OLYMPIA, Wash. – Dani Buttrell, a sophomore distance runner on The Evergreen State College women's track and field team, is the Evergreen Featured Athlete of the Week for June 11, 2026. Buttrell was a junior on the Evergreen women's cross country team in the fall of 2025.

Prior to arriving at Evergreen, Buttrell competed in cross country and track and field at Clark College, a community college in Vancouver, Washington. In high school, she was a distance runner at Vancouver School of Arts and Academics.

At Evergreen last fall, Buttrell was a scoring finisher for the Geoducks at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships in cross country. During the track and field season, Buttell earned All-Conference honors by placing third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 11:37.80. She set the school record with a time of 11:34.08 at the Whitworth Peace Meet on April 3. She also competed at the CCC Championships in the 5,000-meter run.

The steeplechase is a challenging event. Runners must clear (or step on and over) several fixed barriers and one water jump on each lap. The race features seven-and-a-half laps to complete the 3,000-meter distance. At the water jump, runners often step on top of the barrier and then leap into the water. In the women's steeplechase, the fixed barriers are 30 inches high.

"One of the biggest things I learned from doing the steeplechase is that you can't let anything faze you," Buttrell said. "Steeplechase is a very risky event to a multi-event athlete, and even racing it, athletes can get intimidated by the barriers.

"Another huge takeaway is resilience. The preparation doesn't start once you get on the track. It's a choice every day," Buttrell noted. "Off the track, you will have people look at you sideways for choosing to do steeplechase, so you have to be resilient."

Earning All-Conference honors was a big moment for Buttrell. It put a quality finish on her successful season.

"Taking third in the conference was a huge surprise. I was really shooting for a specific time and ended up battling for third," Buttrell commented. "It was one of the highlights of my life, and I can't wait to take that win into this upcoming cross country season."

After placing third in the steeplechase, Buttrell concluded the CCC Championships by setting a personal record in the women's 5,000-meter run. Her time at the CCC meet was 19:28.80.

"Setting a personal record right at the end of my season and after taking third in the conference in the steeplechase showed me that my potential hasn't capped," Buttrell said. "I still have tons of improvements to make!

While attending Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Buttrell competed on a combined team with athletes from Fort Vancouver High School.

"I think my largest pride from the VSAA is that I started that team with my best friend," Buttrell explained. We partnered with Fort Vancouver High School and had double practices for the FV athletes and the VSAA athletes."

She also competed at Clark College before transferring to Evergreen."

"At Clark, I met my roommates, who I love so much, and some of my good friends," Buttrell recalled.

Buttrell transferred to Evergreen for the 2025-26 academic year. Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Joel Pearson was a key reason she decided to join the Geoducks.

"Ultimately, it came down to Joel," Buttrell noted. "He truly is an amazing coach who recognizes that all athletes need to be coached differently and treated with respect."

She also found teammates in the distance group who became friends and were devoted to their respective events.

"Our greatest strength as distance runners is our tenacity," Buttrell affirmed. "I love my girls (on the team). Each one is so special and interesting. They are always there at my finish line ready to support me if I need it."

In her academic studies, Buttrell participates in Evergreen's Changemaker Lab. The lab is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on business fundamentals, team entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation.

"It has completely changed the way I see our education system, and gives me hope for what it could be," Buttrell said regarding the Changemaker Lab. "After I graduate, I will be opening up my own training gym in hopes of growing it into a center where athletics and arts are combined. I see a space where people like me, who are creative as well as athletically inclined, can train and create in the same building."

Buttrell stays busy with her academic program and athletic competition. She also finds a bit of personal time.

"In my spare time I am a hobbyist," Buttrell affirmed. "I love a little crafting. I am currently creating a t-shirt quilt."