Bulldogs Face Top-Ranked Competition At Notre Dame

Butler’s cross country squads will be tested by some of the top teams in the nation at the 54th running of the Notre Dame Invitational on Friday (Oct. 2).  The Bulldogs will compete in the featured Blue Division races starting at 4:15 p.m. (ET) on the Notre Dame Golf Course.

    Butler’s men, currently ranked No. 20, will race against a field that includes No. 11 Tulsa, No. 15 Providence, No. 22 Washington, No. 24 New Mexico, No. 28 Notre Dame and No. 30 Princeton.  The women’s field features No. 1 Washington, No. 3 Florida State, No. 6 Princeton, No. 12 Providence, No. 13 Arizona State, No. 15 Florida, No. 22 Penn State, No. 24 Notre Dame, No. 25 New Mexico and No. 27 Rice.

    The Bulldogs are coming off an open week and will be nearly at full-strength for the meet.  Head coach Matt Roe will enter a men’s team of two-time All-American Andy Baker, Joe Macdonald, Rob Mullett, Kris Gauson, NCAA track All-American Steve Lisgo, Madison Roeder and Tom Boardman.  Baker, who won the Purdue Great American Legends Meet on Sept. 4, placed 11th at last year’s Notre Dame Invitational, while Mullett, champ of the Indiana Intercollegiate Meet on Sept. 18, came in 31st.

    Running for Butler’s women will be Katie Clark, Kristi Legg, Lauren McKillop, Rosie Edwards, Shelbi Burnette, Sara Bird, and Whitney Turner.  Bird, who placed 78th a year ago, and Turner, who came in 101st, are the lone Butler returnees from last year’s meet.

Roe also will enter several runners in the open race.  Taylor Eaton will compete on the men’s side for the Bulldogs, while Karleen Ritchie, Kaitlyn Love and Lauren Haberkorn will run for Butler’s women.

Butler’s men placed fifth overall at last year’s Notre Dame Invitational, while Butler’s women were 15th.

The Notre Dame Invitational is one of the nation’s oldest and largest intercollegiate cross country meets.  It was started in 1956 and has been run continuously ever since.  Florida State swept the men’s and women’s titles a year ago.