Quick Chat: Aaliyah Butler
June 05, 2023 | Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Aaliyah Butler broke the Florida state high school track and field record in the 400 meters as a freshman at Miami Northwestern. She went on to be a three-time state champion and a three-time prep All-American.
Now at the end of her freshman year at Georgia, Butler, from Fort Lauderdale, will compete in her first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week, in Austin, Texas. Butler will be competing in both the 400-meters, the 4x100 relay and the 4x400 relay.
During a recent Quick Chat, Butler talked about her start in the sport, finding big success early in high school, her funniest teammates, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What is it like during this period when spring semester is over and you're here preparing for the NCAAs? Is it a relief to be able to just focus on one thing for a little while?
Butler: This is more relaxed, for sure. Juggling schoolwork and track is very hard, so now that (spring semester) is over, I can focus more on track. It's not as intense, having to get all of my work done, so I'm more focused and am able to put all of my effort into just track for right now.
Frierson: As you're wrapping up your freshman year at Georgia, has the college experience been about what you expected it to be? Was it more or less demanding that you anticipated?
Butler: I would say it was more demanding, as a student-athlete. I feel like it would be a lot different if I wasn't also an athlete.
Frierson: Take me back to your start in in track, was it always your main sport or did you play a lot of different things when you were younger?
Butler: I did cheerleading and gymnastics for a while, but I would say that track was always my main sport. I was always better at track, so I stuck with it.
Frierson: How did you go about finding the best events for you?
Butler: I just ran all three events: the 100, 200 and the 400. I was good at the 200, too, but the 400 was my main race. I feel like the 400 is a good mix, in the middle. It's not too long and it's not too short.
Frierson: It looks like you're sprinting from start to finish when you or any elite sprinter runs the 400 — is that possible? Are you going all out or is there some pacing yourself going on?
Butler: It's really about your training. It's a bit like a sprint but you really are pacing yourself a little bit. It's not like you would during an 800, but it does really come back to your training and being able to maintain the pace.
Frierson: How much strategy is involved in the 400? Is is long enough that you really do need to have a strategy going into each race?
Butler: It's better for you to have a strategy because you don't want to burn out. You can't really sprint the whole thing; you want to, but you can't. There are different types of zones (around the track) and you do different things in the zones.
Frierson: If you're running at Georgia that means you're quite good, so do you remember the first time you realized that you had the potential to run at the collegiate level?
Butler: I think it was my freshman year of high school, when I broke the state record in the 400. I knew that was pretty good [laughs].
Frierson: What does a moment like that feel like?
Butler: It was amazing. I started getting recognition for my talents and that started me on the path that led me here.
Frierson: What do you do to get away from track and school? How do you relax and turn your mind off for a while?
Butler: I don't really do a lot. I watch a lot of movies and I try to go on vacations, but most of my vacations have to with track [laughs], because it's basically a year-round thing.
Frierson: What's the best movie you've watched recently?
Butler: I just watched "The Little Mermaid." The new one, and it was quite good.
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Butler: Steak and mashed potatoes.
Frierson: Basic but delicious. How are you in the kitchen? Do you like to cook?
Butler: I like to bake more than cook. I like to make a caramel cake, like a popcorn cake.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Butler: I'd have to say either (assistant coach Deanna) Hill or Elija Godwin.
Frierson: Elija's funny to me every time I see him on his little electric bike. It's so small underneath his big, strong frame that I always laugh when I see him riding around the athletic facilities.
Butler: [Laughs] He's always riding that thing. And Coach Hill, she just says stuff out of the blue and makes jokes that are really funny. They're both really funny.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Â
Staff Writer
Aaliyah Butler broke the Florida state high school track and field record in the 400 meters as a freshman at Miami Northwestern. She went on to be a three-time state champion and a three-time prep All-American.
Now at the end of her freshman year at Georgia, Butler, from Fort Lauderdale, will compete in her first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week, in Austin, Texas. Butler will be competing in both the 400-meters, the 4x100 relay and the 4x400 relay.
During a recent Quick Chat, Butler talked about her start in the sport, finding big success early in high school, her funniest teammates, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What is it like during this period when spring semester is over and you're here preparing for the NCAAs? Is it a relief to be able to just focus on one thing for a little while?
Butler: This is more relaxed, for sure. Juggling schoolwork and track is very hard, so now that (spring semester) is over, I can focus more on track. It's not as intense, having to get all of my work done, so I'm more focused and am able to put all of my effort into just track for right now.
Frierson: As you're wrapping up your freshman year at Georgia, has the college experience been about what you expected it to be? Was it more or less demanding that you anticipated?
Butler: I would say it was more demanding, as a student-athlete. I feel like it would be a lot different if I wasn't also an athlete.
Frierson: Take me back to your start in in track, was it always your main sport or did you play a lot of different things when you were younger?
Butler: I did cheerleading and gymnastics for a while, but I would say that track was always my main sport. I was always better at track, so I stuck with it.
Frierson: How did you go about finding the best events for you?
Butler: I just ran all three events: the 100, 200 and the 400. I was good at the 200, too, but the 400 was my main race. I feel like the 400 is a good mix, in the middle. It's not too long and it's not too short.
Frierson: It looks like you're sprinting from start to finish when you or any elite sprinter runs the 400 — is that possible? Are you going all out or is there some pacing yourself going on?
Butler: It's really about your training. It's a bit like a sprint but you really are pacing yourself a little bit. It's not like you would during an 800, but it does really come back to your training and being able to maintain the pace.
Frierson: How much strategy is involved in the 400? Is is long enough that you really do need to have a strategy going into each race?
Butler: It's better for you to have a strategy because you don't want to burn out. You can't really sprint the whole thing; you want to, but you can't. There are different types of zones (around the track) and you do different things in the zones.
Frierson: If you're running at Georgia that means you're quite good, so do you remember the first time you realized that you had the potential to run at the collegiate level?
Butler: I think it was my freshman year of high school, when I broke the state record in the 400. I knew that was pretty good [laughs].
Frierson: What does a moment like that feel like?
Butler: It was amazing. I started getting recognition for my talents and that started me on the path that led me here.
Frierson: What do you do to get away from track and school? How do you relax and turn your mind off for a while?
Butler: I don't really do a lot. I watch a lot of movies and I try to go on vacations, but most of my vacations have to with track [laughs], because it's basically a year-round thing.
Frierson: What's the best movie you've watched recently?
Butler: I just watched "The Little Mermaid." The new one, and it was quite good.
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Butler: Steak and mashed potatoes.
Frierson: Basic but delicious. How are you in the kitchen? Do you like to cook?
Butler: I like to bake more than cook. I like to make a caramel cake, like a popcorn cake.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Butler: I'd have to say either (assistant coach Deanna) Hill or Elija Godwin.
Frierson: Elija's funny to me every time I see him on his little electric bike. It's so small underneath his big, strong frame that I always laugh when I see him riding around the athletic facilities.
Butler: [Laughs] He's always riding that thing. And Coach Hill, she just says stuff out of the blue and makes jokes that are really funny. They're both really funny.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
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Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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