By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information
ARKANSAS CITY – The Hutchinson Community College men's track and field team earned its first four qualifiers for the NJCAA Indoor Championships on Friday at the Cowley Indoor Invitational.
Friday was the 2021 season opener for the Blue Dragons.
Sophomore high jumper Wyatt Thiel earned a second-straight trip to the NJCAA indoor championships with Cowley championship performance on Friday. Thiel tied his career high at 6 feet, 6 3/4 inches.
Sophomore distance runner and cross country first-team All-American Teagan Flanagan posted a personal best and national qualifying time in the 5,000 meters. He finished second in the race with a time of 15:16.36, which is the third-fastest indoor 5,000-meter time in Blue Dragon men's history.
The third qualifier was freshman sprinter Donovan Hines. He won the 60 meters in his debut as a Blue Dragon with a national qualifying time of 6.86 seconds. Hines also finished second in the 200 meters with a time of 22.59 seconds.
Erick Johnson was a double-event winner for the Blue Dragons on Friday, winning the triple jump with a national qualifying mark of 47-1. He also won the long jump with a distance of 22-8 1/2.
Some other top performances for the Blue Dragons on Friday were:
+ Sophomore Matt Schrag finished third in the 5,000 meters with a PR time of 15:44.53, the fifth-fastest indoor 5,000 time in Blue Dragon history. Schrag was sixth in the Mile run in 4:53.73.
+ Freshman Cameron Delaney placed second in the 1,000 meters in a time of 2:43.78. He was third in the Mile run in a time of 4:39.71.
+ Freshman Zac Biel was runner-up in the high jump after clearing 6-2 3/4.
+ Freshman Brock Skelton was third in the triple jump with a distance of 40-6 1/2. He was fourth in the long jump at 20-6 1/2.
+ Freshman Clyedterrious Thompson was third in the long jump at 21-9 1/2.
The Blue Dragons have one more meet scheduled before the Region VI Championships in two weeks in Pittsburg. That will be Sunday, February 14 once again at Cowley College in Arkansas City.