"It feels great," said sophomore Javaghn Spicer on receiving his championship ring Tuesday afternoon joined by his teammates in the room and former teammate Tavarius Wright via facetime, "I have never had one like this. It feels good to do it with my team and I couldn't have done it without my coaches."
The 2019 track season saw six Grizzlies atop the podium on the highest stage in NJCAA Track & Field as Butler claimed six National Championships this past year.
Tavarius Wright, who was named Juco Male Athlete of the Year by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission back in June, claimed his first of three rings during the indoor season when he won the Indoor 60-meter dash with a time of (6.11 seconds). Wright went on to claim his second ring winning the outdoor 100-meter dash (10.12). He finished his run of National Championships this season when he anchored the 4x100-meter relay (39.20 seconds).
Three other Grizzlies earned their rings as members of the 4x100-meter relay team. Cardet Bienvenue (left), Javaghn Spicer (middle) and Mark Doyley (right), all were part of that championship relay team in the spring that claimed both a school record and National Championship.
"It is always a great experience to have one of your athletes on top of the podium at the end of the year. This year I was fortunate to have five different athletes on top. The boys worked hard all year and it paid off in the end," said Butler head track and field coach Dustin Mettler.
"It honestly feels amazing," said Mark Doyley, "We have been working so hard for this moment and we went out and did what we had to do to get this championship ring." Bienvenue added, "It's definitely a blessing. We worked so hard day in and day out and just to see that we have a ring on our fingers, finally, something we have all dreamed of, it is definitely a blessing."
Although the three-time National Champion Wright has since graduated and will not return, teammates Mark Doyley, Javaghn Spicer and Cardet Bienvenue all returned to campus this fall and they have high hopes of returning to the champions podium in the spring.
"It is good to have three of the members from the relay team returning but we reloaded and will see who can replace Tavarius Wright on that relay," commented Mettler
Sophomores Cardet Bienvenue and Mark Doyley both chimed in on returning stronger this year. "We have one leg to replace on the relay, we have talent and we are going for two," said Bienvenue. "The goal is to be better than what we were last year. The type of talent we have this year, there is no problem we won't be able to break the school record and get back on the podium," asserted Doyley.
Sprints coach Greg Franklin added in, "It was a great season. Most of them were freshman and they came in, worked hard and did what they had to do. I think they are going to be better this year now that they have been in it a year.
The team has already got to work this fall and are looking forward to a repeat performance at Nationals in the spring while they hope to add a few more individual champions as well.
