Philipsburg-Osceola’s Kalista Butler is the Centre Daily Times’ Athlete of the Season for the fall
Editor’s note: This is the final Athlete of the Week poll until competition begins for the 2020-21 winter high school sports season. Thank you to all who voted in polls this fall.
The Centre Daily Times’ Athlete of the Season for the fall has been determined by our readers. Philipsburg-Osceola volleyball player Kalista Butler earned the honor with 54.18% of the vote in the poll that ran from Monday to Friday on CentreDaily.com.
Butler previously won the athlete of the week award as an individual after helping the Mountaineers to the state title game. She and the rest of the Mountaineers’ volleyball team won the award earlier this season.
“It’s a really big honor,” Butler told the CDT. “There are a whole bunch of schools in Centre County. To be picked as the athlete of the season is just really special.”
Butler led the team to the District 6 Class 2A title with a win over Bald Eagle Area — the team’s third victory over the Eagles this season.
She and the Mountaineers made program history by making it past the state quarterfinals for the first time ever. They made it all the way to the state title game, where they fell to Trinity in four sets, but still finished 20-1 on the season.
Butler finished the year with 738 assists, 156 digs and 33 aces for the Mountaineers.
The high school junior will return next season — along with most of her teammates — as they will try to win the first state title in program history.
“We already have big plans,” Butler said about next season. “We want to be back in the state finals again. We want to win it next year, and hopefully play Trinity again.”
Butler was one of nine options in the poll, and finished ahead of two other Philipsburg-Osceola athletes. Kaleb Stamm — a running back with the football team — finished second with 27.75% of the vote, and Butler’s teammate Reese Hazelton finished third with 8.22% of the vote.
Check back this winter for more Centre County Athlete of the Week polls.
