Hannah Moore ran to a fifth-place finish in her Butler debut, leading the Bulldog charge at the season-opening Winrow Valparaiso Open Friday morning.
 
Moore posted a time of 18:08.8 on the 5K course at Sunset Hill Farm County Park in Valparaiso. 
 
Moore's effort led the Bulldogs to a top-three finish in the team standings, trailing only Notre Dame and Purdue. There were nine teams in the field.
 
Lexi Affolter was the second Bulldog to cross the line as her time of 18:28.5 was good for 11^th. She was followed closely by a trio of Bulldogs who completed the team scoring: Renate Toldo (18:36.0; 14^th), Mckenna Mazeski (18:39.2; 17^th) and Ashlyn Minton (18:41.2; 18^th).
 
Butler's team score of 65 came in just behind Notre Dame (43) and Purdue (48). The Bulldogs held a 40-point cushion over fourth-place Western Michigan (105).
 
Notre Dame's Addison Knoblauch, running unattached, won the race in a time of 17:34.6. She was five seconds ahead of Reagan Riley, also of Notre Dame.
 
The Bulldogs are scheduled to return to action Sept. 13 on the University of Illinois campus for the BIG Preview Meet. That will also serve as the first competition on the men's schedule for the 2024 season.