INDIANAPOLIS - The Butler track and field team will open the outdoor portion of the season at home, hosting the Stan Lyons Invitational on the Butler campus.
 
The Stan Lyons Invitational is scheduled to begin with javelin at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 16.  Track events will start following the field events at 1 p.m. that afternoon.
 
When               Saturday, March 16 // 11 a.m. ET
Where              Davey Track & Field // Indianapolis, Indiana
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Social Media     @Butler_CCTF  | #Butler | #GoDawgs | butlertf_xc
 
Meet Information
 
The Bulldogs will be joined in Indianapolis by Ball State, Cincinnati Christian, Marian, Evansville, and Wright State.
 
The meet is named after Butler Athletic Hall of Famer, Stan Lyons.  Lyons was inducted in 1997 for his tremendous impact on the track and field and cross country programs that he coached for 30 seasons.  Lyons led the Bulldogs to eight conference track and field championships and five league cross country crowns.  He was named the Heartland Collegiate Conference (and its predecessor, the Indiana Collegiate Conference) coach of the year thirteen times.
 
"As always, it is a pleasure to host a meet honoring the late Stan Lyons.  His impact on Butler track and field, cross country and Bulldog student-athletes was significant, and it is fitting that we have a meet to recognize his considerable contributions to our program," head coach Matt Roe said.
 
Butler Notes
 
The Bulldogs have not competed since the BIG EAST Indoor Championships on Feb. 23 where they broke seven school records and had 21 All-BIG EAST honorees.  There were 35 total personal bests throughout the meet.  This was a cap on a great indoor season that saw personal records and school records broken throughout. 
 
Butler will look to take their success outdoors on Saturday as the Bulldogs start their season.
 
 "We look forward to opening our outdoor season at home.  It will be a great opportunity for our younger and developing athletes to prove themselves, along with a handful of our veterans to begin to prep for big meets ahead" said Roe.
 
On the men's side, junior Wade Walder will lead the way fresh off his BIG EAST title win in the indoor heptathlon.  Walder will be competing in the 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, shot put, and javelin.
 
Senior Tim Vestuto will begin the last season of his collegiate career as he competes in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes.  Last season Vestuto had the eighth fastest 100-meter time in the BIG EAST with a time of 10.98.
 
Jacob Uhl will run the 200 and 400-meters on Saturday.  During the indoor season, Uhl ran the fifth fastest BIG EAST time at 48.32.
 
A pair of junior sprinters will begin their seasons together as Colton Haymon and Connor Fuller run the 200 meters, 400 meters, and the 4x400 meter relays.  Haymon will also run in the 4x100 meter relay. 
 
Coming off running a part of the school record-breaking 4x800 relay at the BIG EAST Championships, Chandler McGaha will compete in both the 800 and 1,500-meter runs.
 
Garrett Kern will compete in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles as well as both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.  A year ago, Kern set his 400-meter hurdles personal best at this same meet.
 
In the field for the men, Luke Russell will compete in both the long and high jumps, as well as the 4x400 meter relay.  Russell set personal bests in both jumps at the BIG EAST Championships just a few weeks ago.
 
All-BIG EAST recipient Richard Clark joins Russell in the jumps and will also compete in the pole vault, shot put, and javelin.
 
For the women, Butler will have five of its indoor All-BIG EAST women compete including Rebecca Collester, Lily Hess, Karmen Koch, Madeline Miller, and Angela Neddeau.
 
Koch will have a busy first outdoor meet of her career as she competes in five events including the 400-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, and javelin.  Her all-conference recognition came for her performance in the pentathlon.
 
Collester will run in three events including the 400-meter dash, 4x100 relay, and 4x400 meter relay.  She was named All-BIG EAST for her performance in the 4x1600 meter relay at indoor championships.
 
Hess will join Collester in both the 400 meters and 4x100 relay.  Hess was also a part of the 4x1600 relay team that received all-conference honors.
 
Neddeau, a freshman sprinter, will compete in the 200 and 400-meter dashes, as well as the 4x400 relay. 
 
Also, on the track for the women are a trio of freshmen who will get their first taste of the outdoor season.
 
Elizabeth Hinkle and Corinna Pena will run in the 3000 meters. Neither Hinkle or Pena competed during the indoor portion of the season. 
 
Fellow freshman hurdler McKenzie Greene will compete in the 100-meter hurdles after finishing sixth overall in the 60-meter hurdles at indoor championships.
 
In the field, the women will be led by Nina Hilt and Niki Ezeh.  They will both compete in the high jump, long jump, shot put and javelin, with Hilt also running in the 100-meter hurdles.
 
Bulldogs to Watch
 
Wade Walder
Men's Javelin: 11:00 a.m. ET
Men's Shot Put: 11:00 a.m. ET following the women
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles: 1:40 p.m. ET
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles: 2:45 p.m. ET
 
Jacob Uhl
Men's 400-Meters: 1:55 p.m. ET
Men's 200-Meters: 3:00 p.m. ET
 
Luke Russell
Men's Long Jump: 12:30 p.m. ET following the women
Men's High Jump: Follows Javelin
Men's 4x400 Relay: 3:50 p.m. ET
 
Karmen Koch
Women's Javelin: 11:00 a.m. ET following the men
Women's Shot Put: 11:00 a.m. ET
Women's Long Jump: 12:30 p.m. ET
Women's High Jump: Follows Javelin
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles: 2:35 p.m. ET
 
McKenzie Greene
Women's 4x100 Relay: 1:00 p.m. ET
Women's 100-Meter Hurdles: 1:30 p.m. ET
Women's 4x400 Relay: 3:40 p.m. ET
 
Rebecca Collester
Women's 4x100 Relay: 1:00 p.m. ET
Women's 400-Meters: 1:50 p.m. ET
Women's 4x400 Relay: 3:40 p.m. ET
 
A Look Ahead
 
In the upcoming outdoor portion of the season, the Bulldogs will face strong competition as they travel to the Stanford Invitational and Raleigh Relays on March 29, and the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. on April 18.  BIG EAST Outdoor Championships will be held in New York on May 10 and 11. Next week, Butler travels to Nashville, Tenn. to compete in the Black and Gold Invitational at Vanderbilt.