Butler Adds Track/Cross Country Talent For 2010-11
Butler track and field/cross country coach Matt Roe re-stocked
his men’s teams and added talent to his women’s squads
with the addition of 13 track and cross country recruits for
2010-11. The incoming class includes three national and four
state champions!
Set to join the Bulldogs this fall are Callum Hawkins (Glasgow,
Scotland/Griffe), Harry Ellis (Warrington, England/Helsby), Ross
Clarke (Essex, England/The Chafford School), Thomas Brueggeman
(Columbus, Ind./Columbus North), Ryan Rosebrough
(Indianapolis/Speedway), Andrew Wallace (Cincinnati,
Ohio/Cincinnati Hills), Brad Magnetta (Naperville, Ill./Glenbard
East), Craig Gundersen (Liverpool,
England/Birmingham University, Pictured on front page),
Matthew Proctor (Rochdale, England/Durham University), Jackson
Carnes (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier), Billy Klimczak (Naperville,
Ill./Nequa Valley), Bethany Werge (South Bend/South Bend Riley) and
Becky Howarth (Wigan, England/Durham University).
Hawkins, a four-time Scottish cross country champion, led Great
Britain to the 2009 European U20 Cross Country team title, while
finishing 19th individually. He won the European Youth 3000
meter championship in 2009, and he’s had 18 international
appearances. Ellis was the 2010 English School National Cross
Country Champion and the 2010 Northern Athletics 3000 meter
champion. He recently represented Great Britain in the 2010
World Junior Track and Field Championship. Clarke, South of
England 1500 meter champion in 2009, placed sixth in the 1500 meter
run at the 2009 British U23 Championships and 32nd at the 2008
English National Senior Men’s Cross Country
Championships.
“Callum (Hawkins) and Harry (Ellis) are two of the top
incoming prospects in the country and two of the most decorated
freshman distance runners ever at Butler,” said Roe.
“Both have world championship experience and tremendous
upsides in terms of physical ability. Callum has a massive
aerobic engine with the potential to be a force at the national
level on the cross country course and in the longer
distances. Harry has tremendous speed and range, and based on
his performances, is one of the best raw talents coming into the
NCAA this year. His upside is exciting. Ross (Clarke)
is a very lightly trained athlete with a ton of potential.
With time and development, he also has the tools to be a national
level runner for us. We feel very fortunate to have these
three freshman in our program.”
Brueggeman, the Columbus North High School record-holder in the
100 meters and the 4X100 relay, was a state finalist in the 100 and
200 meters this past spring. He wound up placing sixth in the
100 at the state championship. Rosebrough, a three-sport
athlete, placed third in the regional and 12th at the state
championship in the 400 meter run this year.
“Thomas (Brueggeman) and Ryan (Rosebrough) are two of the
better sprint prospects in Indiana this year,” added
Roe. “Both came to the sport relatively late after
successful soccer careers. Thomas is explosive out of the
blocks and will be an immediate force at the conference level in
the 60 meters indoors and in the 100 meters outdoors. As he
continues to improve his mechanics and strength, I can see him
dropping his 200 times as well. Ryan is a tremendous
all-around athlete. He will be an immediate asset on our
relays and in the open 400 meters. Coach (Darren) Gauson is
doing a great job putting together a competitive spring group, and
I am excited to see both of these young men develop under his
guidance.”
Wallace led Cincinnati Hills to the Ohio 1A 4X800 state title in
2008 and placed third in the 800 meter run at the 2010 Ohio State
Championship. Magnetta ran on Glenbard East’s winning
4X800 relay team at the 2010 Illinois 3A State Championship and was
a member of the state qualifying 4X400 relay team.
“I believe Andrew and Brad are two of the best
“under-the-radar” middle distance prospects in the
Midwest,” continued Roe. “Both gladly gave up
faster individual times and glory to win state relays titles for
their respective schools. They are team-oriented guys, each
blessed with great raw foot speed, cross country running
backgrounds, and the will to excel at the Division I level.
They will be immediate impact athletes in the league on the relays
and in the middle distances.”
Gundersen won the British U23 5000 meters national championship in
2010, and he placed third in the 3000 meters at the English Schools
National Championships in 2007. Proctor placed 2nd in the
5000 meters at the 2010 British Universities & Colleges Sport
(BUCS) Outdoor Championships and third in the 3000 meters at the
2010 BUCS Indoor Championships.
“Craig (Gundersen) and Matt (Proctor) will contribute right
away for us on the cross country course and in the longer distances
on the track,” said Roe. “What I like most about
these young men, outside of being great students and people, is how
youthful they are both chronologically and in their running.
As graduate students, both are quite young at 21 years of age, and
in terms of running, both have performed well off of relatively
modest training. As they continue to raise their training
levels, they will really have an impact in our program.”
Carnes was the Kentucky 3A state champion at 3200 meters in 2009,
and he placed third at the Kentucky 3A State Cross Country
Championships in 2008. Klimczak helped lead Nequa Valley to
the Illinois 3A State Cross Country title and a No. 1 ranking in
the Midwest in 2009.
“Jackson (Carnes) and Billy (Klimczak) give us more depth in
cross country and in the distance events,” noted Roe.
“After winning an individual state title as a junior, Jackson
missed most of his senior year with mononucleosis. He has
very nice potential the further out he races. Billy is
similar to Jackson as he is a pure distance runner. He comes
from an outstanding high school program at Nequa Valley and is very
well prepared for the challenges of Division I running.”
Werge earned All-State honors last season, while placing 19th at
the Indiana State Cross Country Meet. She was a Sectional
Cross Country champion, and she represented Indiana at the Mid-East
Cross Country Meet of Champions in 2009. Howarth placed tenth
at the British University Cross Country Championship in 2010 and
finished 21st at the British U20 National Cross Country
Championships in 2009.
“Placed in the position to have such a large recruiting
class last year, this (year’s class) is decidedly smaller in
the distances for women,” stated Roe. “I really
like Bethany (Werge) and Becky (Howarth) as prospects for our
program. Bethany has trained mostly by herself and Becky is
only in her second year of serious running. They both have
huge potential and will contribute immediately to our talented
young group of women.”
Butler will open the 2010 cross country campaign on Friday, Sept.
3, at the Illini Challenge. The women’s 4,000 meter
race starts at 5 p.m. (ET), with the men’s 6,000 meter race
following at 5:30 p.m.
