ETHAN POLAK | STAFF REPORTER | eapolak@butler.edu
The Butler cross country teams opened their season on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Lipscomb Winter Classic in Nashville, Tennessee, in dominating fashion. While it is unusual to have cross country meets in the winter, the Butler programs proved to be up for the challenge by winning both the men’s and women’s races.
In the first race of the day, seven runners on the men’s side set personal records in the 8k. Butler graduate student Simon Bedard won the race with a time of 24:04:9. Junior Barry Keane and graduate student Remi Schyns placed in the next two spots behind him with times of 24:15.7 and 24:17.2, respectively.
Three of Butler’s runners also debuted in the race. Transfers Jack McMahon and Pierre-Louis Detourbe took seventh and eighth overall, respectively, with times of 24:39.2 and 24:39.4. Redshirt freshman Jesse Hamlin finished in ninth with a time of 24:44.4.
Jackson Martin rounded out the score finishing with the final spot in the top 10 with a time of 24:46:2.
With all seven of their runners finishing in the top 10, the men separated themselves from the rest of the field, finishing with a team score of 21 points. The next two schools were Lipscomb in second with 86 points, and Bradley taking third with 89 points. Belmont placed fourth with 101 points, and Illinois State and Loyola finished off the rest of the field with 126 and 131 points, respectively.
The women’s team followed in the men’s footsteps. In the women’s 5k, junior Angelina Ellis led the way for Butler finishing second in 17:24.6 followed by junior Maddie McLain in 17:26.5. Oklahoma State transfer Kami Hankins made her debut for the Bulldogs, placing sixth in 17:38.8.
Junior Camille Hines took eighth in 17:40.5, sophomore Margo Hornocker was ninth in 17:41.2 and sophomore Mia Beckham took tenth in 17:42.1. Finalizing the score, true freshman Morgan Werner finished 12th in 17:42:7.
As a team, the women won the race with 21 points ahead of Bradley and Loyola who tied for second with 80 points. Lipscomb took fourth with 87 points followed by Illinois State with 111 points, Belmont with 149 points and Bellamire with 225.
The Bulldogs will host their next meet at the Stan Lyons Invitational on Feb. 19 at the Northview Church Course.
