HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Butler women's cross country team won the 2013 Jayhawk West Conference championship on Monday, edging runner-up Hutchinson by six points to earn the team title.
The Grizzlies, who were paced by individual league champion Madison Wedekind, scored 37 points. Hutchinson had 43. The conference championship is the 12th in the past 13 years for the Grizzlies, who finished fourth a year ago to snap a streak of 11 straight conference titles.
Wedekind, who was recruited to Butler as a soccer player and is a starting midfielder for the Grizzlies, was added to the cross country roster earlier this month, but had not had a chance to run in a meet due to overlapping schedules between cross country and soccer.
Colleymore finished fifth individually in the conference in a time of 20:51.6, giving her first-team All-Jayhawk West Conference honors along with Wedekind.
The Grizzlies had three players earn second-team all-conference honors, including Hayley Ribordy, who was eighth in 21:28.2. Janell Kidd was ninth in 21:35.6 and Lindi Young was 14th in 21:53.7.
The race also counted as the Region VI championships. Butler finished second in the regional standings behind Johnson County. Individually in the region, Wedekind was second, Collymore was seventh and Ribordy was 15th, all earning All-Region VI honors.
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The Butler men finished fifth as a team in the Jayhawk West Conference standings, paced by individual standout Edwin Serem, who finished second in the race.
Serem finished second behind Benard Keter of Cloud County, despite taking two minutes off his previous time on the course at Prairie Ridge Park. Serem finished the 8k course in a time of 25.34.4.3. With his finish, Serem earns first-team All-Jayhawk West and All-Region VI honors.
Other Butler finishers included Israel Mendoza (34th in 30:20.5), Max Surmeier (39th in 30:45.6), Cody Frye (52nd in 33:25.8) and Al Larry (56th in 41:32.6).
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Both teams will now prepare for the NJCAA National Championships to be held Saturday, Nov. 8 in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
