2010-2011 Butler SAAC Awards “Final Four” Nominees
The Butler Way Award (Male)-“Athlete who best exemplifies the Butler Way”
The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness and accepts reality, yet seeks
constant improvement while promoting the good of the team above self. The Butler
Way Award will be given to a female and male athlete who best represents the Butler
Way.
Jeff Poss-(Football):
 Jeff Poss garnered the nominations of teammates because he is always doing
things the right way. As one teammate noted “I have had him in several of my
classes and have worked with him on and off the field. He is one person out
of anyone I know that works at maximizing his potential every day. He is a
very giving person and has not said one negative thing about anything or
anyone for as long as I've known him.” Jeff, a soon to be 5th year senior with a
Marketing major and a minor in Management Information Systems, has been
a consistent contributor to the Butler Football team during his time here. As a
charismatic and vocal leader, Jeff has earned the respect of his peers.
 After this season at the football team’s awards ceremony, Jeff was voted as
the winner of the 2010 “Bulldog Pride Award”. This is the award given to the
player who best exemplifies “The Butler Way”.
 In addition to athletics, Jeff is a leader off the field. He is the president of the
Butler American Marketing Association (BAMA). BAMA is a marketing
organization that is involved in bringing guest speakers to campus and
working on marketing projects both on campus and in the community.
Furthermore, Jeff is an avid supporter of all Butler University Athletics
program and can be found cheering on his fellow Bulldogs in various others
sports.
Conner Burt-(Soccer):
 All Horizon League 2nd team, 2009/2010
 All Horizon League Academic 2007-2010
 Team Captain, 2009 & 2010
 Academic All-American, First Team--2009/2010
 Horizon League Scholar athlete of the month
 All Great-Lakes Region, 2nd team 2010
 Top Ten Male Student 2010 & 2011
 Top Student in Economics, (awarded by the College of Business)
 College Mentors for Kids
 Founder of small business-Back to Earth Compost
 Center for Urban Ecology Campus Farm Intern
 Nora Elementary Volunteer
 Beta Gamma Sigma
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Business Honors Society
Orr Fellow, 2011
3.97 GPA
Brent Sever-(Track):
 Brent is a senior business major and Butler’s top hurdler. He finished seventh
in the 60m hurdles and holds school records in both the 60m hurdles and
110m hurdles. He is a leader of the sprinting squad and has shown four
years’ worth of dedication to his sport, though the sprinters do not get nearly
as much attention as the distance squad.
Matt Howard-(Basketball):
 Led Butler to back-to-back NCAA National Championship appearances.
Finished third on Butler’s all-time scoring list with 1,939 career points.
 Owns Butler’s record for most career games played (141) and most career
starts (133).
 Received the NCAA Elite 88 Award, which is given to the student-athlete with
the highest cumulative grade point average at the Final Four, for the second
consecutive year.
 Selected as the 2010-11 Academic All-American of the Year.
 Chosen first team Academic All-America for the second consecutive year,
after earning second team Academic All-America recognition in 2008-09.
First Butler student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors for three
straight years.
The Butler Way Award (Female)-“Athlete who best exemplifies the Butler Way”
The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness and accepts reality, yet seeks
constant improvement while promoting the good of the team above self. The Butler
Way Award will be given to a female and male athlete who best represents the Butler
Way.
Sarah Phelps-(Soccer):
 Sarah Phelps truly exemplifies the Butler way. Each day at practice she
played the role as leader on the team. She was the strength and backbone
that kept the team working hard and always focused. She was, by far, the
nicest yet most competitive girl on the team. She drove everyone else to their
best and led by example. She demanded commitment from the team and also
from herself. Even though she suffered the loss of a family member during
the season, she never once complained or let it affect how she played the
game. Her positive attitude was an inspiration to everyone.
 2009, 2010 Second Team All-Horizon League
 Soccer team’s 2010 Defensive MVP
Azjah Bass-(Basketball):
 Azjah always exuded a great attitude day in and day out while leading our
team to a great season. Her ever-present smile and ability to lead by example
made the Butler women’s basketball team better. Despite not seeing a lot of
playing time over most of her career, Azjah was able to work herself into the
starting lineup by the season’s end.
Mallory Winters-(Softball):
 Mallory is the definition of the Butler Way. Every single day she puts others
above herself in each aspect of life. Mallory always has a smile on her face,
even after a poor individual performance. She is the most caring and
optimistic person the team has. She always practices and plays the hardest
she possibly can, and it is evident that her hard work has paid off. The team
truly believes that she deserves this award.
Cam Thompson-(Tennis):
 Cam represents the Butler Way because she is involved in everything. She is
a SAAC rep, an exemplary student, and participates in Butler academic
programs and conferences, all in addition to her sport. She also supports her
teammates, shows maturity in many difficult situations, and always puts
team above her own self- interest.
