Butler sophomore Josephine Thestrup represented her home country of Denmark at the European U23 Cross Country Championships Sunday. She finished 22^nd in a strong field, navigating the course in a time of 21:51.
 
"Josephine has been training on a new level this fall," said Butler coach Matt Roe. "Her NCAA season was not quite indicative of where her fitness was at. Everyone in our program knew what she was capable of and it is great to see her get the result she so richly deserves. There is no better time to shine then for running for your country."
 
Thestrup was selected to represent her home country earlier this fall.
 
The race was staged in Samorin, Slovakia. The U23 course consisted of 6,280 meters. Germany's Alina Reh won the event in a time of 20:22. Sixty-three women competed in the race.
 
Thestrup has earned All-BIG EAST honors in each of her two seasons at Butler. The talented sophomore will return to Indianapolis and the team's 2018 track and field schedule in the coming weeks.