Baxter, Butler reflect on pivotal weekend in March

Meanwhile, on the same day Baxter was crowned the NCAA’s best, Butler spent her Friday qualifying for the 800-meter final after a strong showing in the prelims. She spent her idle time rooting for her teammates to succeed and got to celebrate Baxter’s historic victory. Then Saturday came and now it was Butler’s turn to give the Hokies more to cheer for.

Butler lined up for the 800-meter final against seven of the most gifted distance runners in the country, a year after finishing fourth in the same event. Moments after the gun sounded, Kennesaw State’s Sarah Hendrick blasted out to a large lead after the first two laps, charging ahead in what looked like a sprint in a distance race. This strategy could have mentally discouraged the Hokies runner, but she was prepared for a bold move like this. 

“It was a weird parallel to the year before,” Butler claimed, referring to Aaliyah Miller from Baylor’s lightning fast start and eventual record-setting 800 meters performance in 2021. “So as soon as Sarah went out, I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve been through this before.’ And last year, I didn’t do it. It was time to do it right.”

It was time. After the first 200 meters, Butler’s pace surged past Kendrick’s and now inched herself ahead of the pack. That leading distance only grew further. And, as Butler galloped ahead, she knew she’d reached the new pinnacle of her career.

“When everybody’s cheering and you have the adrenaline, you can’t hear how far they are behind you,” she recalled. “Those final 50 meters, I realized it and my eyes got really big.”