BETHALTO - Nathan Butler, a Bethalto Zion Lutheran eighth-grade May grad, had one of the biggest moments of his young life recently when he captured the state championship in the Lutheran School State Track and Field Meet 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.4.
Nathan also finished eighth in the state in the triple jump (34-4.25). He was the salutatorian for his eighth-grade class and a straight-A student.
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Not only is Nathan an outstanding track and field athlete, he is a standout in soccer, basketball and baseball. It seems there is not a sport in which the Bethalto student is not exceptional. He will attend Metro East Lutheran in Edwardsville in the fall and will run track, play basketball and soccer for the Knights, he said.
“It felt awesome,” Nathan said of winning the state Lutheran hurdles championship. “It is something I have been dreaming about since second grade. I knew when I got into track I wanted to be on that state podium one day.”
Nathan finished high in the Lutheran State Meet the last few years, but this was his break-out year.
Rene Butler-Butler, his mother, said she was extremely excited about her son’s significant accomplishment.
“Nathan worked very very hard for many years to accomplish this and this has been his main goal in track and field,” his mother said.
Nathan’s father, Tracy, said to run three very strong races at state was “pretty impressive.” Last year, Nathan hit a hurdle that pushed him out of contention, so he was bound and determined this year would be different.
Until the Bethalto youth had clipped through the last hurdle and finish line, he didn't relax.
“I knew I had won and beaten everybody by half a second,” Nathan said. “It was kind of a relief and I did exactly what I wanted.”
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