Unsung Hero Award (Male)-“Hardest working athlete with the least recognition”
The Unsung Hero award will be given to a male and female athlete who goes above
and beyond the expectations of their teammates and coaching staff. The athlete chosen
is someone who puts in the extra effort day in and day out without expecting praise or
recognition. An Unsung Hero demonstrates leadership qualities while putting the team
above themselves.
Andy Holte-(Soccer):
 Andy Holte is a freshman goalkeeper who did not see a minute of playing
time this year, despite his undisputed hard work, perseverance, and
dedication to the team. As a goalie, Andy ran a 4:55 mile for the fitness test,
which proved his commitment and preparation for the upcoming season.
Throughout the year, Andy held a positive attitude and was essential to the
success of the team. Andy never complained, stayed after practice for extra
work, and always held the team above him. His hard work on the field
transferred into the classroom as Andy achieved a fall 2010 GPA of 3.92 as a
biology major.
Craig Jordan-(Track):
 Craig has had one of the biggest turnarounds in Butler’s history. After a
rough first year, in which he did not run any PR’s (Personal Records), he has
torn up the track this indoor and outdoor season. After training all through
the cross country season without racing, he has come out on the track and
put together a string of great races, most recently his 3:49 1500m at Miami
(OH). Craig finished fourth in the 800m with a time of 1:52.06 at the Horizon
League Championships and is close to hitting the Regional mark for the
outdoor season.
Grant Leiendecker-(Basketball):
 In five seasons as a Bulldog, Grant was never a regular starter. However, he
was a consummate teammate in fulfilling his role for the Butler Basketball
team by improving those around him each day at practice.
Colin Reenan-(Tennis):
 He has been nominated because of his continual hard work even when the
going was tough. When faced with the reality of not making the team, he
decided to work harder and not quit. His hard work has paid off and he is
now a vital member to the team.
Unsung Hero Award (Female)-“Hardest working athlete with the least
recognition”
The Unsung Hero award will be given to a male and female athlete who goes above
and beyond the expectations of their teammates and coaching staff. The athlete chosen
is someone who puts in the extra effort day in and day out without expecting praise or
recognition. An Unsung Hero demonstrates leadership qualities while putting the team
above themselves.
Mary Allen-(Soccer):
 Mary Allen is an unbelievably hardworking player who is dedicated and an
irreplaceable member of the Butler women’s soccer team. Mary never fails to
give 100 percent whether she is at practice or competing in a game. She is
dependable and always willing to put in extra effort. Mary does not expect to
be acknowledged or celebrated for all that she does; she does it for the love
of her team and the game. She is the ideal teammate. She only accepts the
best from herself and she pushes her teammates to be the best they can be,
whether it is helping her teammates pass their fitness test or running an
extra sprint at practice.
Marbeth Shiell-(Track):
 As a fifth year senior, Marbeth continues to show the competitive drive and
enthusiasm that all Butler athletes aspire towards. Marbeth is very modest
about her accomplishments, but after several seasons that were plagued with
injury, she has had a stunning breakthrough this season in running over a
minute personal best in the 5K (16:34 at Stanford Invite). Her recent 5K
qualified her for the NCAA East Regional meet. Marbeth is an elementary
education major, who was student teaching while still being a competitive
athlete.
Jen Chasteen-(Softball):
 Jen has proven herself to be a rock on the mound this year for the softball
team. She has been the go-to player when the team needed a strong
performance. What is amazing is that she has been able to perform at this
elite level despite having recurring problems with her pitching shoulder and
wrist after undergoing multiple surgeries. However, she never blames her
ailments for her performance, good or bad, or uses it and her seniority as a
reason to be respected. She is truly a leader by example and commands the
field when she is on the mound.
Kate Panawash-(Tennis):
 For the past 3 years, she has been supporting her teammates, putting in extra
practice times, working hard during each practice, and bringing a candid and
mature attitude to the team. She continues to individually improve and
support every teammate, regardless of whether she is playing in the starting
line-up that day. She rarely gets recognized for her high academic
achievements (which helped the team place as the highest team GPA this past
fall), or her athletic contributions to her team and teammates.
Devin Brierly-(Basketball):
 Devin is an athlete that does all the little things all the time. Her work ethic
has made her into an incredible athlete and person who doesn’t look for any
credit, but instead is always making people around her better.
Maureen Nesbit-(Volleyball):
 Maureen is an Unsung Hero because she goes above and beyond what is
asked of her without complaint. Maureen came into this program as an
outside hitter but was moved around throughout the season. She put in a lot
of extra court time to move into the libero spot for the team. Maureen is a
dedicated player and puts in all of her effort for the team; she never expects
to be recognized for her work
Butler Play of the Year-“Most impressive single sports act of the year”
Defined as the single best athletic instance or play, the Play of the Year award will be
given to an individual athlete or athletes who played a significant role in the most
impressive sports play.
