The Butler football team is playing the waiting game.

With 19 weeks remaining until they open their season at South Dakota State, the Bulldogs played their annual Blue and White spring game Saturday.

Quarterback Matt Lancaster, who will be a senior in the fall, was in prime form. He completed three of four passes on the Blue team’s opening drive, capping it off with a 30-yard touchdown run.

The Blue team went on to win 20-0.

“It’s fun to come out here and play a game and play against a real defense,” Lancaster said.

Alongside Lancaster on the Blue squad was junior running back Trae Heeter.  Heeter also scored a touchdown.

“The summer is the most important part of the season, and it helps us get ready going into fall camp,” Heeter said. “Once we come back in August, we’ll all be ready to go and get ready for the Jackrabbits on the 31st.”

Junior defensive lineman Jeremy Stephens anchored the White squad’s defense. Stephens said it felt good to get back on the field despite typical spring ball kinks.

“Spring ball is definitely a developmental thing as far as the team goes,” Stephens said. “It was good to get back out there in game situations.”

For the upcoming season, the Pioneer Football League champion will receive an automatic bid to the Football Championship Series playoffs.

Lancaster said the team’s yearly goal of winning the PFL will remain the same, but it has the added incentive of making the FCS playoffs.

“We won the conference last year, and that’s still our goal this year, except now we get to play for the tournament,” Lancaster said.

The Bulldogs open with the Jackrabbits on Aug. 31 and return home the following week to play against Division III Wittenberg. Two weeks later Butler hosts Ivy League school Dartmouth.

Stephens said the tough schedule should prepare them for PFL play and help them reach the FCS playoffs.

“(South Dakota State) is probably the biggest program we’ve played in the history of this program,” Stephens said. “South Dakota State and Dartmouth will definitely get us ready for those bigger schools that we would potentially play in the postseason.”

Coach Jeff Voris said reaching the playoffs is certainly a team goal, but as they did last season, the Bulldogs will be taking the season one game at a time.

“Our success last season came from the commitment and dedication of playing one-game seasons,” Voris said. “The biggest thing is to get ready for August 7 and have a good camp and attack the non-conference (schedule) one game at a time.”

The Bulldogs will spend the summer doing individual workouts with one date in mind, Voris said.

“If you worry about the playoffs and conference titles, you’re never going to reach your goals because you’ll lose focus,” Voris said. “Our focus right now is South Dakota State in August.”

Butler will be joining one of the nation’s premier basketball conferences when it enters the Big East next season.

Five teams from the new Big East, including the Butler men’s basketball team, were selected for this season’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Marquette (25-8, 14-4 in this season) has been a perennial contender in the Big East since departing Conference USA in 2005.

The Golden Eagles have now made three consecutive Sweet 16 appearances after their 74-72 win against Butler Saturday.

Before becoming a Big East member, Marquette won the 1977 National Championship as an independent.

The team made a run to the Final Four in 2003, led by then-coach Tom Crean and current Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade.

Other notable former Golden Eagles include Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews and Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

Georgetown (25-7, 14-4) was a founding member of the original Big East in 1979 and has since won the 1984 National Championship and appeared in four Final Fours.

No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast stunned the No. 2 seed Hoyas 78-68 in a second-round game Friday.

How the loss will affect Georgetown’s star sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. is unclear. Porter said he is undecided on whether he will enter the NBA draft.

Notable former Hoyas include Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing, former Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson and Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert.

Villanova (20-14, 10-8) joined the Big East in 1980 and won the 1985 National Championship over conference rival Georgetown.

The Wildcats have made one Final Four appearance since then and have appeared in eight of the past nine NCAA tournaments.

No. 9 seed Villanova lost to No. 8 seed North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA tournament 78-71 Friday.

Sophomore forward JayVaughn Pinkston led the Wildcats in scoring with an average of 13.1 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding and assists.

Notable former Villanova players include Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Arizin.

St. John’s (17-16, 8-10) was also a founding member of the Big East, and the program owns the seventh-most victories in NCAA Division I basketball history.

The Red Storm have made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances since joining the conference in the 1979-80 season and advanced to the 1985 Final Four.

