February 16, 2025 EL DORADO, Kan. – Four individuals saw themselves enter into the Butler Community College Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon in a ceremony at the Power Plant between Butler's basketball doubleheader vs. Indy. Melvin Lister (Track and Field student-athlete, 1997-98), Kwamie Lassiter (Football student-athlete, 1989-90), Brynn Minor (Softball student-athlete, 2016-17) and Doug Chance (Softball head coach, 2005-2022) became the 34th, 35th, 36th and 37th inductees into the Hall of Fame. The Butler Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 2001 in honor of booster club charter members Woody Fisher and Bill Cummins. It honors the best Butler Community College Athletes over a rich history of team and individual success. Lister, a Leavenworth, Kan., native, graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1996 and enrolled at Butler as a track and field student-athlete. He went on to win five individual national championships with the Grizzlies across his two seasons (1997-98), with two more national championships as part of Grizzly distance medley relay squads. He claimed the indoor and outdoor long jump titles as a freshman in 1997 with a best of 25-9.5. As a sophomore in 1998 Lister won the indoor long jump (26-05.00) and triple jumps (53-08.50) as well as the outdoor triple jump (50'09.5). Lister was not only a force in the jumps as he served as the anchor on the distance-medley relay that claimed indoor national titles in 1997 and 1998 for the Grizzlies. Lister moved on to the University of Arkansas following the stellar career with Butler and the success did not stop there. As a Razorback, Lister was an eight-time All- American and one of the most accomplished jumpers in school history, being inducted into the Arkansas Razorbacks Hall of Honor in 2017. In 2000, Lister won the Olympic Trials long jump, jumping 8.32/27-3.75, qualifying for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Lister placed seventh in the long jump and won the triple jump at the 2004 Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif. It was his first triple jump win at the Olympic Trials after winning the long jump at the trials in 2000. His winning triple jump at the 2004 Trials of 17.78m/58-4 remains an Olympic Trials record. Lister has won national championships on the high school, junior college, collegiate and elite levels. During the summer of 2024, Lister was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Track star Carl Lewis came to Butler Community College, El Dorado KS. to visit wuth the track coach there and to speak to the media and student-athletes. This is an excerpt of that interview.
Alfred Larry wins the men's 400 meter dash at the 2014 NJCAA championships in Mesa, Arizona.
Structure going up at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex
Butler track and field is taking 19 student-athletes to the NJCAA indoor track and field championships at Charleston, Ill. this weekend. Hear from coach as he gives a preview of the meet.
The 2012 season for Butler's indoor track and field teams gets under way on Wednesday and continues Thursday with the start of the Herm Wilson Invitational at Wichita State. Coach Jeff Becker previews the meet and the season.