Head cross country coach Geoff Masanet said he is considering red-shirting the Panthers’ top runner from last year, senior Brad Butler.

Butler finished fifth at the 2006 Men’s Cross Country Ohio Valley Conference championship.

Why would you red-shirt a senior, especially one with the ability to be a top contender in the Ohio Valley Conference?

Because the OVC is not the end-all-be-all. For the Panthers, there are regionals, as well as nationals to also work toward.

“If it was just the OVC’s, sure, we would put Butler in this year and we could do fairly well in the conference,” Masanet said.

But Masanet believes by holding Butler back a year he will be able to come back next year stronger and with a stronger team behind him that could advance further than just the OVC’s.

With a young but talented team, Masanet thinks they will be able to do well this year without Butler, but will have the chance to build and be even better next year with him.

To me this is smart, it is somewhat risky and unconventional, but smart.

Butler could run this year and be one of the top runners in the conference, or he can hold out, get better, help the team to get better and come back next year with runners who will be able to stack up behind him in higher places.

The idea intrigues me, with all the strategy and thought that goes into this decision.

It isn’t just about Butler and the OVC’s, it’s about a bigger picture.

It’s about the entire team and nationals.

This all got me thinking about the process of red-shirting, when and why it happens.

Normally, it is for an injury or for a freshman or sophomore who isn’t going to get to compete for a season to have that extra year of eligibility.

But that obviously isn’t always the case.

Last year, Marlise Davidson made the decision to red-shirt her rugby season in order to focus on her swimming season.

Davidson ended up getting first in the 200-meter freestyle at the Mid-Continent Conference Championships, breaking Eastern’s record in the 200, as well as acquiring other various awards throughout the season.

Davidson came back to rugby this year with “senior” eligibility and started off the season this weekend with six assists. According to head coach Frank Graziano, she looked like she had never left.

I really like the idea that everyone is eligible for that one year, and yes, there are athletes that don’t need it and don’t use it.

They go hard for four years and they’re out, and that’s fine.

But I also really appreciate when people look beyond just today and this season, and they weigh their options and make the best possible decision.

For Davidson it was a way for her, a tri-athlete, to focus on one sport at a time.

For Butler it could help to make him better, but it will also benefit the entire team as a whole.

If they do decide to red-shirt him, that will be great; I will be interested in seeing how it all works out.

If they don’t, that’s cool too, but I think the fact that they are even considering it shows that they are thinking on a broader scale not just about one individual and one season.