May 21, 2009

San Angelo, Tex. - The initial long jump results from the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships saw Lewis University junior Ashley Butler (Pontiac, Ill./Pontiac) on the outside looking in, as she narrowly missed All-American status with a ninth-place finish at Angelo State's Legrand Sports Complex on Thursday night.

Butler notched a personal record leap of 19'5 ¼" in the opening round of the long jump that saw her planted firmly in fifth place. Her opponents, however, were equally up to the task and vaulted past Butler in the second round of jumps to push her out of the top eight.

Butler's disappointment, however quickly turned to joy, however, as Lincoln's Racquel Anderson was disqualified from the event for using her trainer to stretch her out on the infield of the track, vaulting Butler into eighth, earning her All-American honors. Butler claimed All-American status during the indoor campaign in the long jump as well.

Butler is the first Flyer to earn outdoor All-American status since Jenifer Schmidgall finished fifth overall in the long jump in 2004.

"I think it's awesome that Ashley is a two-time All-American because before this year she had never been to a national meet," Lewis University head track and field coach Dana Schwarting said. "I knew she was capable of doing it, but it was just a matter of time."

Butler also qualified in the 100-meter dash but was unable to advance out of the preliminary heat.

A Catholic University sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The mid-sized university is being honored for the fifth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. For more information please visit www.lewisu.edu.

##LEWIS##