Hintz leaves Wisconsin cross country squad Decision linked to undisclosed health reasons

Maine distance running star Cassie Hintz, who enjoyed a stellar career at Old Town High School, has left the University of Wisconsin’s cross country team for undisclosed health reasons, according to a school official.

The 18-year-old Hintz chose to accept a full athletic scholarship from the Big-10 school after considering the University of Nebraska, the University of Arkansas, and UMaine.

“She renounced her scholarship and left the team Sept. 4,” said Wisconsin associate director for athletic communications Diane Nordstrom. “She had attended practices and meetings up to that point.”

Hintz’s mother, Marilyn Hintz, declined to comment about her daughter’s reasons for leaving the team.

Wisconsin’s fall semester began Sept. 5. Hintz was still enrolled at the state flagship campus as of Monday afternoon.

Hintz and Hannah Grinaker of Detroit Lakes, Minn., were the key recruits from the offseason for the Badgers.

“Hannah and Cassie are both national-caliber athletes who will make an immediate impact on our cross country and track teams,” said Wisconsin coach Jim Stintzi in a release announcing the signings last December. “They are incredibly talented young ladies with a strong work ethic. I am excited about the opportunity to work with them and to see them racing in Badger uniforms.”

Hintz, who chose Wisconsin partly because of family roots on her father Ray’s side, had already earned 53 collegiate credits from advanced college courses at UMaine while still in high school.

The 2004 Maine Gatorade girls track and field athlete of the year won the 2004 individual girls Class B cross country championship. Hintz was also the Maine and New England indoor track and field champion in the 2-mile run, and was a two-time 3,200-meter outdoor state track champ. She has run the fastest times in Maine schoolgirl history in the indoor 2-mile (10 minutes, 48.28 seconds) and the 3,200 outdoors (10:39.43).

Hintz also won the girls 5,000-meter run at the National Scholastic Indoor Track and Field Championships last March for the second consecutive year.