Mile records tomorrow night, leaving the under-18 boys title wide open for the first time in years.

The Saltus senior student would have been a strong favourite for a record fourth straight victory, after joining Michael Donawa on three high school wins last year when he also clipped four tenths of a second off Donawa's six-year-old record.

But a bout of mononucleosis last Summer, shortly after winning the US East Coast Regional qualifiers in Florida, ended the talented teenage triathlete's 1999 season. And while he has recovered physically from the ailment -- as seen by his second place finish in last weekend's Princess to Princess race -- mentally the youngster is still very cautious.

"I think it's pretty much gone, but I'm still wary,'' said Butterfield. "I don't push myself every day like I used to. In a week I don't do as many hard training sessions because I don't want to get a relapse or anything.

"It's in the back of my mind.

Butterfield sees the Front Street race as being even more strenuous than the longer distances like the Princess race which signalled his return or this Saturday's 10k which he will use to gear himself for the World Triathlon Junior Championships in April in Perth, Australia.

The sickness ruled him out of last year's event in Montreal, Canada, so he is careful -- and determined -- not to miss out again.

His performance in the Princess race would suggest that things are coming along nicely.

"I felt really good, I went out within myself,'' he reflected. "Normally I go out and try to hold steady splits but this time I went out a bit slower than the rest of the pack.

Tyler opts out of mile race "I think I was in seventh or eighth place for the first mile and then I slowly worked myself back up and I remember for awhile I was in fourth. I could see Tracy Wright, Mark Morrison and Brett Forgesson ahead of me but I couldn't see Jay (Donawa) -- he was long gone.

"Me and Markie went through the 10k together and they shouted out 34-something and I thought we were going to go through it around 35 or 36. By then I was feeling dead.'' Butterfield won't skip the entire International Race Weekend as he plans to compete in the 10k on Saturday, though his expectations aren't high.

"I haven't been training specifically for the 10k, but I've been doing a bit of extra running,'' he says. "My main goal is the Worlds on April 30. That's my only goal.

"I only have a couple of months to get from zero to 100 per cent. I have to be better than I was last year. I know where I have to be, my bike and my run are decent enough but my swim needs to drop another minute or two.'' Butterfield isn't too concerned about missing the mile, as he will still be young enough (he turns 17 in February) next year to add a fourth title.

"My mom said to go out and do it with a bit of training but I know if I did the qualifying time I would train my hardest to do something,'' said the teen.

"To do something and not do it 100 per cent isn't in my vocabulary. And I figured to do that I might get injured or it would set me back. That (Front Street) is not my main goal this year, my main goal is in triathlon right now.'' Butterfield sees this year's race being wide open between the likes of Jeremiah Smith, Richard Walcott, Larry Marshall, Mark Morrison, Henry Talbot, Gabriel Wilkinson and the Wade twins, Nasir and Nadir. His record should be safe, however, judging by the qualifying times which saw Walcott's 4:47.38 the fastest.

Last year Butterfield's time of 4:27.3 was 14 seconds faster than his 1998 time and even faster than the adult men's winning time set by David Dunwoody.

"I'm looking forward to watching, it should be interesting,'' said Butterfield of the junior race.

It should also be interesting in the under-18 girls where last year's under-12 winner, Flora Duffy, steps up into the older bracket. Her winning qualifying time at the National Stadium of 5:44.26 - eight seconds ahead of Shar-dae Whitter -- makes her one of the favourites.

Duffy will have plenty of competition from the girls, with the likes of Whitter, last year's winner Tiffany Eatherley, Danielle Watson and Jennifer Young gunning to be the first winner of the Millennium.

Whitter has something to prove after being tripped shortly after the start last year and only recovering enough to finish 10th.

In the under-12 boys Cody Lima, Carlo Paynter and Earl Phillips were the top qualifiers recently and should be amongst the favourites.