If you needed a reminder that student athletes in Butler County are almost always among the cream of the crop, the 2017-18 school year has offered up a cornucopia of examples.

Here’s a sampling of some of the championships that Butler County teams and athletes have brought home this school year:

On Wednesday the Mars girls basketball team won their first PIAA Class 5A title in Hershey. Edging Archbishop Wood 36-33 after a dramatic steal and three-point-play by co-captain Tai Johnson.

Earlier this month Butler County native Meredith Cummings brought home a state swimming title to Shady Side Academy, competing as part of the Indians’ girls 400-yard freestyle relay at the PIAA Class AA championships.

Also earlier in March, sophomore Kyle Maziarz of Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic won the state Class AA boys diving championship with a score of 418.7, after coming into the competition seeded sixth.

While some of our student athletes got to enjoy the joys of victory, others had to endure the disappointment of defeat.

Mars boys basketball on Tuesday lost in the PIAA 5A championship game to Abington Heights, 55-67, despite an outstanding performance by senior guard Robby Carmody.

Seneca Valley hockey last week lost in the PIAA 3A state title game to Saint Joseph’s Prep, 4-0, in a contest that was much, much closer than the final score might lead you to believe.

There are also competitions and sports that defy the simplicity of the “winning versus losing” dynamic.

Earlier this month Butler senior Mercedes Belch bowled personal bests in a game (299) and a series (673) during the state championship tournament at Princess Lanes. The lights-out performances helped the Butler girls team place third out of 12 teams, and earned Belch a spot on the all-state team, and awards for high game and series among all bowlers at the tournament.

And last weekend three Butler youth wrestlers — Santino Sloboda, Ana Malovich and Brin Zehmisch — took fourth place at the state tournament in Wilkes-Barre.

That’s far from a comprehensive list of the outstanding achievements our young athletes have turned in over the past school year — in fact, if you’re a careful reader you’ll notice that all this has happened within the past month.

Win or lose, we could not be more proud of our student athletes. These young men and woman display tremendous skill, dedication and perseverance both on and off the field.

That speaks to both the quality of their character and the time and effort put in by the adults, friends and teammates who don’t always get to stand in the winner’s circle with them when all is said and done.

Well done, congratulations and keep up the good work. You’re making Butler County proud.