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Butler To Host Horizon League Cross Country Championship
Oct. 27, 2006 Butler fans will have a chance to watch two of the top cross country teams in the nation and both will be wearing home uniforms when the Bulldogs host the 2006 Horizon League Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Oct. 28. The league championship meet will be held on Butler's Varsity Fields beginning at 12 noon. Butler's men, currently ranked 28th in the nation, will be looking for their ninth consecutive Horizon League championship. Head coach Joe Franklin returns three all-league runners from last year's league meet, including Horizon League Cross Country Athlete of the Year Andy Rayner. Also back are Scott Overall, who was named Horizon League Track and Field Athlete of the Year, and Andrew Toward. Rayner placed first at last year's league cross country championship, while Overall came in fifth and Toward finished seventh. Senior Alex Hains placed 15th at last year's meet. Adding strength to Butler's bid this year seniors Vinny Ambrico and Kent Wories and juniors Darren Gauson and Richard Kay, all of whom have placed among Butler's top five runners at one point or another during the season. The Butler women, ranked 27th in the NCAA Division I, are seeking their fifth straight Horizon League championship and their ninth league title in the past 11 years! The Bulldogs feature five returning all-league runners, including first team all-league performers Jenni Pereira and Ava Hutchinson. Pereira placed second in last year's league championship, while Hutchinson came in third. Other returning all-league performers are Kara Henry, who placed 10th in last year's meet, Genni Gardner, who came in 12th, and Maria Beitel, who finished 13th.
Butler's women also feature two outstanding newcomers, junior Claire Holme and freshman Marbeth Shiell. The two have consistently finished among Butler's top five runners throughout the regular season. The league championship will begin with the men's 8K race, followed immediately by the women's 5K race. Admission to the championship is $5. Butler students who enter through the Holcomb Gardens will be admitted free with their student I.D. |
