Butler Places Fourth At NCAA Cross Country Championship

Nov. 22, 2004

Senior Olly Laws earned individual All-America honors and helped lead the Butler men's cross country squad to a fourth place team finish at the 2004 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute on Monday, Nov. 22. The final team standing was the highest finish ever by a Butler team in an NCAA Championship!

Laws covered the 10,000 meter course in 31:25 to capture a 13th place individual finish. He was one of four Butler runners to place among the top 50 individuals in the national race, which featured 30 teams and 242 runners.

Following Laws across the finish line was junior Scott Overall, who came in 28th in 31:54. Senior Nick Goodliffe was 42nd in 32:06, while senior Thomas Frazer finished 45th in 32:10. Butler's fifth and final scoring runner was senior Andrew Sherman, who placed 115th in 33:06. Also competing for the Bulldogs were seniors Brian Dunn (131st in 33:26) and John Frazer (132nd in 33:38).

Colorado won the men's team title with a final score of 90, four points ahead of runner-up Wisconsin. Arkansas was third with 202 points, while Butler tallied 243. Butler head coach Joe Franklin was named men's cross country National Coach of the Year following the meet.

The Butler women's cross country team also competed at the NCAA Championship, making its first ever national meet appearance. The Bulldogs, competing without top runner Victoria Mitchell who suffered a foot injury at the Great Lakes Regional Meet, wound up placing 31st. Senior Monika Schneider led Butler by placing 109th in the 5K women's race in 22:19.

Freshman Genni Gardner came in 172nd in 23:04, while junior Ava Hutchinson was 177th in 23:06. Freshman Jenny Homan finished 200th in 23:43, and freshman Sarah Kemple closed out Butler's scoring squad with a 201st place finish in 23:47. Butler's other two runners were sophomore Maria Beitel, who came in 204th in 23:55, and junior Katie Stuckey, who wound up 210th in 24:44.

Colorado also won the women's team title, while Duke was runner-up.

Story Courtesy of Jim McGrath, Butler Sports Information