by Haskell Indian Nations University (Kansas) senior three-sport student-athlete Justine Butterfield has been recognized with the Continental Athletic Conference’s Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character award for outstanding performances in academics, athletics, and community service during the 2022-23 season.
The Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character award honors student-athletes for their academic and athletic successes, team and campus leadership, and dedication to living within the NAIA’s Champions of Character core values. The recipient must have at least a junior academic standing, with a 3.0 or higher grade point average, along with showcasing elements of campus and community leadership and athletic achievement.
This is one of the NAIA’s most prestigious awards and was created in association with the National Sports Foundation, a group of sports organizations that promote and recognize sportsmanship. Dr. Walker was a former NAIA president and president emeritus of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Butterfield was a leader for women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and softball at Haskell Indian Nation during the 2022-23 sports season – achieving a goal to become the college’s first three-sport varsity letter award recipient.
In volleyball, Butterfield posted 161 kills and hit .115 across 30 matches, while tallying 48 blocks during the 2022 season. She started five of the 20 basketball games she played in last winter, averaging 7.2 points and 5.8 rebounds for a team that finished runner-up in the 2023 CAC tournament to advance to the NAIA national tournament. Butterfield batted .292 in 19 games on the softball team.
Butterfield also maintained a near 4.0 GPA as an elementary education major and has career ambition to make a difference in others as a teacher.
With 16 member institutions from across the country, the CAC promotes the education, development and welfare of student-athletes through their various experiences and participation in NAIA intercollegiate athletics. The conference annually organizes championship events in 11 sports.