Notable former St. John’s players include Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace and Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson.

Providence (18-14, 9-9) was an establishing member of the Big East in 1979.

The Friars have appeared in seven NCAA tournaments since joining the conference, including a trip to the 1987 Final Four when they were coached by current Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

Current Florida coach Billy Donovan was the leading scorer for that 1987 squad.

Other notable former Providence players include Hall of Fame player and coach Lenny Wilkens and former Georgetown coach John Thompson, Jr.

Seton Hall (15-18, 3-15) has also been in the Big East since the founding of the conference.

The Pirates have made nine NCAA tournament appearances, including finishing runner-up in the 1989 tournament when they lost to Michigan 80-79 in overtime.

Notable former Pirates include P.J. Carlesimo, interim coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks center Samuel Dalembert.

DePaul (11-21, 2-16) has been a member of the Big East since 2005 after leaving Conference USA along with Marquette.

The Blue Demons last appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2004.

Hall of Fame center George Mikan and former Detroit Pistons forward Mark Aguirre won national player of the year awards for DePaul.

Creighton (28-8, 13-5) is leaving the Missouri Valley to join the Big East.

The No. 7 seed Bluejays lost to No. 2 seed Duke 66-50 in the third round of the NCAA tournament Sunday.

Creighton has advanced to the round of 32 in the past two NCAA tournaments.

Junior forward Doug McDermott finished second in Division I in scoring this season, averaging 23.1 points per game.

The two-time All-American has not yet decided if he will forgo his senior year to enter the NBA draft or return for one more season.

Other notable former Bluejays include Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, former NBA coach Paul Silas and Atlanta Hawks forward Kyle Korver.

Xavier (17-14, 9-7) is leaving the A-10 to join the Big East.

The Musketeers have appeared in 11 of the last 13 NCAA tournaments, highlighted by berths in the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2008.

The team has also made it to at least the Sweet 16 in four of the past six seasons.

Notable former Xavier players include former Heat and Celtics forward James Posey and Pacers forward David West.

Butler senior pitcher Chase Byerly is in the running for the Lowes’ Senior CLASS Award.

The award is an acronym for “Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.” Candidates must be NCAA Division I seniors and qualify in the four C’s: community, classroom, character and competition.

Byerly is one of 30 finalists. He is among three finalists from the Atlantic 10 Conference, including Charlotte infielder Shane Basen and Rhode Island utility man Mike Le Bel.

The Senior CLASS Award was founded in 2001 in a partnership between Premiere Sports Management and Lowes’. The award is given to athletes in 10 different sports.

Byerly’s nomination follows three straight nominations for Butler basketball players.

Senior Andrew Smith is a nominee for this year’s basketball award, which will be announced during the Final Four in Atlanta. Ronald Nored was nominated last year for the Bulldogs, and Matt Howard the year before.

No Bulldog has ever won the award, but Byerly believes he has a good shot of doing so this year.

“I’m a really competitive guy, so I think I have a pretty good shot at it,” Byerly said. “I’ve done pretty well this season so far.”

Building off last season when he set the school’s single-season saves record with 10, Byerly is already off to a hot start. His ERA is 2.55 and he has with 16 strikeouts.

Byerly completed a rare feat, picking up three saves in a single series last weekend at Virginia Commonwealth University, pushing his season total to four.

Off the field, Byerly impresses in other ways. He has a 3.98 GPA as a business and finance double major.

Smith, also a business major, said he knows Byerly well and that he is a hard worker.

“I know he works extremely hard,” Smith said. “He’s a very talented individual on and off the field.”

On top of doing well in class, Byerly interned at Eli Lilly last summer and Smith said he always shows dedication.

“He’s one of the hardest-working people I know,” Smith said. “He’s always top of the class, he’s a great presenter, he’s a great speaker.

Byerly said it is tough to be involved on campus while being on the baseball team, but he does make an effort.

“It’s tough to hold a leadership position with any organization on campus, but I am involved,” Byerly said.

Byerly is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He is also part of the Dawg Pound and various honor societies on campus.

