Kris Gauson Earns Top Horizon League Honor

INDIANAPOLIS – Butler senior Kris Gauson (Edinburgh, Scotland) has been named the Horizon League Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year, while Wright State junior Cassandra Lloyd (Springfield, Ohio) has been named Athlete of the Year on the women’s side.  Results were determined by a vote of the League’s head coaches.

The lone Horizon League male NCAA qualifier, Gauson finished the NCAA outdoor season ranked third in the 1500 meter run, earning NCAA All-America Honorable Mention.  He picked up Outstanding Runner accolades after setting the conference championship record in the 1500 (3:48.00) while placing second in the 800 meters and anchoring Butler’s 4x400 relay team to a second place finish at the Horizon League Outdoor Championship.

In the outdoor season, Gauson’s time of 3:40.59 in the 1500 was good enough to win the prestigious Mt Sac Relays Olympic Development race and break his own school record.

After an impressive run in the outdoor season, finishing 14th in the 100 meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships, Lloyd became the only Horizon League track All-American in 2011.  She took the title in the 100 meter hurdles at the Horizon League championships this season, breaking the conference record with a time of 13.38 and was a member of the winning 4x100 relay team, earning Outstanding Runner accolades.     

By the end of the outdoor season, Lloyd was ranked No. 21 in the 100m hurdles and held the Wright State record in the event.  The Springfield, Ohio-native shattered the school record in the event on four occasions in 2011, lowering the mark to 13.38 seconds.  She also broke the school record in the 100 meter dash and was a member of the 4x100 team that broke the record three times.

Gauson and Lloyd were also named League Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year this year, giving Lloyd at least a share of her fourth straight honor.  The All-American is the first Horizon League female athlete to earn both indoor and outdoor athlete of the year honors in back-to-back seasons.