Butler head coach Matt Roe and his staff have announced their recruiting class of cross country and track and field student-athletes. The talented group of newcomers includes two nationally-ranked pole vaulters as well as an elite male/female French 10,000-meter tandem arriving on the Butler campus this fall.

"We recruit annually to fit our specific program model and this year we have hit a home run with this incoming class," said Roe. "We are bringing in a group of elite students with huge upsides on the track and trail."
 
Paul Signorelli ranked ninth nationally and Luke Walden was 15th in the pole vault among all preps in 2021. The duo is familiar with one another as both are from Ohio and competed against each other in a number of meets. Now, they will compete alongside one another in a Butler uniform.
 
"We are ecstatic to have landed the top pole vault tandem in the NCAA this year," said Roe. "To bring in two athletes ranked inside the top 15 nationally for our program is unprecedented. I know that Paul and Luke will work diligently to take each other to new heights."
 
Laure Bertrand and Edouard Morin-Luzuy both arrive from France and feature strong potential at the 10,000 meters.
 
"We feel very fortunate to sign Laure and Edouard," said Roe. "They are great students and both have run quick over longer distances with relatively modest training levels and experience. We believe they have huge aerobic capacities and the potential to be elite-level performers at the national level."
 
Butler's cross country team opens the season Sept. 3 by hosting the Butler Twilight. The track and field season will begin indoors in December.
 
Bios on each member of Butler's recruiting class can be found below.
 
Lexi Affolter
Chicago, Ill. / St. Ignatius College Prep
Distance

Fourth at the 2021 Illinois 3A state track championships in the 800 meters and fifth in the 1,600 meters...four-time all-conference selection and two-time team MVP during her prep career…ran with the Chicago Lakeside Rabbits club team… helped her high school team to conference championships in both 2018 and 2019…also played four seasons of basketball…earned academic honors in each of her four years.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
800: 2:12.99
1,600: 4:52.66
3,200: 10:56.84
3-mile: 18:10
 
Michael Beros
Solon, Ohio / University School
Sprints

Earned All-State honors as a senior as a member of the school's 4x100 relay team…part of school-best performances in both the outdoor 4x100 and indoor 4x400 relay teams…holds the school record in the 400 meters (both indoor and outdoor) and in the indoor 200 meters…team MVP and team captain…captured two district titles and was named a News Herald All-Star…also played soccer and football in high school.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
200 meters: 22.20
400 meters: 49.14
 
Laure Bertrand
Rennes, France / Rene Cassin
Distance

Posted personal-best times of 34:37 in the 10k and 9:51.94 in the 3k…2021 regional cross country champion…also ran with the Entente Athletique du Pays de Broceliande club team in France.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
3K: 9:51.94
10K: 34:37
 
Ben Bradley
Avon, Indiana / Avon
Sprints

Four-year letterwinner who was part of a 2018 state championship team…ran for the Indiana Storm Track Club…also played basketball at Avon.
 
Personal Bests During Prep Career:
100 meters: 10.85
200 meters: 22.36

Rebecca Coan
Indianapolis, Ind. / Bishop Chatard / Purdue
Graduate Student
Jumps / Multis

Ranks No. 4 in Purdue school history in the indoor pentathlon with 4,023 points (Feb. 28, 2020)…finished seventh at the 2021 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the heptathlon (5,177 points)…academic honors include USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and Academic All-Big Ten.

Personal Bests Prior to Arriving at Butler:
Pentathlon: 4,023 points
Heptathlon: 5,177 points
 
Andrew Kendrick
Fredericksburg, Texas / Fredericksburg
Distance

Four-time all-state honors…holds a school record in the three-mile…three-time team MVP…team captain…helped his team to four conference championships and four district titles…the team qualified for the state meet in three of his four seasons…earned academic all-state honors three times.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
1,600: 4:16.0
3-mile XC: 14:30
 
Ashley Learn
San Diego, Calif. / Rancho Bernardo
Distance

Holds the school record of 13:51 on the 2.45-mile dual meet course…earned all-conference first team honors four times in addition to four varsity letters…in addition to track and cross country, she also played water polo…earned both honor roll and Silver Star academic accolades.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
1,600: 5:06.88
3,200: 10:58.60
5K XC: 18:01.00
3-mile XC: 17:41
 
Ashlyn Minton
Ft. Wayne, Ind. / Carroll
Distance

Two-time all-state honoree, finishing 14^th in the state meet in 2020 and 25^th in 2019…helped her team to two state championships…team twice finished as the state runner-up…team captured sectional, regional and semi-state titles in each of her four seasons…she is 11^th on the school's all-time list…she finished as the regional runner-up in cross country as well as the runner-up in the track sectionals in the 3,200 meters…graduated with an academic honors diploma.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
5K XC: 18:35

Edouard Morin-Luzuy
Dieppe, France / Lycee Jehan Ango
Distance

Finished fourth at the French High School Cross Country Championships in 2019.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
10K: 30:56

Elsa Rusthoven
DeWitt, Mich. / DeWitt
Distance

Holds the school record with a time of 18:21.8 on the state course…finished ninth at the 2020 Division I state meet after a 26^th-place finish in 2019…earned All-State honors in both 2019 and 2020…helped her team to a state runner-up finish in 2018…two-time team captain…four-time all-conference selection…her academic honors include CAAC Academic Honors, Scholar Athlete Award, AP Scholar Academic Hall of Fame and the National Honors Society.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
1,600: 5:08.63
3,200: 11:03.11
5K XC: 18:13.52
 
Quinn Shanahan
Durham, N.C. / Durham Academy
Distance

Earned All-State honors in 2019 while leading her team to state championships in both 2018 and 2019…won the 2020 Monster Dash title in her personal-best 5K time…in addition to cross country and track and field, she also swam in high school…earned high honors in scholarship in each of her four years in addition to being an AP Scholar with Distinction in 2021.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
1,500: 4:43.01
3,200: 10:43.4
5K: 17:49.40
 
Paul Signorelli
Cincinnati, Ohio / Turpin
Pole Vault

Ranked ninth nationally among prep pole vaulters in 2021…2021 D1 state pole vault champion for Ohio…four-year letterwinner…team MVP and team captain…worked with the Queen City Vault Academy…also played basketball at Turpin…graduated cum laude.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
Pole Vault: 16'-10"
 
Luke Walden
Columbus, Ohio / Olentangy Berlin
Pole Vault

Ranked 15^th nationally in the pole vault among prep athletes in 2021…holds school record in the pole vault…earned all-state honors and was a conference champion…four-year varsity student-athlete focusing on the pole vault and long jump…worked with the Bucket Pole Vault Academy…posted a 4.1 GPA in high school, earning Presidential Award honors.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
Pole Vault: 16'-7"
Long Jump: 21'-9.75"
 
Max Wilhelm
Deerfield, Ill. / Deerfield
Sprints / Hurdles

Earned All-State honors in the 110 hurdles…qualified for the USATF Junior Olympics national meet in 2019 (110 hurdles)…three-time all-conference selection…team MVP…his team captured the conference championship three times (his junior season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic)…ran with the Orion Track Club…played three seasons of basketball at Deerfield…graduated with High Honor Roll recognition.

Personal Bests During Prep Career:
110 hurdles: 14.57
300 hurdles: 39.51