Butler baseball coach Steve Farley said Byerly has made large strides evolving from a walk-on to a leader.

“He started as a walk-on and took on that role,” Farley said. “Now he’s possibly one of the best relief pitchers in the nation.”

Farley had Byerly convert to a side-arm release early on in his career, which has made him tough to hit.

Farley said he thinks Byerly is deserving of the nomination.

“Chase is one of the best guys I’ve ever coached,” Farley said. “He’s like another coach in the dugout. Everything is well deserved.”

With Butler University’s intention to join the new Big East official, people both inside and outside the Butler community have begun speculating how it will affect the men’s basketball team.

Less immediate attention has been placed on how the change could affect Butler’s 17 other athletic teams.

Based on recent history, those teams could experience varying levels of success in their first Big East seasons.

Butler’s athletic programs stepped up to the plate, and many had or are still having successful seasons in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Butler men’s soccer coach Paul Snape had his team in the hunt for an A-10 tournament berth on the final day of the season.

Snape said Butler’s time in the A-10 helped his team prepare for “elite” competition in the new Big East.

“The boys have to make sure they’re ready to go,” Snape said. “Nothing less than 100 percent is going to win us a game.

“If you lack focus or make a mistake, (Big East teams) punish you because they’re just quicker, stronger and faster than what you’ve played against before.”

Snape’s squad will have to face the national runner-up team from Georgetown and national semifinalist Creighton on a regular basis next season. St. John’s men’s soccer team was the national runner-up in 2003 as well.

“Long term, I think (the move) is fantastic,” Snape said. “But in the short term, we’ve got a few challenges we’ve got to deal with, and (we have to) make sure we’re fully prepared for playing in one of the elite conferences in the country.”

In women’s soccer, the new Big East will harbor the top two seeds from the most recent Big East conference tournament.

Butler’s men’s and women’s cross country teams have been national players in recent years. The women’s team made the NCAA final meet in 2012 by placing fourth in its regional meet.

Matt Roe, coach for both of Butler’s cross country teams, said his teams always aim to be competitive on a national level, but winning a conference championship will be harder for his teams than ever before.

“If you know anything about the Big East on the track and in cross country, you know it’s arguably the toughest conference in the country,” Roe said. “Obviously, the bar is even higher than it had been in the Atlantic 10 and the Horizon League.”

Women’s cross country in the new Big East will be especially competitive.

Villanova University took home the women’s national title in 2009, and Georgetown’s squad took the title the following two seasons. Providence College fielded the national runner-up in 2012.

“Ultimately, our goal is to compete against these teams, as it has been for a long time,” Roe said.

The Butler volleyball team reeled off five consecutive wins to close its only A-10 season and earn the No. 6 seed in the A-10 tournament.

But coach Sharon Clark said the team’s inclusion in the Big East is a big competitive step from both the Horizon League and the A-10.

“We’ve got several programs throughout that are all going to be in the same conference that are top 100 programs (in the nation),” Clark said. “I think the Big East presents an opportunity for us to showcase our university and athletic program on a much higher level.”

Clark’s team will compete against a Marquette squad that went 27-7 last season and a Creighton team that went 26-3 and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Both of Butler’s track and field teams will experience tough competition from Villanova, Georgetown and Providence.

Butler will compete against five other teams in women’s swimming. Creighton, Marquette, St. John’s and DePaul do not have women’s swim programs.

Creighton, St. John’s and Villanova sent their women’s basketball teams to the ongoing NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament.

As for spring sports, DePaul offers relatively strong men’s and women’s tennis teams. St. John’s had the highest-seeded men’s team of the Catholic 7 in the 2012 conference tournament schools, while DePaul had the strongest-seeded women’s squad of the new Big East group.

Butler’s men’s golf team will have good competition in the form of teams from Villanova, St. John’s and Georgetown.

There are only six women’s golf teams in the new Big East, including Butler’s team. Seton Hall’s team was the best of those from all the new Big East schools in the 2012 conference tournament.