Softball:
 During the away series at Detroit, Erin Falkenberry accomplished a feat not
many other elite softball players have: she slammed three consecutive home
runs. This not only is rarely heard of, let alone completed, but it was a part of
a 5-home run weekend for Erin. Once Erin had hit the last home run of the
game, it was hard not to marvel at the fact that she was still able to hit the
long ball despite the opposing team trying to pitch around her. She had found
a way to prevail, and she did it three times in a row.
M Soccer:
 Jake Capito’s game-winner over Indiana. In the fall of 2010 we traveled to
Indiana University in the closing of the season to play the 25th ranked team in
the country in front of 3,000 fans with the opportunity to beat IU back-toback years. With ten minutes to go in the first half and leading 1-0, Jacob
Capito hit a shot from 30 yards out into the top corner of the net to take the
lead over IU 2-0. We finished the game beating IU 4-1, but this goal
considered as the game winner.
M Basketball:
 Chrisawn Hopkin’s 3-pointer against Florida in the Elite 8
Baseball:
 We had a ball hit over our right fielder's head that went all the way to the
outfield wall. With an opposing runner at second base and making his way to
score a run, the right fielder ran to corral the loose ball and made a great
throw to the Butler second baseman, who then relayed it to home plate to tag
the base runner, who thought he has an easy run.
M Tennis:
 Brandon Bayliss clinching the match against Mercer. With the team match
tied 3-3, the match came down to Brandon Bayliss at number one singles.
The 3rd set went to a tiebreaker, and Bayliss served for the match at 6-5 up
in the tiebreaker. After a long rally, Bayliss smashed a backhand winner
down the line and we celebrated a team win on the final point
Butler Sports Moment of the Year-“Most significant sports event of the year”
The Butler Sports Moment of the Year will be awarded to a team that reaches a
defining point in their season that best represents the Butler student athlete’s
commitment to excellence.
M Basketball:
 Matt Howard’s game winning lay-up over Old Dominion.
Softball:
 The Butler Softball team hadn’t beaten Cleveland State in 5 years until April
9th, 2010. However, after splitting the double-header on Saturday, the series
finale was a must-win for both teams to compete for the season conference
title. After seven innings of back-and-forth play, the score was 1-1, which
forced extra innings. It would take more than a few extra innings to decide a
winner: it turned out to be a 16-inning test of endurance in 85-degree heat.
Jenny Esparza turned in 16 innings of beautiful pitching that gave the
Bulldogs a chance to win. After Erin Jackson had gotten on base and moved
around to third, Erin Falkenberry was able to drive her in for the winning
run. Not only did the Butler softball team win that game, but they also won a
crucial series in the 2011 conference championship campaign.
W Tennis:
 Beating three teams we’ve never beaten before (Ill. State, Western Michigan,
and Xavier), then to turn around with a victory over Evansville, a team that
has been kicking our butts for many years. These four victories all occurred
within a week and a half, which makes the accomplishment even more
impressive.
M Soccer:
 In the Horizon League Tournament Championship Fall of 2010, we faced
Green Bay for a rematch of the title. The game ended in regulation as a 1-1 tie
and the match was decided on a penalty shootout. Butler Goalkeeper Fabian
Knopfler saved three of the opponent’s penalty kicks in front of a crowd over
1,500 fans. Butler Men’s Soccer was crowned Horizon League Tournament
Champions.
Team of the Year-“Most successful team in the realm of athletic competition”
The Team of the Year award will be given to the team with the most success
throughout their season. Records, significant wins, regular season standings,
tournament championships, and NCAA tournament success will all be criteria for
judging.
M Cross Country:
 13th consecutive conference title. 6th place finish in Great Lakes region.
M Soccer:
 16-1-3; 7-0-1 in conference
 Horizon League Regular Season Champs
 Horizon League Tournament Champs
 Ranked #4 in that nation; One of 2 undefeated teams in the country for
regular season
 Defeated in state rival #25 IU soccer 4-1 on the road
 NCAA tournament #12 overall seed (Made NCAA round of 32)
Volleyball:
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The Butler volleyball team enjoyed its finest season in more than a decade in
2010: winning a league championship, advancing to NCAA tourney play and
setting several records along the way.
21-10 (13-3 HL)
2010 Horizon League Tournament Champion
First NCAA appearance since 1997
2nd Place - Horizon League Regular Season
Men’s Basketball
 Advanced to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship for the
second consecutive year.
 The Bulldogs, who took a 14-game winning streak into the national title
game, finished the season with a 28-10 record, including a 13-5 mark in
Horizon League play.
 League-record seventh Horizon League Tournament title and a league-record
tenth regular season championship.
 Advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a league-record tenth time and then
became the first team in NCAA history to reach the Final Four in consecutive
years as a No. 3 seed or lower.
 Defeated No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, No. 2 seed Florida, No. 4 seed Wisconsin and
No. 9 seed Old Dominion on the way to the Southeast Regional championship.
 Butler finished the season ranked second in the final ESPN/USA Today
national poll