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Meanwhile, on the same day Baxter was crowned the NCAA’s best, Butler spent his Friday qualifying for the 800-meter final after a strong showing in the prelims. She spent her free time rooting for her teammates’ success and was able to celebrate Baxter’s historic win. Then came Saturday, and now it was Butler’s turn to give the Hokies more reasons to cheer.
Butler lined up for the 800-meter final against seven of the most talented distance runners in the country, a year after finishing fourth in the same event. Moments after the gun sounded, Kennesaw State’s Sarah Hendrick burst out to a big lead after the first two laps, charging forward in what looked like a distance race sprint. This strategy could have mentally discouraged the Hokies running back, but she was prepared for a bold move like this one.
“It was a weird parallel to the year before,” Butler said, referring to Aaliyah Miller of Baylor’s lightning start and possible record-setting 800-meter run in 2021. “So as soon as Sarah came out, I thought, ‘OK, I’ve been through this and before. I didn’t do it last year either. It was time to do it right.
It was about time. After the first 200 meters, Butler’s pace surpassed Kendrick’s and now she was ahead of the others. That lead was only growing further. And as Butler galloped forward, she knew she had reached a new peak in her career.
“When everyone’s cheering for you and you’re on adrenaline, you can’t hear how many people are behind you,” she recalls. “That last 50 meters I realized it and my eyes got really big.”
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