The Butler track and field team earned three medals during the first day of events at the Big East Indoor Championships in Chicago, Ill. on Friday afternoon.
 
On the track, Jesse Hamlin secured the gold in the men's 5,000 meters with a time of 14:13.36. This is Butler's sixth BIG EAST indoor title in the last seven years for the men's 5,000-meter event. Three other Bulldogs consisting of Brendan Thomas, William Zegarski, and Eli Fullerton join Hamlin to take four of the top seven spots in this race. 
 
The distance medley relay team consisting of David Slapak, Troy Larrison, Aedan Rendek, and Seth Mahony earned the bronze with a time of 9:48.20. 
 
Cabott Craft led the way in the field receiving a silver medal in the men's long jump event with a length of 7.06 meters. He made his way onto the podium after a fifth place finish at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships last season. 

Butler men's team heads into day two in second place with 35 points. Connecticut leads with 57.
 
Other top Bulldog performers included:

• Anna Niebrugge earned a spot in the women's 60m final with a prelim time of 7.54 seconds, tying her school record. Niebrugge also earned a spot in the women's 200m final with a prelim time of 24.09 seconds. 
• Hamlin, Austin Gabay, and Owen Whitney secured spots in the men's mile final taking second, sixth, and eleventh in the prelims. 
• Joe Pierro earned a spot in the men's 200m finals with a prelim time of 21.52 seconds.
• Poppy Healy earned a spot in the women's 800m final with a prelim time of 2:10.58. 
• Ryan Elston placed second in the men's 800m with a time of 1:51.88 to earn a spot in the finals. 

The Bulldogs will pick up where they left off tomorrow morning with the men's heptathlon at 11 a.m. Field events will follow and the women's mile will kick off the running events at 11:30 a.m.