Butler’s baseball and softball teams started their A-10 seasons a combined 5-0. The softball team will face decent competition in the Big East while the baseball team will have to deal with last season’s Big East conference champ St. John’s and an NCAA tournament team in Creighton.

In the A-10, Butler’s teams travelled to new locations for in-conference games. Snape said getting his team familiar with more new environments offered by the Big East will be a key to success.

“What will change is making sure the boys understand the strengths and weaknesses of each conference and making sure they understand the environments,” Snape said.

“Our focus in these next four, five months is to gain as much information about the cities, about the colleges, about the facilities so we can educate our players on what to expect.”

Snape said his team’s schedule and when the Bulldogs will be on the road is another concern.

“We’re going to play up in the Northeast in October and early November, (which is) certainly different than if you played there at the end of September because of the weather,” Snape said.

From a recruiting perspective, Snape, Roe and Clark all said the Big East move should benefit their teams.

Clark said she is glad Butler is playing in Chicago and Milwaukee again, as many of her team’s players have come from the Chicagoland area.

Roe said the move can be beneficial to Butler’s cross country and track and field teams outside the U.S.

“Georgetown, Providence and Villanova are national brands in our sport,” Roe said, “and to be aligned with them is going to help us on a national and international recruiting page.”

Snape said he hopes Butler’s move to the Big East can help it’s men’s soccer team recruit players who might otherwise consider more well-known conferences.

“We can actually go further (while recruiting) and maybe hit the East Coast,” Snape said. “If we can (also) have a prominent image in (Chicago), maybe we can compete for players with the Big Ten. Maybe they’ll look and say, ‘Hey, I can go get a soccer experience playing at Butler in that Big East.’”

Clark said many people may not realize how difficult it is for fall sports to turn around and prepare for a new conference in such a short period of time.

“It’s almost April right now, so in four or five months we’re going to be doing a completely different thing than we just did for eight months, which for me is different than the last 13 years,” Clark said.

Clark said she is also concerned about the level of funding her team has in comparison to some of the other teams the Bulldogs will be facing.

However, she said her student-athletes are “resilient” and will “rise to the occasion” when preparing for another new conference.

“Any coach, any player that’s truly a competitor wants to compete against the best all the time,” Clark said. “I’m very excited for where we’re headed.”

Working behind the scenes, a group of seven men practice hard.

Day in and day out, they manage academics, jobs, social commitments and countless other obligations.

These individuals, who tirelessly assist the Butler women’s basketball program on a strictly volunteer basis, are dubbed the Gray Squad.

They often scrimmage against the Bulldogs to keep them sharp.

The men on the Gray Squad are chosen in a number of ways.

Some are noticed draining shots at the Health and Recreation Complex, a couple by reputation and some from the skills observed in the basketball class that Butler women’s basketball assistant coach Ashley Hayes teaches.

Hayes, who is in charge  of the Gray Squad, said she remains thoroughly impressed by the effort consistently put forth.

“I love these guys,” Hayes said.  “I enjoy seeing them every day at practice. They bring a new dimension, and they’re as big a part of our success as anyone.”

The bonds formed between players on and off the court play a big role in the team’s dynamic.

“‘I’ve grown very close to the other members,” junior Kevin Schwartz said.  “We look at each other as teammates on the court, but the bond has developed into more than that.

“Not only do we work well together on the court, but we’ve got a relationship outside of basketball as well.”

For senior Jordan Crowe, his motivation to join stemmed from a passion for service and the love of the game.

“I love basketball, and I love to help people in all ways that I can,” Crowe said. “I figure that, since I love the game of basketball so much, I might as well play every day to try and help the women’s team be successful and improve from game to game.”

Schwartz said the preparation does not stop at a good scrimmage game.

Before game day, the squad prepares with a scouting report and mimics the playing style and tendencies of the Bulldogs’ upcoming opponent to ensure the women are as ready to play as possible.

With four games left in the women’s basketball team’s regular season, the Gray Squad is determined to help the Bulldogs  finish the year strong.

For the first time in the 2012-13 women’s basketball season, senior Becca Bornhorst stepped on the court, suited up and ready to play last Sunday against St. Bonaventure.

