Championship Central
Heat Sheets
Watch Live BEDN: Friday | Saturday
 
The Butler track team will travel to Philadelphia for the 2017 BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday. The championships return to Jumbo Elliott Track at Villanova Stadium for the third time in four years. Marquette returns as the reigning champions on both the men's and women's sides.
 
The BIG EAST Digital Network will air competition both days.
 
Senior Olivia Pratt is one of the athletes who will look to defend a 2016 title, as she runs the 10,000 meters.
 
Josephine Thestrup will look to continue a strong freshman campaign in the 1,500 meters. School record-holder Allie Vogeler brings one of the top times in the conference into the 400-meter hurdles.
 
Erik Peterson leads a strong Butler trio in the 5,000 meters as he joins Jonathan Collier and Bobby Johnson. Peterson's seed time for the event is 21 seconds better than the next competitor. Peterson already has an NCAA qualifying time in the 10,000 meters, an event he will not run this weekend. Johnson and Matt Lumbar are entered in the 10,000.
 
Freshman Wade Walder will do the pole vault and the decathlon. Richard Clark and Abe Margo will join him in the decathlon.
 
Sam Robinson and Dakota Thompson are entered in both the high jump and long jump. Robinson will also do the triple jump.
 
Action begins 10 a.m. ET on Friday with the first events of the decathlon and heptathlon. Field events start at 11 a.m. and running races begin at 1 p.m. and will continue through 5 p.m. Sixteen of Friday's running races will be trials, the 3,000-meter Steeplechase and 10,000-meter run will be championship races.
 
Saturday's schedule also begins at 10 a.m. with the multi-events. Field events will begin at 12 p.m. Running events will start at 1 p.m., kicking off with the 4x100-meter relays. All running events on Saturday will be final.
 
The BIG EAST Digital Network will once again cover the running events live starting at 1 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday with Pat O'Keefe on the call. BEDN Correspondent Megan O'Brien will have trackside interviews with the winners. Field and multi-events will be taped and highlights will be inserted into the two-day broadcast.
 
The awards ceremony will begin approximately at 5:40 p.m. ET and will be covered by BEDN. Trophies will be given to the team champions and runners up; most outstanding track performer, most outstanding field performer and high point scorer for the men and women.
 
There are 21 student-athletes looking to defend their 2016 individual champion titles in 24 events, including Pratt in the 10,000 meters.
 
On the Tuesday following the championship, the all-conference team will be announced. The all-conference team includes all top three finishers in the meet.