Heavyweight boxer Brian Minto lands a punch on Axel Schulz during their fight in Halle, Germany, Nov. 25, 2006. The Butler native recorded a TKO in the sixth round against Schulz, and his effort was selected as the No. 2 Butler County sports story.

A look at the other top Butler County sports stories of 2006, as selected by the sports staff of the Butler Eagle:

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2. — Brian Minto defeated Axel Schulz in Germany. The Butler heavyweight improved his record to 27-1 by dominating the German icon in his home country before scoring a sixth-round TKO. Schulz was trying to make a comeback after a seven-year layoff. Instead, he helped propel Minto toward a top-20 world ranking.•

3. — Zach Jackson made his major league debut. A first-round selection by the Toronto Blue Jays in baseball's amateur draft less than two years earlier, the Seneca Valley graduate was traded to Milwaukee and made his big league debut with the Brewers in 2006. He also posted his first two major league wins.•

4. — Bill Saul and Eric Namesnik die. Two Butler sports legends lost their lives in 2006. Saul died after a long bout with cancer. He was honored as a Butler Hometown Hero a few years back and enjoyed a long NFLcareer. Namesnik, an Olympic medalist in swimming, was killed in an automobile accident in Michigan. He was a coach and a teacher of the sport at the time of his death.•

5. — Slippery Rock girls soccer team reaches Western Finals. The Rockets had never won a District 10 playoff game, let alone a state playoff game, before going on a postseason roll. Led by school goal-scoring record holder Jence Rhoads, Slippery Rock made the final four in the state before being eliminated.•

6. — Shenango quarterback's father spies on Mars. The man showed up at a Planets' practice claiming to be a scout for Ohio University and he taped Mars quarterback D.J. Cannon. However, a parent of a Mars player recognized him, told coach Scott Heinauer and the shenanigans made news throughout Western Pennsylvania.•

7. — Rob Shidemantle bowls back-to-back perfect games. This feat happened at Slippery Rock Lanes as Shidemantle wound up rolling 27 consecutive strikes. He struck out in the final frame of his first game to begin a string of perfection rarely seen in the sport anywhere.•

8. — Mars softball wins WPIALtitle. Riding the accurate arm of pitcher Monica Glomb, who rarely walked anybody, the Planets stunned powerhouse Ambridge in the finals to claim the program's first-ever WPIALcrown.•

9. — Slippery Rock University cuts varsity sports. Joining a national trend, SRUannounced it was discontinuing eight sports, including a wrestling program that was completing one of its most successful seasons ever, because of a third consecutive year of major budget cuts.•

10. — Matt Clement undergoes extensive shoulder surgery. The Butler native and Boston Red Sox pitcher had his season shut down in June because of shoulder pain. Renowned surgeon James Andrews discovered rotator cuff and labrum damage during exploratory surgery in the fall. Clement likely will be sidelined until at least mid-season in 2007.•

11. — Butler cheerleading squad finishes second in nation. The Golden Tornado competitive cheerleading unit made its annual trip to the Universal Cheerleading Association Nationals in Orlando, Fla., and finished second, its best showing ever.•

12. — Union girls basketball reaches Western Finals. Sporting one of the most athletic Class Agirls teams in Pennsylvania, the Golden Damsels cruised through the regular season and dominated most teams they faced before losing in the Western Finals.•

13. — Jeff Bennett wins world bowhunting title. Claiming a world championship in any sport belongs on this list, and this Harrisville man did it.•

14. — Gene Rodgers ousted as Slippery Rock girls basketball coach. Despite posting an impressive won-loss record that included an appearance in the District 10 championship game, Rodgers was replaced by the Rockets during the off-season.•

15. — George Mihalik sets Slippery Rock University career coaching wins record. The longtime SRUcoach snapped N. Kerr Thompson's long-standing mark in dramatic fashion, scoring a 21-17 win at rival Indiana (Pa.) as IUP's attempt to score from the SRU2-yard line on the game's final play was thwarted.