UNIVERSITYof DUBUQUE

SOLOMON W. BUTLER CLASSICA.Y. McDonald Indoor Track

Chlapaty Recreation and Wellness CenterJanuary, 14, 2011

Thanks to the following sponsors of today’s meet:

Solomon W. ButlerButler was born in Kingfisher, Okla. in June of 1895, the youngest child of Benjamin and Mary Butler. His father was

from Alabama and born a slave in 1838, his mother was from Georgia.The Butler family escaped slavery and settled in Wi-chita, Kansas before moving to Hutchinson, Kansas in 1909. “Sol”, as he was known made the varsity football team as astarting halfback during his freshman year. He led the school in football and in track and field. His sophomore year hehelped Hutchinson to a runner-up finish at the state meet after setting state records in the 100 yard dash. In 1913, as a jun-ior in Hutchinson High School (Kans.) he dazzled spectators at the district meet where he won six firsts, broke five meetrecords and unofficially breaking a world record in the 50 yard dash. He along with his older brother Benjamin would followhis high school coach to Rock Island, Illinois for his senior season in 1914. Facing 300 of the best track stars of the Midwestin Chicago, he competed in the regional interscholastic meet held at Northwestern University. On an unfriendly soil, the sonof a freed slave, placed in the 60 yard dash and hurdles, the 440 yard dash, and also in the broad jump. He broke one meetrecord, tied a world record, and won fourth placed overall, competing against entire track teams!

Butler earned 12 letters competing in Football, basketball, baseball and track and field at the University of Dubuquefrom 1915-19. According to Arthur Ashe Jr.ʼs book, Hard Road to Glory, A History of the African-American Athlete, Butler wasthe first African-American to quarterback a team for all four years of college. In Butler's day, the track and field of activitywas restricted. There was no national collegiate meet and very little indoor competition. Even the Drake Relays, then in theirformative years, provided no such event as the broad jump. Butler was forced to the Penn Relays for that competition andtwice won the championship. In 1919, to illustrate, Butler won both the 100-yard dash and broad jump at the Penn Relays.Entering military service as a soldier in World War I he represented the U.S. Army in the Inter-Allied Games in Paris. He wonthe broad jump and placed in the 100-meter dash. He was knighted by the King of Montenegro, who made Butler a Knightof the Third Order of Danilo.

And with the Olympic Games scheduled for renewal in 1920 after the wartime interruption in 1916, Butler was ratedas a heavy favorite for the championship. His winning jump at Paris, 24-9 1/2, was only two inches from the Olympic recordand was considered a strong possibility for a new Olympic record. Butler went to Antwerp for the 1920 Olympics, but misfor-tune nailed him quickly. On his very first jump in the Olympic preliminaries he pulled a tendon and was forced to withdraw.That injury-hampered effort was a shade under 21-8. He won the U.S. National Amateur Athletic Union championship thatsame year by broad jumping 24-8.

The Olympic experience was a heartbreaker for Butler. He signed on with the NFL in 1923 with the Rock Island In-dependents which local accounts raved about his first apperance in the victory over the Chicago Bears. Butler played along-side Jim Thorpe of the Canton Bulldogs where he was named starting quarterback in 1926. In 1926, the New York Giantsrefused to let itʼs all white team on the field in front of the largest crowd ever (40,000) to watch an NFL game until Cantonwithdraw Butler as starting quarterback. He went on to work with the youth in the Negro districts of Chicago's south side andbecame sports editor for the Chicago Bee. In his later years he owned nightclubs in Chicago and acted in films of the era.

And later, in Paddyʼs Club, a Chicago tavern where he was employed, Butler met his death on Dec. 1, 1954. A mannamed Jimmy Hill, reportedly had been annoying two female patrons. Butler ejected Hill, who came back with a gun andshot the former star twice. Butler died in Chicago's Provident hospital.

Participating Teams:University of Dubuque, Augustana College, Clarke University, Coe College, Edgewood College,Loras College, Mount Mercy University, Monmouth College, and William Penn University.

Field Events10:00am Weight ThrowWomen to completion then Men – Shot Put tofollow.

10:30am Pole Vault (M/W), High Jump (M/W),Long Jump (W/M) Triple Jump to follow.

