This week's "Pios of the Week" for the week ending 1/25 are Junior
Ava Butt of Women's Bowling, and Freshman
Brian Smith of Track and Field, for their performances over the past week at their respective meets.
Ava Butt — Women's Bowling
Junior standout Ava Butt, from Wautoma, WI, delivered the most dominant individual performance of Carroll's historic weekend at the DIII National Invitational, helping the Pioneers secure the first tournament championship in program history. Butt claimed the individual title and tournament MVP honors behind an exceptional 870 total pinfall, highlighted by a 258 opener and a 237 in Game 3 as she anchored one of the strongest traditional blocks in the field. Her consistency and power were central to Carroll overtaking Marian for the overall pinfall lead and earning the No. 1 seed in the championship match. Butt's scoring presence also steadied the Pioneers during tightly contested Baker sets and set the tone in Carroll's 4–0 sweep of William Smith in the title round.
Freshman sprinter Brian Smith, from Lake Bluff, IL, followed up his performances from earlier in the indoor season with a statement performance at the Karl Schlender Invitational, sweeping both of Carroll's men's sprint victories and establishing himself as one of the CCIW's top early-season performers. Smith claimed the 200m title in 22.54 and backed it up with another first-place finish in the 400m at 50.01, controlling both races with strength, pace, and clean mechanics. His marks not only topped the meet field but also set the standard for the Pioneer sprint squad.
