Wrestling

Port Jervis’ Steven Butler gets wrestling scholarship from Newberry College

By RICHARD A. ROSS

PORT JERVIS, NY — Two-time Section Nine wrestling champion Steven Butler has garnered a $29,000 scholarship to wrestle at Division II powerhouse Newberry College in South Carolina, currently ranked seventh in the nation.

Butler, who has dominated his 189-pound class, plans to move up to 215 pounds for his senior year at Port Jervis in preparation for grappling at the next level. Butler finished second in junior nationals at that weight in March.

In addition, Butler, whose kicking helped the Raiders’ football team this past fall with 15/16 PATs and field goals, the longest of which was 38 yards, will punt and kick at Newberry as well.

Butler will be coached by Jason Valek, who is entering his fifth season of coaching, the last four of which have been at Newberry. Butler surfed the Internet looking for promising wrestling programs at the same time that Valek was planning to recruit him.

According to the Newberry website, “In his four years at the helm, Newberry has gone 50-27, including a record of 47-7 against non Division I competition. Valek has coached 25 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and Division II National Qualifiers, five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) D-II All-Americans, two USA Wrestling Greco All-Americans, an NWCA National Champion and three NWCA All-Americans. In just four years, Valek has raised the Newberry wrestling program to national contention.

Newberry’s willingness to offer a substantial scholarship to Butler is an affirmation of faith in the potential of one of Section Nine’s finest wrestlers, who hails from the reigning Eastern States Champion Port Jervis Raiders.