Reigning NCAA Division 1 Indoor champ ready for challenge that comes with competing at JDL Fast Track after not racing event since capturing title in March in Birmingham as a result of missing spring season with stress fracture in right foot

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Lindsey Butler didn’t need to spend time away from racing as result of a stress fracture in her right foot to be reminded of how much she loved the sport.

But perhaps track and field fans have the opportunity to truly appreciate just how impressive the resilience and perseverance of the Virginia Tech junior are Saturday with Butler’s return to the 11th edition of the Camel City Elite schedule at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.

For the first time since winning the NCAA Division 1 Indoor 800-meter title last year at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., Butler will compete in the event at the Camel City Invitational against a combination of elite professional athletes and collegiate standouts.

LIVE RESULTS | WATCH LIVE WEBCAST OF CAMEL CITY INVITATIONAL FEBRUARY 3-4 WITH RUNNERSPACE +PLUS (Elite schedule Feb. 4)

“Camel City is such an ideal race for me because while most highly competitive regular-season races can begin to feel like a preview to the NCAA start line, this meet has always had such a nice diverse mix of both pros and college competition,” Butler said. “I look forward to this race a lot more knowing that I get one single opportunity to compete against the pro talent, so there is a lot more motivation to leave it all out on the track, rather than think I can just redeem myself later on in the season.”

Butler learned how precious each racing opportunity can be when she contemplated withdrawing from the 800 final in March after an undiagnosed stress reaction in her right foot resulted in significant discomfort and limping following the semifinals the day before.

Despite extensive treatment throughout the day prior to the NCAA final, Butler didn’t know if she could endure the pain for the entire championship race, but somehow the graduate of Corning High in New York showcased her will and tenacity to prevail in 2 minutes, 1.37 seconds to capture the title.

An MRI in March revealed the stress reaction had advanced to a stress fracture in the second metatarsal in her right foot, with the initial diagnosis from doctors resulting in four weeks spent in a walking boot and six to eight weeks without land running, thus resulting in Butler missing the entire spring outdoor season.

“We are lucky to have two AlterGs for just our track team, so that helped aid the return to running process,” Butler said. “There were plenty of setbacks once we tried to resume AlterG and land running, so in the end it took six to seven weeks to begin any AlterG running and about eight weeks to try any kind of land running. I continued using the AlterG two to three days a week all the way into July.”

Kristie Schoffield of Boise State captured the Division 1 outdoor 800 championship in June and is now a first-year professional athlete representing New Balance Boston.

Butler, instead, was left to contemplate throughout the summer when she would be able to compete again, before returning to racing Sept. 16 for the Hokies in a 6-kilometer cross country event at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational.

“My training over the summer was very consistently low mileage as returning to running was met with a lot of overthinking every ache and pain. Once I returned to cross country, I began a slow climb to achieving both quality workouts and higher mileage,” said Butler, who has continued to train no more than 30 miles per week throughout the fall and winter.

“This was a very important time of training because while I was starting so far behind my teammates and most of my competition, cross country as we know is a very long season, so every week and every race I could notice myself getting more and more fit and it really tested my patience and made me enjoy the process more than ever.”

Butler was the low scorer Oct. 28 for the Hokies with a 26th-place finish at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, helping Virginia Tech finish eighth in the 15-team final, before shifting her focus to a return to the track this winter, healthy, focused and more determined than ever.

“Because we took such a slow approach, I never had any major setbacks in training that sidelined me again,” Butler said. “Overall, while my injury was very devastating upon discovery, it was such a great learning experience and made me appreciate the sport and competition as a whole in a completely new light.”

Butler has competed twice during the indoor season at Virginia Tech’s Rector Field House, running a personal-best 9:27.05 in the 3,000 meters Jan. 13 and another lifetime-best 2:42.32 in the 1,000 meters Jan. 20, and she continues to keep her options open for both the 800 and mile following Saturday.

“This year we took to racing the 3K/1K rather than the normal 600/1K because our approach on the season overall is a little different,” Butler said. “We are looking a little broader this year at both the mile and the 800, and deciding which one will be a better fit as we go. Last year, we decided to go in very much more 800 focused and ran out of time to even get in a full mile. I’m doing the same speed work as last year, but we felt that clocking in an early 3K would be good preparation and practice for the mile to come.”

Butler has already raced three times in her career at Camel City, taking third last year in the elite 800 in 2:05.03, after finishing sixth in 2:07.78 in 2020. She helped the Hokies win the distance medley relay in 11:11.78 in 2021.

“I am so relieved to finally be running an event that I enjoy again. As important as cross country season and that early 3K workout/race was, I can’t say I really get too jazzed up for anything above a mile,” Butler said. “While the 1K was a shock to the system, it was also just a breath of fresh air finally running something I enjoy and feel at ease doing. I am especially very excited to run my first 800 this upcoming weekend because my training has been adding up well and Camel City makes for the perfect low pressure, yet encouraging gauge of my fitness each year.”

Only enhancing the experience for Butler will be the opportunity not just to race with teammates Hannah Ballowe and Star Price, but also to enjoy a rematch with NCAA indoor 800 runner-up Claire Seymour of Brigham Young, in addition to competing against professional athletes Charlene Lipsey of Under Armour Mission Run – last year’s elite second-place finisher – and Wisconsin graduate Brenna Detra.

“Camel City is always such a special experience. I think that in a way the pressure is on to be able to race with the professional women, not just run in the same heat as the professional women,” Butler said. “But on another hand, the pressure is off because racing with my teammates is so familiar and comfortable, therefore it really takes the edge and uncertainty out of races like this. I feel very lucky to be racing with my teammates this time around, all three of us have made pretty impressive strides in our fitness and speed and it's definitely time to put that all in action.”

No collegiate female athlete in meet history has won an elite race at Camel City, but Virginia Tech distance coach Eric Johannigmeier knows that after several near misses by Hokies in the past – including Hanna Green placing second in the 800 in 2017 – that Butler has what it takes to make history once again on the flat 200-meter track in Winston-Salem, just like Finley McLear of Miami (Ohio) did in the men’s elite 800 in 2021.

“The 800 is a pretty good mix of speed and endurance,” Johannigmeier said. “She is really naturally gifted in her speed and her endurance, so it kind of makes it a perfect fit.”

With the Division 1 indoor championships five weeks from Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M., either eclipsing Green’s fastest collegiate mark in JDL Fast Track history of 2:03.31 or earning a breakthrough victory for NCAA female athletes would be the ideal return to the 800 for Butler following a 330-day break.

“I think winning the Camel City 800 race this weekend would be such a great confidence booster going into the latter part of this season,” said Butler, who boasts a personal-best 2:01.23 from last year’s ACC Indoor Championships at Virginia Tech.

“As much faith as I have in my coach and my training, it has been tough gearing up for a big season while also seeing all these US #1s and collegiate records and not being a part of that yet.”

Any concerns that Butler had about missing out on setting new records and winning more titles this season following her injury can be minimized Saturday by reminding everyone at JDL Fast Track and around the country just how motivated she is to excel against another outstanding Camel City elite 800 field.

“I know that I progress through the season at my own pace and without fail, each year, I have peaked at just the right time,” Butler said. “But I think winning this race after two years of coming up short would really reflect the positive progress I’ve made since I stepped off the track in Birmingham.”