The Butler track team posted several top times during the team's 3,000-meter time trials over the weekend. Ten men and four women nailed personal bests in the practice race.

"We were fortunate to get great weather and our pacers did a fantastic job of setting up each race," said head coach Matt Roe. "This was a team effort and it helps greatly that we have so many fit, healthy athletes right now."

Men's Time Trials
Euan Makepeace led the Bulldog men with a standout time of 7:51.8, besting his former personal best of 7:58.9 by seven seconds. Makepeace is a two-time Indoor BIG EAST 3,000-meter champion.

Simon Bedard followed closely behind with a time of 7:55.7, a personal best for the Frenchman, cutting 15 seconds off his prior best of 8:10.11.

Redshirt-Junior Barry Keane came in third and just short of his sub-eight minute personal best with a time of 8:01.5. Bulldog newcomer Evan Byrne rounded out the top-four finishers, crossing the finish at 8:04.9 for a personal best, blazing nearly 20 seconds from his previous PR set in Ireland.

James Sweeney (8:17.3), Conor Naughton (8:22.5), Jackson Martin (8:23.2), Ryan Adkins (8:27.5), Sean Robertson (8:36.6), Trey Harris (8:45.4), and Chandler McGaha (8:47.6) also hit personal records in the timed trials.

"We had major breakthrough races for several of our men," said Roe.  "Many of them will likely be overshadowed by the jaw dropping times run in the top section. Euan's and Simon's 3000-meter times are easily two of the fastest on US soil during the Pandemic.  And Barry, who missed some training time in August, is steadily closing the gap on Euan and Simon.  That said, I thought Evan Byrne and James Sweeney's performances winning their respective sections were as impressive as any of our athletes."

Women's Time Trials
On the women's side, Corinna Pena led the Bulldogs with a 9:30.7, knocking close to 20 seconds off her previous best time of 9:49.71, set earlier this year during the indoor season.

Camille Hines (9:32.2) and Angelina Ellis (9:32.9) finished within a fraction of a second for second and third, while setting personal-bests individually. Emily Royston rounded out to the top-four with a time of 9:33.8, just a second her personal-best of 9:32.21 set back in February of 2020.

Graduate transfer Kami Hankins, who took fifth overall, ran a personal-best of 9:43.2 in her first time trial as a Bulldog. The time was over nearly 15 seconds faster than her former PR (9:57.68) set at the 2020 Big 12 Indoor Championships while at Oklahoma State.  

Maddie McLain, who took sixth in the team race, was also just shy of a personal best, clocking a time of 9:49.7.

"When you consider what our women ran in high school or prior to transferring to Butler, it's remarkable to see the times they are running now," said Roe. "The development of this group is nothing short of elite."

Between the four time trial races ran by the Bulldogs this fall, the women had four different winners. Royston won the cross country 6k just two weeks ago, while previously in October, McLain and Ellis won the cross country 5k and 4k, respectively, earlier in October. 

"I love that in each race we had a different winner," Roe said. "It shows that we have multiple women with the courage to make a winning move and the attitude and trust to sustain their effort through the finish line. We have athletes who are developing that critical edge as competitors, and that speaks to the environment we are fostering as a program."