Tallahassee Community College track and field using national championship meet as 'stepping stone'

A quartet of Tallahassee Community College track and field athletes have caught a flight from TLH to Hobbs, New Mexico.

That's because they will participate in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Outdoor Championships from Thursday to Saturday.

The Eagles will be represented by Raeven Byrd (women's triple jump), Lynette Scutari (women's 100 meter, 200 meter), Justin Moore (400 meter), and Troy Williams (400 meter hurdles).

"This a great opportunity and stepping stone for them," TCC head coach Gary Droze said. "All the athletes that I'm taking there have aims to continue competing at four year levels. When they move on to the next level, they'll already have a big time meet under their belts.

"Obviously, we want them to have great performances, but the opportunity to be at a venue will make it so it's not a big deal for them in the future."

Droze, an avid fisherman in his spare time, usually serves ceviche to his athletes and fellow staff members at TCC ― which has been the Eagles' recipe for success.

But he will adopt a new strategy during the trip to New Mexico.

"I want these kids to experience what authentic Mexico food is," Droze said. "It's not just the competing, it's the overall experience. I want them to get the most out of this trip and savor an opportunity to go some place that they've never been before.

"That'll be a big part of the trip."

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Tallahassee Community College's Lynette Scutari and Troy Williams among nation's best with Division I aspirations

Scutari has shined for TCC track and field this season.

In April, the freshman notched a 11:88 time in the 100 meter, which automatically qualified her for NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.

But Scutari didn't stop there. She outdid herself by running a 100 meter dash in 11:86 seconds at the Alice Sims Invitational last week ― breaking TCC's program record.

Scutari's skill along with her 4.0 grade point average (GPA) has landed her opportunities to stay local and run for Florida A&M (FAMU) or return to near her hometown of Port Richey to compete for South Florida (USF) in Tampa.

"I've definitely worked really hard on the first 30 meters of my race, so for it to pay off is really awesome," Scutari said. "I'm looking forward to competing with athletes that are at a high level. It's super exciting because we all have worked really hard this season."

This isn't Williams' first rodeo.

He's the first TCC men's track athlete to reach the national meet twice. Williams, a sophomore, hopes that his efforts lands him an opportunity to run for Florida State.

He's from Fort Walton Beach, but spent time growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico ― which gives him a sense of familiarity for the national championships and the location.

"It's good food, good atmosphere and it's a lot of culture out there," Williams said. "You can feel the environment. It's so intense that you can cut it. I'll just say to be mentally ready and sound.

"We're all putting this school on the map. We're ready to represent the best we can."

The architect behind Tallahassee Community College cross country and track and field, Gary Droze, gets one final national appearance

Droze, who founded TCC cross country in 2016 and expanded it to track and field, is coaching his final season with the Eagles.

He's produced All-Americans, conference champions, and most recently, the 2022 NJCAA National Scholar-Athlete of the Year ― Bryce Bass.

"I have to give my kudos to (former TCC director of athletics) Rob Chaney," Droze said. "He was really the impetus for this. Without his big push, we wouldn't have begun and maintained and track and cross country program."

What better sendoff than to have four athletes compete on the national stage?

"It's just been wonderful to work with athletes that might otherwise not have had an opportunity to continue their careers and compete at a good level," Droze said. "I've got some 4.0 kids, so it's kind of neat seeing kids who are dedicated in the classroom as they are on the track.

"These aren't just athletes. These are scholar-athletes."

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NJCAA Outdoor Championship events that feature Tallahassee Community College athletes

All times are listed in Eastern.

Thursday, May 18:

10:15 PM Men’s 400m Hurdles – Prelims (Troy Williams)

10:45 PM Men’s 400m Dash – Prelims (Justin Moore)

Friday, May 19:

4:30 PM Women’s 100m Dash – Prelims (Lynette Scutari)

5:50 PM Women’s 200m Dash – Prelims (Lynette Scutari)

Saturday, May 20

1:00 PM Women’s Triple Jump – Trials & Finals (Raeven Byrd)

3:20 PM Men’s 400m Dash – Final (Justin Moore, if qualified)

4:00 PM Women’s 100m Dash – Final (Lynette Scutari, if qualified)

4:55 PM Men’s 400m Hurdles – Final (Troy Williams, if qualified)

5:10 PM Women’s 200m Dash – Final (Lynette Scutari, if qualified)

The full schedule of events for the competition can be found here. Live results will be posted here.  

Fans can follow the action in Hobbs through the NJCAA Network. For $15, fans receive access to the NJCAA DI Track & Field Championships.

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.

Follow the Tallahassee Democrat on social media at Tallahassee Democrat (Facebook), TallahasseeDemocrat (Instagram), and @TDOnline (Twitter)

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: TCC TF: Eagles head to New Mexico for NJCAA Natty, chasing hardware