Stevens' Olivia Butera and Alex Kainer Earn Empire 8 Conference Senior Scholar Athlete Honors

5/31/2019 10:30:16 AM

Stevens' Olivia Butera and Alex Kainer have been named the 2018-19 Empire 8 Conference Senior Scholar-Athlete Award winners, the league office announced today. Both Butera, a member of the women's soccer team, and Kainer, a member of the school's track and field programs, recently graduated with high honors and capped off extremely successful athletic careers as well. They become the ninth and tenth student-athletes from Stevens selected for this honor.

The award honors a male and a female student-athlete from the E8 who best exemplify what it means to be a dedicated scholar and athlete throughout their collegiate careers. The award, one of the league's most prestigious honors, is based on a vote by the conference's faculty athletic representatives (FAR's). "The Empire 8 Conference FAR's are very proud of the outstanding field this year," said Dr. Adam Pack, who serves as the chair of the conference's FAR's "This was a very tough year to pick only one winner in each group!"

CLOSER LOOK
Butera recently graudated from Stevens as one of the more decorated student-athletes in program history. She was named to the school's President's List during each of her eight semesters on campus. The honor recognizes student-athletes that receive a grade point average of 3.75 or greater. Butera was recently inducted into Omega Chi Epsilon, the National Chemical Engineering Honor Society, which recognizes chemical engineering majors with a gpa greater than 3.75.

On the field, the three-time All-Conference First Team selection helped lead the Ducks to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. She also earned All-Region honors twice during her illustrious career. In the community, Butera helped worked to develop the 'Ducklings Program' – A program where Stevens student-athletes volunteer to help teach lessons to elementary school tudents within the Hoboken School District. She also wrote lesson plans and coordinated with Hoboken school administrators to bring the students to Stevens to provide them with a true 'student-athlete' experience.

According to Pack, a biology professor at Utica "The women's award this year was the most hotly contested and competitive in recent memory. Olivia edged out the field by being extraordinarily well-rounded, both on the field and off, even in a slate of nominees defined by their well-roundedness. She is an academic all-American with a 3.86 GPA, having done important research on Flint drinking water. On the field, she has been recognized as a First-Team all-conference selection three times and was a First Team All-East region last year. The qualifications of the women she edged out for this award were truly outstanding, and that speaks very highly of her as a student-athlete." 

According to her head coach, Olivia was an integral part of the program's success during her time at Stevens. "Olivia is an outstanding example of where hard work and determination can take you," said Stevens' women's soccer coach Jeff Parker. "She not only served as a team captain, but went on to become our program's fourth Academic All-America recipient this past fall. She is truly one of the best people we have had the pleasure to work with during my time here at Stevens."

 

Kainer graudated from Stevens also having been named to the school's President's List during each of his eight semesters on campus. A two-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association Academic All-American, he was also recognized as a CoSIDA Academic All-American this past academic year.

He graduated from Stevens with a 3.87 gpa, while majoring in mechanical engineering. He was inducted into the Engineering Honor Society, the Mechanical Engineering Honor Socety, as well as the school's Business Honor Society.

Kainer helped lead the Ducks to both the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships this season, and was named the 2019 E8 Men's Championship Indoor Athlete of the Meet. In 2018, Kainer earned All-American status, and also earned the conference's Track Athlete of the Year award. Somewhat interestingly, Kainer was originally a member of the men's soccer team at Stevens, before devoting himself to track and field.

According to one of Kainer's professors, "What most impressed me about Alex was his ability to think on his feet, navigate the various roles in class and team discussions, and above all, his genuine interest in helping others respond to the expectations of the course."

According to head coach Lance Harden, "Alex has been an outstanding role model for our team, exceling in the classroom and on the track and raising the overall standard of our program. He is a great ambassador for our team both on- and off-campus, and we feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach him.
 

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com and https://youtu.be/wzL4HcDoUUQ