Hall of Fame
Christiana Butera was named the 2012 US National Collegiate Synchronized Swimming Athlete of the Year and is believed to be the first swimmer from a Division III school to earn a spot on the United States Synchronized Swimming National Team. She competed with Team USA at the 2011 FINA World Championships. During her time at Wheaton, Butera was named to the USA Synchro All-Collegiate Team all four years in addition to being a USA Synchro All-Academic selection three times. She capped her career with the Lyons by earning the 2012 Debi Field Athlete of the Year Award, the Caroline Cutler Metcalf Leadership Award and the Linda Francis Epstein Award. Butera excelled in the Solo and Duet routines at the US Collegiate Championship, placing eighth in the solo competition in 2010 and following that effort with a seventh-place showing in 2011. She combined to turn in a seventh-place effort in the duet in 2011 and was eighth in 2012. The former Team Captain was respected in Synchronized Swimming circles and received the Mary Jo Ruggieri Scholarship at the US Collegiate Championship in 2011, given to a swimmer who demonstrates outstanding achievement in swimming ability, team contributions, community leadership and the motivation to help synchro grow at the college level.
