Nassau Teacher -- A Former Student -- to be Inducted into County Sports Hall of Fame

The Wantagh School District is pleased to announce that 20-year special education teacher Kathy DelGais Butler will be inducted into the Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame during a reception held at Crest Hollow Country Club on Sept. 28. Her photo will hang with other Hall of Fame recipients in the newly constructed Nassau Coliseum.

DelGais Butler attended Wantagh High School from 1982-86, where she played volleyball (captain), basketball and softball. In basketball, she scored 999 points, a Wantagh High School record held until 2015.

As a softball player, DelGais Butler was a Long Island windmill pitcher with a career record of 87-7, which included 2,421 batters faced with 221 hits, 780 strikeouts and 42 walks. Her career ERA was 0.273 in which she pitched one perfect game with 18 strikeouts, 20 no-hitters and 15 one-hitters.

In addition to having received the designation of All-County honors in all three sports, DelGais Butler was recognized as a Daily News All-Star (1983-86) in softball. Sports Illustrated ranked her as 12th in the nation in innings pitched in her senior year at LIU Post, where she also received ECAC first team honors. The Nassau County Pitcher of the Year Award is now named The Kathy DelGais Butler Pitcher of the Year Award, and she was inducted into the New York State Softball Hall of Fame in 2014.

When asked about her key to success, DelGais Butler said she owes it to the Wantagh School District administration, faculty, coaches, teammates and her family. “Everyone stood behind me and pushed me along the way,” she said. “Otherwise, I would not have received these honors.”

Photo Caption: Wantagh High School graduate and special education teacher Kathy DelGais Butler, left, is pictured with District Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics Jennifer Keane.

Photo: Wantagh School District.