BRENDAN KING | STAFF REPORTER

The Butler track and field team is back in action for its second season in the Big East this coming spring.

The Bulldogs have competed in five meets so far this season, including visits to Indiana University, the University of Illinois and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

They again travel to Bloomington Friday for the Indiana Relays.

The team has many challenges ahead and it will be racking up the air miles as it travels from coast to coast for meets at Stanford University and the University of North Florida this season.

With all of these challenges, senior Mara Olson said the team has to maintain its momentum as the season goes on.

“The season is incredibly short, which requires an intense competitive mentality in each race because there are few opportunities to qualify for the national championships in March,” Olson said.

Olson is one of six seniors on the women’s roster this season. Olson’s leadership will be instrumental, but she said that she herself has a lot to work on for the upcoming season.

“I personally want to rebuild my repertoire of personal best times in the mile, 3K and 5K,” Olson said.

Head coach Matt Roe has been Butler’s coach since 2007 when he came over from Long Beach State University. Roe has seen it all when it comes to conference switches, as he has coached at Butler when it was in the Horizon League, Atlantic-10 and now the Big East.

Roe’s knowledge of different conference-level competition has helped his athletes, as well. Olson said, racing in the Big East gives Butler a different mindset.

“It has been an extreme advantage to race in this conference because it allows us to face nationally competitive teams and be pushed to race our best,” Olson said. “That kind of pressure tends to produce fast times.”

With experience and confidence, the Bulldogs are heading right into the heart of Big East competition. And with leadership at the top of the program, the Bulldogs are in for another competitive season this spring.