“I had freshman nerves,” Bornhorst said. “It was kind of funny. I talked to coach. I was super nervous. I hadn’t played in so long.”

Bornhorst battled through injuries in the 2011-12 season and started 17 games for the Bulldogs. She ranked second on the team in rebounding this season.

The only senior on the team, Bornhorst had originally opted to sit this season out and, if she was able to get the surgery done on her knee, possibly play a fifth year.

She had planned to have her surgery in October until her doctors explained she needed more work and had to postpone the surgery.

“Not being able to be physically out there was basically heartbreaking to me, you know,” Bornhorst said. “Basketball is my first love, and it’s my passion.”

Bornhorst emailed her doctor’s physician assistant to try to find out when a possible surgery could be set up.

She said she was frustrated because she would not be able to play a fifth year due to the expected recovery time of at least one year.

She asked her doctor if there was any possible way to play just a little bit, the rest of her senior year.

“I’m not going to be a starter like I was last year, but, you know, I would be a role player if they need me for a few minutes here and there and just be able to play and practice a little bit,” Bornhorst said.

Every time she steps on the court, she does risk re-injuring one or both knees again.

“To me, if I don’t do it, I’ll regret it honestly,” Bornhorst said.

Bornhorst tallied one offensive rebound in her senior year debut while playing six minutes total.

“Combining her being vocal all year and (her) high skill level makes her a key asset to our team,” junior Daress McClung said. “I honestly couldn’t be more thrilled to have her back on the floor.”

There are only two home games left for Bornhorst and the women’s team, and one will be senior night.

“Senior night will be really special for me to just go out there for a few minutes with the Butler uniform on,” Bornhorst said.  “I am just embracing every moment I have left.”

It has been a little more than a month since Atlantic 10 conference play began in men’s basketball.

Each school has participated in nine games in conference play.

And yet we’re no closer to determining who the league’s top dog (no pun intended) is.

The four teams that will earn a first-round bye in the 12-team conference tournament are far from set in stone.

I’m going to take a look at the league’s top nine teams—based on in-conference record—and their upcoming schedules to determine which squad will take the No. 1 seed and which teams will round out the top four seeds in the A-10 tournament.

First and ninth place in the league standings are separated by two losses. With seven conference matchups remaining for each team, it’s not ridiculous to suggest the team currently sitting in ninth place could win the league.

Butler, Virginia Commonwealth and Saint Louis occupy the first three spots, each with 7-2 marks in A-10 play.

Positions four through six are held by a trio of 6-3 squads: Massachusetts, La Salle and Xavier.

The final three teams currently above .500 in league play are Charlotte, Temple and George Washington, all holding 5-4 records.

So which team has the fast track to the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, or at least a first-round bye via a top-four seed?

That would be the La Salle Explorers.

La Salle’s final seven foes have a combined record of 26-37, worst of the top nine teams.

The Explorers’ opponents are, on the whole, statistically weak in just about every offensive and defensive category.

But let’s get to what many of you probably want to know: How difficult is Butler’s road to the A-10 throne?

The Bulldogs’ opponents have combined for 33 victories against 30 losses in A-10 action this season.

Records don’t always tell the entire story though.

Butler will be facing some poor shooting squads down the road.

On the defensive end, it is a completely different story for Butler’s remaining foes.

The Bulldogs have the toughest slate of these nine squads when it comes to opponents’ overall rebounding.

Senior center Andrew Smith’s recent injury could not have come at a worse time, as he is the team’s second-best rebounder.

Butler has the third-most difficult schedule when it comes to opponents’ shooting defense. The Bulldogs will also deal with the fourth most difficult schedule as it pertains to 3-point shooting defense.

Statistically, Butler has the second-toughest final seven conference games of the teams listed above.

Still, I think it can attain the No. 1 seed in the A-10 tournament thanks to its early-season conference success, battle-tested nature and Brad Stevens’ coaching.

I will take VCU as the event’s No. 2 seed.

Statistically the Rams have just as challenging a remaining schedule as Butler, but adversity is something this former Final Four participant is familiar with.

