North Vancouver’s Lindsey Butterworth was voted the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year after putting together a stellar season for the Simon Fraser University Clan.
The senior, a Handsworth grad, completed her SFU indoor career by winning the women’s 800 metre title at the NCAA Div. 2 national championships held March 13-14 in Birmingham, Ala. Butterworth ran a time of 2:08.44 in the championship final.
“I was nervous all day long because I have never come into a race ranked No. 1 and there were a lot of expectations on me that I hoped to fulfill,” said Butterworth in an SFU release. “But as soon as I started warming up and was in my routine I felt really confident.”
Butterworth made her move with 300 metres to go in the final, sprinting to the lead and never looking back.
“I didn’t get a good start but I passed a few people during the first lap and then I knew it was time to go,” she said. “I had to go at that point to hold the lead.”
Butterworth finished one second ahead of runner-up Taylor Stepanski of Saginaw Valley. With the win Butterworth became the second Clan athlete to capture the NCAA D2 indoor 800-metre title, following in the footsteps of former Clan runner and fellow North Shore native Helen Crofts.
“I think Lindsey has really learned a lot training with Helen and Jessica (Canadian Olympian and Jessica Smith, another North Shore native) every day and they have helped to mentor her into the runner we saw today,” said Clan head coach Brit Townsend. “At first Lindsey had to fight her way to keep up with those two in training but now she has earned her place and together they make each other better.”
Butterworth, who had the season-best time in NCAA Div. 2 in both the 800 m (2:06.56) and mile (4:44.80), also anchored SFU’s second-place distance medley relay team that set a GNAC record in Birmingham with a time of 11:28.28.
Prior to the national meet she claimed three GNAC titles to bring her career total to seven. She won the 800 in a time of 2:08.44. She also won the mile (4:55.34) and the distance medley relay (11:59.08) for the third time each.
