Austin Gabay and the Butler Bulldogs advanced to next week’s NCAA Championships with a big race Saturday at the NCAA Division 1 Great Lakes Region Cross Country Championships.
Gabay ran 30:10.4 for 10,000 meters and placed 15th out of more than 200 runners at Angel Mounds Historic Site near Evansville, Ind. (the course is actually in both Knight Township, Vanderburgh County, and Ohio Township, Warrick County, but very close to Evansville).
Butler scored 75 points and placed 2nd to Notre Dame to lock up the second auto bid to NCAAs. Butler finished comfortably ahead of 3rd-place Wisconsin, 75-99.
Gabay placed 15th and was Butler’s 3rd finisher. Butler is ranked 14thnationally and Notre Dame 16th. Michigan State, ranked No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region and 13th nationally, placed 4th.
Butler raced without Big East runner-up Matthew Forrester, who they rested for NCAAs. The Bulldogs still went 2-4-15-25-29-(34).
The NCAA Championships are scheduled for next Saturday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo. Butler has now reached NCAAs in each of the last six seasons.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 