Blue and Gold Invitational Meet Information (including event schedule and start lists)

The Bulldogs begin the indoor track and field season this weekend as Butler's team travels to South Bend for the Blue and Gold Invitational hosted by Notre Dame, while a pair of Bulldogs will head east to compete against one of the most elite fields in the nation.

Simon Bedard and Barry Keane travel to Boston to run in an elite 5,000 meter field at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. The field includes 10 men who earned All-America honors at the NCAA Cross Country Championships last month. Iowa State's Wesley Kiptoo is the defending NCAA champion in the indoor 5,000 meters. His time of 13:23.77 at the 2021 championships set an NCAA Championships meet record and is the 11^th-fastest indoor 5k run in NCAA history. Twelve athletes have entry marks of 13:30 or faster. The field also includes 2021 NCAA Division II champion Christian Noble of Lee (Tenn.).

Bedard owns a personal-best of 13:34.83 (outdoor) in the 5,000 meters, while Keane's best is 13:35.00. Both times were run at the 2021 Oregon Relays.

Keane and Bedard will run in Boston on Saturday at 6 p.m.

A majority of the Bulldogs' roster will make the drive up I-31 to South Bend for Friday's Blue and Gold Invitational. Field events begin at 3:30 p.m., and the starting gun will first fire for running events at 5 p.m.

Butler will be joined in the field by host Notre Dame, Bethel, DePaul, Detroit Mercy, Grace College, Marquette, Toledo, and Valparaiso.