The Butler men's cross country and track and field programs reached new heights during the 2023-24 campaign, capturing historic individual and team accolades. 

The Bulldogs were the top-performing BIG EAST men's program across the three seasons, finishing first in cross country, second in indoor track and field, and third in outdoor track and field at their respective conference championships.

Cross Country

Butler kicked off the season in the fall by earning their third BIG EAST title in four years. Six Bulldogs earned All-BIG EAST honors: Florian Le Pallec, William Zegarski, Matthew Forrester, Will Minnette, Jesse Hamlin, and Jack McMahon.

The Bulldogs continued their success at the Great Lakes Regional, winning the team title for the first time in school history. The team cruised to the victory, finishing 27 points in front of runner-up (and No. 5-ranked) Wisconsin.

Le Pallec, Zegarski, Forrester, Minnette and Hamlin each crossed the line in the Top 15 once again, each earning All-Great Lakes Regional accolades.

The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) ranked the Bulldogs at No. 8 in the national rankings at one point during the season, which was the highest ranking in program history.

Entering the NCAA Championships, Butler was one of only 14 Division I schools to make the last four consecutive championships. The team would eventually finish 21st at the NCAA Championships.

Not only were the Bulldogs getting it done on the grass, but they also finished with the highest male team GPA among Butler Athletics programs at 3.592 in the fall.

Indoor Track and Field

The men's team set a new program-best with a runner-up finish at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships with 13 Bulldogs earning All-BIG EAST honors.

Butler maintained their dominance in the 5,000 meters claiming their fourth straight individual title. Forrester secured the gold medal in the event while Hamlin also became a BIG EAST champion in the mile.

Seven Bulldog men etched their names in the history books. Hamlin became the all-time program leader in the third different event after posting a mark of 3:56.59 in the mile. 

In the sprints, Luke Finnegan and Jack Elder each set new school records. Finnegan recorded a time of 21.22 in the 200 meters while Jack Elder earned a new all-time best in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.03. 

The 4x800 meter relay quartet of Martin Kovacech, Joe Barrett, William Cuthbertson, and Liam Dennis rounded out the new program records with a time of 7:30.85.

The team ended the season with top national event squad rankings in the 3,000 meters (19th), 5,000 meters (23rd) and 800 meters (26th).
 
Outdoor Track and Field

The Bulldogs wrapped up the 2024 season with another stellar outdoor performances.

At the BIG EAST Championships, the Bulldogs took five of six podium spots in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. In all, 15 Butler men combined to earn 20 All-BIG EAST honors at the championships as Butler finished third in the team standings. 

The trio of Minnette, Le Pallec and McMahon became the first group to sweep the podium in the 10,000 meters since the BIG EAST's reconfiguration a decade ago. Minnette became the fourth consecutive Bulldog to win the BIG EAST title in the 10k.

In the relays, the Bulldogs swept the 4x100 and 4x400 meters for the first time in conference history.

Butler was the only team in the country during the 2024 outdoor season to have two men run a sub-13:30 mark in the 5,000 meters (Hamlin and Le Pallec).

Butler followed up their success at the NCAA East Regional with seven total men's competitors, as three Bulldogs punched their tickets to Eugene for the NCAA Championships. 

At the championships, the Bulldogs were one of three schools nationally (Iowa State and Oklahoma State) to qualify a male to Eugene in the 800, 5,000, and 10,000 meters.

Hamlin's eighth-place finish in the 5,000 meters earned him first-team All-America honors. This was the second consecutive year the team scored points at the national meet. Cuthbertson (800 meters) and Le Pallec (10,000 meters) earned honorable mention All-America recognition for their respective performances in Eugene. Le Pallec became the fourth consecutive Bulldog to represent Butler in the 10k at the NCAA Championships. 

Cuthbertson's program-record time of 1:46.51 (set at the NCAA East First Round in securing his spot in the NCAA Championships field) also has earned him a coveted spot in the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials. 

Cuthbertson's school record was among a group of program-bests in the spring that included the 4x100 relay (40.55), the 4x400 relay (3:08.46), the pole vault (5.22 meters by Luke Walden), the 200 meters (21.04 by Finnegan), and the 400 meters (47.16 by Gavin Cougle).

The team ended the season with top national event squad rankings in the 5,000 meters (seventh), 10,000 meters (17th), and 1,500 meters (22nd).

The Butler men posted GPAs of 3.463 and 3.467, respectively, for the two semesters.