Saint Louis has the toughest remaining A-10 run, facing seven teams with winning records.

I have a hard time slotting the Billikens in the No. 3 spot because of this.

Massachusetts is my sleeper pick with a middle-of-the-road remaining schedule. The Minutemen have been fairly consistent in A-10 action, so they are my current No. 3 seed.

For the No. 4 seed, it’s a toss-up between Saint Louis and La Salle.

The Explorers have a big mountain to climb being two losses behind Saint Louis.

Fittingly, the teams face off in their final game of the regular season. That could decide which team gets a bye in the A-10 tournament and which has to play right away.

These next four weeks should be a blast for A-10 fans across the nation.

Senior center Andrew Smith of the men’s basketball team has been named one of 10 finalists for the sport’s 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award.

The award is given to seniors who have excelled in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition.

The acronym CLASS stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.

Smith said Butler has equipped him well in balancing classwork and basketball.

“It really helps for me to go to a school like Butler,” Smith said. “They just kind of set you up for success in the classroom and on the court as well.”

Smith is a finance major and carries a 3.55 grade point average as an honor student.

“It’s all about time management,” Smith said. “Fortunately, we have guys like Matt Howard. He was a finance major as well.

“He kind of took me under his wing and kind of gave me the ability to help me with what classes to take and teachers to take, and he really helped me manage my time and figure out how to be a successful student-athlete.”

Smith was selected to the Capital One Academic All-District V Team last month and has previously been named to the Butler Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll.

Coach Brad Stevens said the Senior CLASS Award ranks among the highest honors a college player can receive.

“As a senior, to me, there are probably two recognitions that you can really look at nationally that are ones that we really value,”  Stevens said. “That’s being named one of the Senior CLASS finalists because of all that it entails when it considers and takes into account character and community service, and certainly academic achievement and achievement on the court.”

This is the third consecutive season a Butler player has been a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award.

Smith joins former Bulldogs Howard—a finalist in 2011—and Ronald Nored (2012) as finalists for the award.

“It means a lot to me to be in the same category as them as far as this award, and I’m glad to be able to represent Butler and this team,” Smith said.

Stevens said it has not been tough to bring in players that are just as talented academically as they are athletically.

“I don’t think that’s the difficult part,” Stevens said. “These guys are ambitious guys. They want to do well on and off the court.
“Andrew’s always been a good student and certainly has really found his niche in the School of Business and what he wants to do after school is over and after his playing career is over.”

Voting is underway, and fans can vote on the Senior CLASS Award website or the Senior CLASS Award Facebook page until March 25.

Fan voting makes up one-third of the total vote.  NCAA Division I coaches and national media account for the remaining two-thirds.

The winner of the Senior CLASS Award will be revealed at this year’s Final Four in Atlanta in April.

For most teams, splitting a squad up is usually done due to one of three things: injury, illness or disciplinary consequences.

For the Butler track and field team, it’s a little different.

This past weekend, members traveled to multiple meets, but not because of sickness, injured athletes or violating team rules.

The split was completely by choice.

Approximately a dozen Butler runners headed to Bloomington with an assistant coach for the Hoosier Hills Invitational, hosted by Indiana.

Others went to Anderson while a handful of athletes didn’t compete this weekend.

Four other runners flew to the West Coast with coach Matt Roe for the University of Washington’s Husky Classic, held in Seattle.

Roe said in an email that specific meets are better designed for specific athletes.

“Our schedule is composed to give the most appropriate competitive opportunities available for each student-athlete. There are a myriad of items to consider when deciding when and where each individual is to compete.”

He mentioned race distance, health, fitness, long-term and short-term development and academic schedules, all of which vary for each athlete. Roe also said some athletes aren’t racing simply because of the upcoming Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships.

Senior Kirsty Legg didn’t get the weekend off. An All-American in the 1,500-meter run, Legg holds a personal record of 4:40.25 in the mile. This past weekend – her fourth time running in the meet – she placed 14th in the women’s mile at the Husky Classic, racing among multiple All-Americans and pros.

