Butler Tabbed Fifth In A-10 Women’s Cross Country Poll
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Butler will shift roles from favorite to
contender when it competes in its first Atlantic 10 Conference
women’s cross country season this fall. The Bulldogs
were picked fifth in the A-10 women’s cross country preseason
coaches’ poll, released by the league office on Wednesday,
August 22.
Defending A-10 champion La Salle was tabbed as the favorite for
this year’s league championship. The Explorers, who
captured their seventh A-10 title in the past 11 years last fall,
return two of the “Top 10” women’s finishers at
last year’s conference meet, Meghan McGlenchey (7th) and
Stephanie Bearish (8th).
Butler, which joined the A-10 in July, is coming off the most
successful women’s cross country run in Horizon League
history. The Bulldogs captured their ninth league
championship in 10 years in 2011 and their league-record 13th crown
overall. Butler runners accounted for nine Horizon League
individual titles in the past 17 years.
Three of those individual champs are on this year’s Butler
roster, while a fourth 2012 Butler runner is a two-time Horizon
League individual runner-up and former Horizon League Runner of the
Year! Reigning Horizon League Runner of the Year Shelbi
Burnett captured last year’s league individual title, and
she’s joined on this year’s Butler roster by 2009
Horizon League champ Lauren McKillop and 2010 Horizon League Runner
of the Year and individual champ Kirsty Legg.
Also back is Katie Clark, who finished second at the league
championship in 2009 and 2010 and was named 2009 Horizon League
Runner of the Year.
The A-10 cross country coaches picked Dayton second in the
preseason poll, while Richmond, Charlotte and Butler rounded out
the top five. Saint Joseph’s was picked sixth, followed
by Duquesne, Xavier, Saint Louis, Fordham, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, VCU, Temple, George Washington and St. Bonaventure.
The 2012 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championship will be hosted by
Temple at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday,
October 27.
