STEVE CARPENTER
HutchCC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College men’s cross country team is ranked No. 17 in the first United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NJCAA Division I rankings, which were released on Monday.
The Blue Dragon men placed 10th at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic and did not post a team score last week at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Hutchinson has been ranked in 23 of the last 24 national rankings dating back to 2017. The highest ranking during that span was No. 2 in Week 2 of 2020.
The Blue Dragons have had two different No. 1 runners in their first two meets of the season. Freshman Douwe Bentsink was the top Hutchinson runner at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic. Hayden Keller paced the Blue Dragons last week in a stacked Greeno/Dirksen field.
The Blue Dragons next compete at the Chili Pepper Classic on Friday, September 30 at Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The Jayhawk Conference is well represented in the national rankings.
Colby, which beat all the Division I teams at the Greeno-Dirksen, is the No. 1 team in the first rankings of the season. Northwest Tech is No. 4, followed by Butler at No. 9, Cloud County at No. 13 and Garden City at No. 18.
USTFCCCA/NJCAA DIV. I MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RANKINGS
Final 2021 Poll
1. Colby 3
2. Iowa Central 1
3. Trinidad State 4
4. Northwest Tech 5
5. Central Arizona 8
6. El Paso 6
7. New Mexico JC 7
8. Southern Idaho 9
9. Butler 18
10. Iowa Western 2
11. Sale Lake NR
12. Pima 16
13. Cloud County 11
14. Eastern Florida State NR
15. Southern Nevada NR
16. Vincennes 19
17. Hutchinson NR
18. Garden City 13
19. Ranger 14
20. Amarillo NR