Butler National Champion and 2-Time Olympian Melvin Lister To Be Inducted Into Kansas Sports Hall of Fame

WICHITA, Kan. – Former Butler track and field star and two-time Olympian Melvin Lister was named as part of the 2024 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Class, announced by the organization earlier this month.

Lister joins 11 other individuals that will be inducted on Sunday, Oct. 13, in Topeka at the Sunflower Ballroom of the Hotel Topeka City Center. The reception begins at 5 p.m. with a ceremony to follow at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.kshof.org

Lister, a Leavenworth, Kan., native, graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1996 and enrolled at Butler as a track and field student-athlete. He went on to win five individual national championships with the Grizzlies across his two seasons (1997-98), with two more national championships as part of Grizzly distance medley relay squads. He claimed the indoor and outdoor long jump titles as a freshman in 1997 with a best of 25-9.5. As a sophomore in 1998 Lister won the indoor long jump (26-05.00) and triple jumps (53-08.50) as well as the outdoor triple jump (50'09.5). Lister was not only a force in the jumps as he served as the anchor on the distance-medley relay that claimed indoor national titles in 1997 and 1998 for the Grizzlies.

In a 1998 'The Grizzly Magazine' article authored by Amy Train, Butler track and field head coach Fred Torneden was quoted as saying "Coach Neubauer (assistant coach) and I realize that Melvin is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach, sometimes we joke around about enjoying this one as long as we can … "Melvin is extremely gifted, he is about ready for the Olympics. He has improved so much this year and still has the potential to improve a lot more. He is unbelievable."

Lister moved on to the University of Arkansas following the stellar career with Butlers and the success did not stop there. As a Razorback, Lister was an eight-time All- American and one of the most accomplished jumpers in school history. He was a four-time SEC individual champion and five-time NCAA Champion with titles including the 1999 NCAA indoor – triple jump, 1999 NCAA outdoor – long jump, 2000 NCAA indoor – long jump, 2000 NCAA indoor – triple jump, 2000 NCAA outdoor – triple jump. He was inducted into the Arkansas Razorback Hall of Honor in 2017.

In 2000, Lister won the Olympic Trials long jump, jumping 8.32/27-3.75, qualifying for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He failed to make the final despite jumping 7.82/25-8. Lister placed seventh in the long jump and won the triple jump at the 2004 Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif. It was his first triple jump win at the Olympic Trials after winning the long jump at the trials in 2000. His winning triple jump at the 2004 Trials of 17.78m/58-4 remains an Olympic Trials record. He later placed 18th in triple jump qualifying at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Lister has won national championships on the high school, junior college, collegiate and elite levels.

2024 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Class:

• Dave Bingham - NAIA national champion baseball coach at Emporia State and head coach for College World Series qualifier Kansas
• Erik Kynard – Olympic Gold Medalist High Jumper at Kansas State
• Melvin Lister - National champion in the Long Jump at Leavenworth H.S., Butler County CC, and Arkansas
• Mark Mangino - National Assistant Football Coach-of-the-Year at Oklahoma; and Head Coach for Orange Bowl Champion at Kansas
• Ron Neugent - Swimming Gold Medalist in World University Games; and American Record-Holder at Kansas
• Kelly Rankin - He's the only American to be the head starter for two Olympic Games
• Scott Russell - NCAA champ and Olympic qualifier for Canada in the Javelin at Kansas
• Kevin Saunders - Bronze Medalist and Record-Holder for U.S. in Paralympic Games
• Will Shields - Native Kansan, 14-year NFL veteran with Kansas City Chiefs and member of College and NFL halls of fame
• Sean Snyder - Consensus All-American punter and national special teams coach of the year at Kansas State
• Mark Turgeon - All-State basketball player at Topeka Hayden H.S., four-time NCAA Tournament qualifier at Kansas, Missouri Valley (Wichita State) and Big Ten Champion (Maryland) Head Coach and conference Coach-of-the-Year.
• Annette Wiles - Two-time NAIA Basketball All-American and NAIA Tournament MVP at Fort Hays State