Butler Women Third, Men Fourth At Horizon League Championship

LISLE, ILL. -- Butler, fueled by strong performances in the middle distance and distance events, wound up with a third place finish in the women’s competition and a fourth place finish in the men’s field at the 2010 Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Championship, which wrapped up on Sunday (May 2).

Freshmen Kirsty Legg and Lauren McKillop paced Butler’s women with a pair of individual victories each.  Legg, who was named Running Newcomer of the Year, won 800 in 2:14.93 and then set league record with a winning time of 4:28.14 in the 1500.

McKillop, who was tabbed as the league’s Most Outstanding Runner, won the 5,000 in 17:24.48 and the 10,000 in 36:35.80.  She also placed runner-up in the 1500 in 4:34.01.

The Bulldogs swept the top three spots in the women’s 800, with Kaitlyn Love (2:15.50) and Katie Clark (2:15.95) coming in behind Legg, and the top four spots in the women’s 1500, with Clark (4:34.43) and Love (4:35.36) trailing Legg and McKillop.

Senior Marbeth Shiell placed runner-up to McKillop in the 5,000, and three Butler runners added points behind McKillop in the 10,000.  Junior Rosie Edwards game in fourth in the long distance event in 37:32.11, senior Sara Bird (37:35.80) was fifth and sophomore Lauren Haberkorn (37:46.65) was sixth.

Freshman Nicole Humphrey finished runner-up in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase in 11:33.78, while senior Whitney Turner was fifth in 11:49.71.

Butler also had a double-winner in the men’s competition.  Senior Stephen Lisgo led Butler to a sweep of the top four spots in the men’s 1500 with a winning time of 3:50.98, and he won the men’s steeplechase in 8:54.20.  Butler’s other individual winner was senior Justin Roeder, who captured the men’s 5,000 in 14:34.73.

Senior Kris Gauson placed runner-up in both the 800 and the 1500.  He crossed the finish line in the 800 in 1:51.85, finishing just 0:00.41 behind winner Matt Zaluckyj of UIC, and he finished the 1500 in 3:51.01, just 0:00.03 behind Lisgo!

Senior Rob Mullett finished second in the steeplechase in 9:01.56 and third in the 1500 in 3:51.09, while Justin Roeder was second in the 10,000 in 30:55.84.  The Bulldogs also picked up points from senior Joe Macdonald, who was fourth in the 1500 (3:51.95), junior Matt Lawder, who was third in the 10,000 (31:03.11), junior Madison Roeder, who was fourth in the 10,000 (31:03.41) and sixth in the 5,000 (15:09.32), and junior Brent Sever, who came in fifth in the 110 hurdles in 15:48.

Milwaukee captured both the men’s and women’s team titles.

WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES:  Milwaukee 217, Youngstown State 120, Butler 100, Wright State 67, Loyola 57, Detroit 50, UIC 38, Valparaiso 2.

MEN’S TEAM SCORES:  Milwaukee 174, UIC 107, Youngstown State 96, Butler 87, Detroit 75, Loyola 73, Valparaiso 37.

Photos by John Fetcho.