Bulldogs Are Top Dog In The Horizon League

Nov. 6, 2002

BIG DOGS: The Butler men's and women's cross country teams laid solid claim to the title of "Top Dog" at the Horizon League Cross Country Championship. Butler's men won the team title for the fifth consecutive year, while Butler's women captured a fifth title in the past seven years. The men's and women's sweep was the first by a Horizon League school since 1999, when Butler turned the trick. Butler's men captured four of the top seven individual places in the meet and finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Loyola. The Butler women took three of the top seven individual finishes and closed with a 28 point margin over runner-up Loyola.

LEAGUE CHAMP: Senior Mark Tucker outpaced the field and the Horizon League Cross Country Championship and captured the league men's individual title. The Butler ace covered the 8K Montrose Harbor course in 24:03 to finish 30 seconds ahead of runner-up Robert Wade of Loyola. It was the sixth straight year that a Butler runner finished first at the Horizon League meet. Following the meet, Tucker became the first runner in league history to sweep the conference "Runner of the Year" and "Newcomer of the Year" awards.

DOUBLE PLAY: Butler head coach Joe Franklin walked away from the Horizon League meet with a pair of team titles and two "Coach of the Year" awards. Franklin, who's in his eighth season as Butler's cross country coach, was named both women's cross country "Coach of the Year" and men's cross country "Coach of the Year" for the third time in his career. He has been named league women's "Coach of the Year" five times and conference men's "Coach of the Year" four times.

ALL-LEAGUE: The Horizon League changed its all-conference formula for men's and women's cross country this year, and the result saw 13 Butler runners capture all-league recognition! Under the new format, the top seven runners in each race were named first team all-league, while the next seven were cited as second team all-league performers. Earning first team all-league honors in the men's competition were Butler runners Mark Tucker (1), Steve Vernon (3), Marty Fedmowski (4) and Brian Dunn (7), while Gary Blackman (8), Brad Bennett (11) and Lennon Wicks (13) were named second team all-league. In the women's race, Butler's Amber Gascoigne (2), Kelly Moring (3) and Becky Lyne (7) were tabbed first team all-league, and Lauren Brentano (9), Lissa Vogley (10) and Maria Beitel (12) were picked to the second team. Lyne, running in her first Horizon League meet, was named conference "Newcomer of the Year." Vogley picked up her third all-conference certificate, while Fedmowski, who was the 2001 men's individual champ, and Gascoigne each earned all-league honors for a second consecutive year.

NATIONAL NOTICE: Despite winning the Horizon League championship, Butler slipped to 21st in the most recent Mondo Men's NCAA-I Cross Country Poll, conducted by the United States Cross Country Coaches Association. The Bulldogs, who have been as high as 12th in the national poll this season, were ranked 19th prior to the league meet. Stanford continues to be the nation's top-ranked team.