Butler track and field distance runner Khloi Bird and baseball pitcher Caden Kickhaefer have been selected as the White Eagle Credit Union Athletes of the Semester for the spring 2024 semester.

Khloi Bird (Track & Field)

Bird, a sophomore distance runner from Topeka, had a big-time season in both the indoor and outdoor portions of Butler Track and Field’s 2024 season. Most recently, Bird finished as an All-American in three events at the 2024 NJCAA D1 Outdoor Championships. She finished seventh in the women’s 5000m (18:11.45), third in the 10,000m (36:56.20) and was a part of the women’s 4x800m relay who finished third. This came after a big Region VI Championship performance where she was the region champion in the 10000m (39:39.72). She started the outdoor season with a national qualifying performance in the 1500m at UNT’s Bill Schmidt Invite, running 4:54.43. Bird came in second in the 10000m at Wichita State’s KT Woodman Classic, running it in 37:55.74.

Impressive performances in the indoor season from Bird across the semester include a fourth place finish in the 3000m (10:17.13) at Nebraska’s Graduate Classic, a fifth place finish in the 5k (17:45.23) at the Pitt State Invite, a second place finish in the 5000m (18:35.25) at the Region VI Indoor Championships and an All-American sixth place finish in the 5000m (17:51.69) at the NJCAA Indoor Nationals.

Caden Kickhaefer (Baseball)

Kickhaefer, a redshirt sophomore from Salina, Kan., was Butler’s ace all season. He led Butler with nine wins, 79 strikeouts, 71.2 innings pitched, 15 starts, and 9.92 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Kickhaefer finished with a 9-4 record, striking out 79 compared to 40 walks while holding a 1.59 WHIP. He was named the KJCCC West Pitcher of the Week on April 23rd after tossing a complete game 7.0 inning shutout, striking out a career-high 10, helping the Grizzlies to a 2-0 series opening win over Seward. Another big-time performance from Kickhaefer came in the Region VI Playoffs as he threw 6.0 shutout innings vs. Neosho, striking out eight and walking two as Butler grabbed a 10-0 win.

Following his two-year pitching career at Butler, Kickhaefer has his name scattered across the Grizzly record books. He is tied for second all-time with 19 pitching wins, fifth all-time with 154 strikeouts and fourth all-time in innings pitched with 154.0.

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