Butkus Named Women’s Swimming & Diving Senior Scholar Athlete
TOWSON, Md. – Susquehanna’s Joann Butkus has been named the Landmark Women’s Swimming & Diving Senior Scholar Athlete for the 2017-18 season. Butkus is the 28th River Hawk to earn senior scholar recognition, and is the third women’s swimmer for Susquehanna, joining Kelsey Lessard (2016), and Ashlee Weingarten (2017).
Butkus ends her Susquehanna career as a two-time individual conference champion, winning the 100 and 200 breaststroke. She was also a part of nine first place relay teams, including Landmark record-setting performance in the 200 free relay this past February.
The River Hawks finished first in all four years Butkus has been a member of Susquehanna’s swim program. In addition to her 11 Landmark titles, Butkus has earned All-Landmark accolades 21 times over her four years at Susquehanna.
Outside the pool, Butkus maintain a 3.86 grade-point average while majoring in Biochemistry. She is a three-time University Scholar, seven-time Dean’s List honoree, and a three-time Landmark Winter Academic Honor Roll selection. As a sophomore, she was the lead author in the International Journal of Spectroscopy for “Interactions of Zinc Complexes with Small Globular and Tryptophan,” and the author in "Zinc (II) and Nickel (II) Complexes that Demonstrate DNA Selectivity: Potential Quadruplex DNA Binders" as a junior.
The Landmark Conference selects 22 senior scholar athletes each year to recognize the top student-athlete in each sport based on academics and athletics.
The honorees must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 and are selected by a committee of Landmark Conference officers, athletics directors, faculty athletic representatives, senior woman administrators, and sports information directors.