WAUWATOSA, WIS. -- Butler picked up a pair of individual titles and broke a pair of school records, while battling the weather and the rest of the league at the 2012 Horizon League Track and Field Championship which ended on Sunday, May 6. Butler's women wound up fifth and the Butler men came in sixth in the weather-shortened meet.
Senior Kirsty Legg recorded the lone women's victory for the Bulldogs, winning the 1500 meter run in 4:34.25. She also placed third in the 800 in 2:12.37. Junior Kevin Oblinger won the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase in 9:08.81 and finished second in the men's 5,000 in 14:47.35.
Freshman Nicole Hudec had a hand in both school marks set at the championship meet. She broke her own Butler record in the triple jump with a leap of 37-08.5, while placing fifth in the event. She also helped Butler to a fifth place finish in the women's 4 X 100 relay in a school-record 49.42. Sophomore Maddie Cassidy and freshmen Kelly Davidson and Bria Booker joined Hudec on the relay team.
Junior Kaitlyn Love posted a runner-up finish in the 800 in 2:12.37, while finishing fifth in the 1500 in 4:38.47. Junior Shelbi Burnett placed runner-up in the women's steeplechase with a time of 10:39.62 and finished sixth in the 1500 in 4:38.91.
The Bulldogs also picked up multiple points from senior Becky Howarth, who was third in the 10,000 (36:58.36) and fourth in the rain-shortened 5,000, and junior Alyson Fosnot, who came in fifth in the 10,000 (37:15.69) and sixth in the 5,000. Freshman Mara Olson was fourth in the 1500 (4:37.71) and sixth in the 800 (2:14.99).
Butler's men picked up runner-up finishes from freshman Tom Curr in the 1500 with a time of 3:51.26, and freshman Kodi Mullins in the steeplechase with a time of 9:19.79.
Sophomore Craig Jordan placed third in the steeplechase in 9:23.34 and fifth in the 1500 in 3:54.81.
Other top finishes for Butler's men were turned in by sophomore Nigel Spears, who placed runner-up in the men's long jump (22-08), freshman Harry Ellis, who finished third in the 5,000 (14:53.48), sophomore Ross Clarke, who came in fourth in the 1500 (3:54.35), and sophomore Mick Wang, who placed fourth in the men's decathlon with 4,763 points.
The meet, which was held at Wisconsin Lutheran College, was cancelled due to severe weather during the women's 5,000 meter run. The men's and women's 4 X 400 relay events were not held.
Team Rankings - Men:
Wisconsin Milwaukee (175)
Youngstown State (108)
Loyola (81)
UIC (73)
Valparaiso (66)
Butler (65)
Detroit (48)
Team Rankings - Women:
Youngstown State (172)
Milwaukee (129)
Loyola (94)
Wright State (65)
Butler (58)
UIC (52)
Detroit (31)
Valparaiso (19)
