Athletic department and was named after the then athletic director, Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch.

Although we don't have any images from the first race in 1982, we do have some classic images of Crazylegs Hirsch himself!

Crazylegs" Elroy Hirsch, number 40, was star of the 1942 team before joining the Marine Corps in World War II.

After the war he transferred to the University of Michigan and starred for their football team. He played professionally for the Chicago Rockets from 1946-48 and the Los Angeles Rams from 1949-1957 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968. Hirsch returned to Wisconsin as Athletic Director from 1969-1987.

These are some great images of his days as a Badger!

GO BADGERS! It's time to get in the mood for football! This Saturday, April 17th, the Wisconsin Badgers will hold their Spring Game at 2p.m.

The Wisconsin Athletic Communications Office has for years produced media guides for all of the sports at the UW-Madison. In our UW-Madison Athletic Department Collection we have digitized football programs dating back to the 1950s!

They once were intended solely for use by the media as factual reference guides. They have since become "yearbooks," publications designed to assist in the recruitment of student-athletes to the UW. Regardless, they are filled with biographical and historical information that Badger fans will enjoy.

I hope everyone gets to come out tomorrow and see the game!

The Olympics bring out the best athletes in Wisconsin. Sunday night's USA Men's Hockey win over Canada has inspired the UWDC to tweet images of Suter, Rafalski, Heatley and Pavelski. Follow us on Twitter @UwDigiCollec!

Many athletes have pasted through the University of Wisconsin Madison and gone on to become Olympians.

Our University of Wisconsin Archives contains pictures of these athletes from there college days!

Mark Johnson, son of legendary Wisconsin coach Bob Johnson, was the first Badger to win WCHA Rookie of the Year honors (1977), 1978-79 WCHA MVP, two-time All-American, and one of the leaders of the US Olympic gold-medal team in 1980. Johnson became head coach of Wisconsin's women's hockey team in 2002 and is the women's hockey coach at the 2010 Olympics.

Suzy Favor Hamilton of the University of Wisconsin--Madison won the Honda-Broderick Cup Trophy as the 1989-1990 Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. Favor Hamilton was the NCAA indoor mile champion in 1987, 1989 and 1990 (when she was also 3000 meter champion). She was the NCAA outdoor 1500 meter champion in 1987 through 1990 and also 800 meter champion in 1990. Favor Hamilton competed on the US Olympic teams in 1992, 1996, and 2000.

Russ Hellickson was an outstanding wrestler at Wisconsin, and he also a member of the U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team in 1976 and 1980, winning a silver medal in 1976. Hellickson also played football for the Badgers.

These are just a few of the Olympians that are pictured in our collections. Check out more images of Carie Graves, Cindy Bremser, Bob Suter and the many other athletes that have been Badgers!

This past weekend the Badgers defeated the Wolverines in the Camp Randall Hockey Classic! Because of this win and all the other great winter activities that have been going on around campus we decided to highlight this image as our Zazzle Print of the Month!

The image taken in 1929 features hockey players Donald Meiklejohn (L) and Gilbert Krueger (R) on an ice rink on the current Library Mall at the University of Wisconsin--Madison. The image is part of our University of Wisconsin Archives and is available for purchase at our Zazzle Store.

If you like this print take a look at all the great images at our Zazzle Store! These prints are great for any gift giving holiday!