Sophomores Mara Olson and Tom Curr went out to Seattle as well. Olson won her event, beating out more than 30 other runners in the 3,000-meter run and posting a personal record in the process with a time of 9:29.05.

“I like competing at these high-intensity meets,” Olson said. “The atmosphere is more competitive, which can lead to some fast times.”

Curr was 19th overall in the men’s mile with a time of 4:03.14, and junior teammate Ross Clarke was 12th in his section of the same race.

Closer to home, senior Kaitlyn Love competed at the Hoosier Hills Invite. She said that while splitting the team gives people opportunities to compete at a higher level, there were races at the Husky Classic in which the majority of the team could have competed.

“We have so many different talent levels,” Love said. “We have the extreme, and then we have people who really need to go to smaller meets.

“There were some great athletes (at the Husky Classic). But we all probably would’ve done just fine.”

Love ran in the 800-meter race at IU on Saturday—separate from the ordinary 800-meter run—and the fastest heat of the event. Despite confusion with the rabbit, who dictates the early pace in races, Love finished seventh in a time of 2:15.73, which would have been good for 29th at the Husky Classic.

Another big contrast between the meets is the number of professional runners at each event.

The Hoosier Hills Invite had a handful of unattached athletes. In Love’s equivalent race at the Husky Classic, nearly half of the runners were professional or some other form of post-collegiate athlete.

“Just four went to Seattle, so it really doesn’t make a huge difference,” Love said. “I do think it’s good to split sometimes though. And (some of my teammates) got a good challenge and into races that are more competitive.”

The team likely won’t divide again until the outdoor season for the Mt. SAC Relays in California. Next week, all athletes will be in Kingston, R.I., for the A-10 Indoor Championships.

After tonight’s men’s basketball game against St. Bonaventure, Butler will officially be halfway through its inaugural season in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The Bulldogs currently sit in second place in the A-10 standings, with an overall record of 18-4 and a conference record of 5-2.

The two conference losses have come against La Salle on a last-second shot at the end of regulation on Jan. 23 and against Saint Louis on Jan. 31.

Virginia Commonwealth sits at the top of the conference standings with a conference record of 6-2.

Just one game in the loss column separates the top nine teams in the A-10 standings. Only the top 12 go on to the A-10 tournament in March.

The A-10 currently has 10 teams in the top 100 of the RPI, according to RPIRatings.com, second most of any league behind the Big East (13).

Butler is ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25. That marks the eighth consecutive week for Butler in the Top 25.

The A-10 has six other teams that have received votes in the AP, ESPN and USA Today Coaches Polls.

Saint Joseph’s, Saint Louis, Temple and Xavier have all gotten votes in both polls. La Salle and VCU both received votes in last week’s polls.

Butler’s current seniors are 51-8 in Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs have five of their final nine contests on their home court.

BUTLER PLAYERS TO WATCH

Rotnei Clarke­—The senior guard leads his team in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game.

He has scored in double figures 15 times this season.

Clarke is one of 50 players named in the Atlanta Tipoff Club 2012-13 Naismith Early Season Watch List.

Khyle Marshall—The junior forward averages 10.2 points per game, one of five Butler players averaging double figures in scoring.

Marshall also averages five rebounds per game, third best on the team.

Butler is 12-0 this season when Marshall scores in double-figures.

Roosevelt Jones—The sophomore forward has averaged 10.6 points per game on the season, including 13.3 points over the last 10 games.

Jones leads the Bulldogs in rebounds with 5.5 per game.

He also leads the team in assists with 3.6 per game.

Andrew Smith—The senior center is the only active collegiate player to have played in two national championship games.

He is the second-leading scorer for Butler, averaging 11.5 points per game.

Smith became the 34th Butler player to score 1,000 career points during the recent win against Rhode Island.

Kellen Dunham—The freshman guard is averaging 10.6 points per game and 12.4 in Hinkle.

He leads the A-10 and ranks fourth in the NCAA Division I in free throws, shooting at 92.1 percent.

Alex Barlow—The sophomore guard  has started in 15 games for the Bulldogs this season.

He is leading his team with more than one steal per game.

Erik Fromm—The junior guard is averaging 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.