10:30am Distance Medley Relay (2 sections)

10:59am National Anthem

11:00am 55M High Hurdle Prelims (6 sections)

11:20am 55M Dash Prelims (13 sections)

11:50am Mile Run (3 sections)

12:20pm 55M High Hurdle Finals (2 sections)

12:30pm 55M Dash Finals (2 sections)

12:40pm 5,000M Run – Women’s (1 section)

1:10pm 5,000M Run – Men’s (1 section)

1:35pm 400M Run (7 sections)

2:05pm 4x200M Relay (4 sections)

2:25pm 800M Run (6 sections)

2:55pm 200M Run (13 sections)

3:25pm 3,000M Run (3 sections)

4:10pm 4 x 400 Meter Relay (7 sections)

Chad GunnelsonHead Menʼs Coach

Shannon ZweifelHead Womenʼs Coach

Geoff GundlachDistance Coach

Peter DvorakPole Vault Coach

Isaiah JanzenDistance Coach

Joel JanecekJumps Coach

Sean BurnsThrows Coach

Name Event Cl. Hometown/High SchoolJohn Aber Distance Fr. Hohenfels, Germany/HohenfelsSeth Anglemyer Multis Jr. Mishowaha, Ind./JimtownChristian de la Torre Jumps Fr. Madison, Wis./La FolletteCurtis Dixon Multis Fr. Verona, Wis./VeronaTyler Dobratz Throws/Hurdles Fr. Edgerton, Wis./EdgertonDavivorn Dowe Sprints Sr. Haines City, Fla./Ridge Comm.Johnathan Easley Sprints Fr. Conroe, Texas/Oak RidgeLuke Elsbernd Distance So. Calmar, Iowa/South WinneshiekAdam Fredenhagen Multis So. Tiskilwa, Ill./PrincetonDeJuan Fuller Jumps So. St. Louis, Mo./BrentwoodRaymond Gosha Vault Jr. Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Floss.Conner Hirt Throws Fr. Hainesville, Ill./Grayslake CentralTyler Hutchinson Multis Fr. Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa FallsEric Jones Sprints So. South Holland, Ill./ThornwoodPhillip Jones Sprints Jr. South Holland, Ill./ThornwoodDaniel Lijodi Sprints So. Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity ChristianAntwone Lindsey Jumps Fr. Gulfport, Miss./GulfportRyan Mattingly Multis So. Janesville, Iowa/JanesvilleJosh Michelson-King Vault Fr. Oneonta, N.Y./OneontaJed Omernick Distance Fr. Ellison Bay, Wis./GibraltarKondwani Phiri Vault So. Lansing, Mich./East LansingTemwa Phiri Vault Jr. Lansing, Mich./East LansingBryson Pitts Throws Fr. Darren, Ill./Hindsdale SouthLionel Salazar Throws So. Sun Valley, Calif./James MonroeAdam Schmidt Throws Fr. Woodstock, Ill./HarvardJohn Sterling Jumps So. New York, NY./SHAPE AmericanJoe Swedenhjelm Throws Jr. Norwalk, Iowa/DowlingC.J. Watson Jumps Fr. Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard WestTonee White Throws So. Chicago, Ill./AmundsenKyle Williams Sprints Fr. Chicago Heights, Ill./BloomJeremiah Ziebert Distance Fr. Sacramento, Calif./JesuitEvan Zurbuchen Multis So. Hollandale, Wis./Madison West

Name Event Cl. Hometown/High SchoolMegan Bloedow Distance Jr. Gays Mils, Wis./BoscobelRachael Busjahn Multis/Vault Fr. Sobieski, Wis./PulaskiKaylee Carter Distance Jr. Lake in the Hills, Ill./JacobsJamyia Catchings Sprints Fr. Pavle Forest, Ill./Bloom TrailNicole Cihocki Throws Jr. Lockport, Ill./LockportMelissa Englert Vault Jr. Chana, Ill./Rochelle TownshipBridget Hosley Sprints Sr. Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River ForestCaitlin Kelly Sprints Sr. Barrington, Ill./BarringtonRebecca Kuhle Sprints So. Hazel Green, Wis./SouthwesternKelsey McCreight Sprints Fr. Blue Grass, Iowa/Davenport WestNickolette McKenzie Sprints Fr. Hoffman Estates, Ill./William FremdBrenda Nava Distance Fr. Chicago, Ill./Lane TechAshley Sadewasser Throws Fr. New Vienna, Iowa/Clayton RidgeMelissa Sawyer Sprints Fr. Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook NorthCaitlin Simbeck Multis Fr. Bayfield, Colo./BayfieldTiesha Starks Sprints So. Waukegan, Ill./WaukeganJamie Strobel Multis Jr. Carlisle, Pa./AF North InternationalMonica Tembe Sprints Jr. Dubuque, Iowa/HempsteadTiffany Wynn Sprints/Jumps So. Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan

UNIVERSITY of DUBUQUE