The Butler high school Athletic Hall of Fame will honor three former athletes and a retired coach with inductions next month.
Long-time distance runner head coach Rick Davanzati will be honored, along with athletes Steve Adams, Caitlyn Baxter-Smith and Bobby Swartout.
Steve Adams was a Butler basketball standout in the mid-to-late 90’s, who was a team captain and received WPIAL honors. Adams went on to become one of the most dominant players in Johns Hopkins basketball history where he is top five in scoring and rebounds. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2015.
Baxter-Smith was a multi-sport letter-winner for the Golden Tornado, who went on to become a four-year letter-winner in softball at Slippery Rock University. She was a two-time MVP of both the softball and basketball teams at Butler.
Bobby Swartout was a four-year letterman in basketball and two-year letterman in baseball at Butler. He became a 1,000 point scorer for the Golden Tornado basketball team and helped lead them to their first playoff victories for the first time in a decade back in 2011. He is among their top-six all-time scorers. Swartout went on to play basketball collegiately at St. Vincent College after attending West Virginia Wesleyan to play baseball.
Rick Davanzati coached distance runners at Butler for four decades. He helped produce several successful runners. He was instrumental in developing WPIAL champions and was part of the coaching staff that produced a state championship in 2022. Rick is one of only two coaches to have trained the PIAA champion and runner-up in the same season.
The induction ceremony will take place Tuesday evening, December 23rd at the high school cafeteria, and the honorees will be recognized during the basketball doubleheader against Woodland Hills later that night.
The Butler high school Athletic Hall of Fame has also begun a fund raising drive to support a new kiosk that will recognize all of the members of the Hall of Fame, as well as Butler High School District Distinguished Graduates, which will be placed in the entry-way to the gymnasium. The fund raising campaign will continue through next spring – with donations being made through the Golden Tornado Foundation. (Contact the administration office or athletic office for more information.)
The Butler Athletic Hall is also seeking additional nominations – with information available at the athletic website.
The post Butler High Athletic Hall of Fame to honor four in December/Fund raiser for a display kiosk underway appeared first on ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA.
