A Simon Fraser University runner and her coach earned regional distinction on Tuesday.
Middle distance runner Lindsey Butterworth was named the West region athlete of the year, while Clan head coach Brit Townsend earned the women’s coach of the year award by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association.
Butterworth accomplished one of the best mid-distance regular seasons in NCAA Division II history.
The Clan senior ran the fastest 800 metres in Div. II, clocking a 2:04.11 time at the Payton Jordan Invite – the third-fastest all-time performance in this event.
Butterworth also recorded the 10th-best Div. II time ever in the 1,500m at the Stanford Invite. Her time of 4:18.34 was the second-fastest this year.
Townsend, who has been the Clan’s head coach for more than 20 years, guided Butterworth to her Div. II milestones, while also mentoring SFU grad student Jennifer Johnson to the fourth-fastest 5,000m time this season.
All-Academic team
Simon Fraser University swimmer Nicole Cossey and diver Elizabeth Durward were both selected to the academic all-district first team.
Durward, who boasts a 4.0 academic grade point average, qualified for her second straight national diving championship, where she finished with a career-best 12th place in the one-metre and 19th in the three-metre events.
Cossey was a two-time All-American in the relays at the nationals, helping the Clan place a best-ever 12th overall.
She also made the B finals in the 50 and 100m freestyle events at the NCAA championships, while holding down a 3.90 GPA.
