Butler's Howard, Wright State's Perkins named U.S. Army Scholar-Athletes of the Month

INDIANAPOLIS - Basketball standout Matt Howard of Butler and softball player Jamie Perkins of Wright State have been named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Month for March.

Howard (Connersville, Ind./Connersville), a junior forward, helped lead Butler to the NCAA Final Four with four tournament wins during March, including a victories over top-seed Syracuse and second-seed Kansas State. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Horizon League Championship as the Bulldogs won their second consecutive title with a 70-45 victory over Wright State in early March and ultimately went on to the NCAA National Championship Game where Butler lost to Duke, 61-59, in early April. In eight games in March, Howard averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

In the classroom, Howard carries a 3.77 grade-point average as a finance major. He was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, was selected the Division I-AAA AD's Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year and earned the NCAA Elite 88 Award at the Final Four.

Perkins (Convoy, Ohio/Crestview), a senior outfielder, batted .407 (11-for-27) with 11 runs-batted-in, eight runs scored and seven stolen bases during March. She was named the Horizon League's Batter of the Week on March 29 and was selected the Wright State Student-Athlete Advisory Council Athlete of the Month for March.

An accountancy major, Perkins owns a 3.758 grade-point average and has been voted to the Horizon League All-Academic Team each of the past two seasons. She also has been named to the Wright State Dean's List and the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll during her career.

The Horizon League instituted the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Month awards as a way to recognize outstanding academic and athletic achievement by its student-athletes. To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or better (on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution, passed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours and perform well during the month's competition. Winners are selected by the League's faculty athletics representatives, from nominations provided by sports information directors.