Butler's Overall and Hutchinson named Horizon League Cross Country Athletes of the Year

Dec. 5, 2006

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Indianapolis, Ind. - Butler University seniors Scott Overall and Ava Hutchinson have been named the 2006 Horizon League Cross Country Athletes of the Year, the League office announced Tuesday, Dec. 5.  The League's nine head cross country coaches voted for the athletes after the season was completed.

Scott Overall won the individual title at this year's Horizon League Championships held on Butler's campus.  The senior paced the Bulldogs on several occasions this season, including a ninth-place finish at the Brooks Pre-Nationals, a second-place performance at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional and a 35th-place showing at the NCAA Championships, where he led Butler to a 25th-place team finish.

Overall has also garnered many awards for his performances from indoor and outdoor track and field.  Last Spring, Overall was named the 2006 Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season.  He was the lone Horizon League representative at the 2006 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, finishing 11th in the finals of the 5,000 meters.  Overall was also named the 2006 Horizon League Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year after setting a meet record in the 1,000-meter run at the Horizon League Championships and finishing 12th in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Ava Hutchinson also won the individual title for the Bulldogs at the 2006 Horizon League Championships.  She put up a 32nd-place finish at the Brooks Pre-Nationals and paced the Butler women again at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, crossing the line in 21:17 for an 11th-place showing.

The cross country Athlete of the Year awards were first handed out in 2002, and Butler has swept the honors for the past four seasons.

Horizon League Cross Country Athletes of the Year

Year    Men                                   Women

2002     Mark Tucker, Butler             Kim Hemstreet, Detroit

2003     Olly Laws, Butler                 Becky Lyne, Butler

2004     Andrew Sherman, Butler      Victoria Mitchell, Butler

2005     Andy Rayner, Butler            Victoria Mitchell, Butler

2006    Scott Overall, Butler        Ava Hutchinson, Butler