Full Results (PDF)

The Butler women's cross country team kept pace with several nationally-ranked teams at the Joe Piane Invite in South Bend, Ind. on Friday.

Coach Roe on the Race
"The result will likely be a surprise to many," said head coach Matt Roe. "Internally, however, we knew we could be competitive in this super elite field. Our women put together a strong summer and we've carried that momentum into the fall. The team chemistry and commitment to getting to the next level collectively is inspiring."

Team Results
Utah (110) took first place in the race, beating out all 11 ranked teams in the Blue Division. No. 1 Colorado came in second with 116 points with No. 17 Florida State coming in at third with 129 points.

The Bulldogs took 13^th of 24 teams, beating out No. 16 Iowa State among the impressive field, finishing with 315 points.

Bulldogs Top Three Post Career Bests
Butler was paced by Angelina Ellis, who posted a career-best 16:58.39, good for 38^th in the field of 186 athletes. Maddie McLain was hot on her heels, posting her own career-best time of 16:59.97 and taking 41^st overall.

Emily Royston was the third Bulldog across the line, coming in at 45^th, posting a time of 17:01.20.

Josephine Thestrup (17:32.31) and Mia Beckham (17:36.75) rounded out the Bulldogs scorers, taking 93rd and 100th, respectively.

New Mexico's Weini Kelati held the lead throughout, crossing the line first in a time of 16:01.61.

Camille Hines (17:37.03) was just a few strides behind in 102nd. Margo Hornocker and Corinna Pena completed the Bulldogs top eight. Hornocker was 122nd with a time of 17:49.55, while Pena clocked 18:13.34 for 159th.

The Bulldogs also had a pair of runners compete in the women's open race. Clare McCabe finished 48th with a time of 18:37.14. In a time of 19:08.99, Kara Stark was 81st. Maddie McHugh of Ole Miss won the open race in 17:15.88.

Up Next
The women's cross country team will have the next two weeks to prep for the NCAA Pre-Nationals on Saturday October, 19.  The meet, hosted by Indiana State, will be the first time since the Butler Twilight that the Bulldogs men's and women's team will compete together.

The following weekend, the Bulldogs will return to Carmel, Ind. to host the Bulldog Invite on Friday, October 25. The home meet will be the last race for Butler before the BIG EAST Conference Championships on November 2.