By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information
PITTSBURG - Hutchinson Community College sophomore distance runner Teagan Flanagan continues to shine the brightest on the NJCAA stage.
Back in November, Flanagan became an NJCAA All-American with a fifth-place showing in the 2020 NJCAA Cross Country Championships. Friday at the Plaster Center in Pittsburg, the Blue Dragon sophomore added two more All-America awards to his resume.
Flanagan was the national runner-up on Friday in the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships men's 5,000 meters. He reached the medal stand once again later on Friday with a sixth-place finish in the 3,000 meters.
Both of Flanagan's times were Blue Dragon indoor track and field school records.
Flanagan's second-place 5,000-meter time was 14:48.68, which shattered the old indoor 5K record of Sylvestre Kibarar of 14:59.76 at the 2020 NJCAA Championships. Flanagan is a first-team All-American in the 5,000.
Flanagan posted a 3,000-meter time of 8:31.79, earning third-team All-America honors. He again beat Kibarar's old record. Kibarar ran 8:42.33 last year in the national championships.
Flanagan's national runner-up finish in the 5,000 gives Blue Dragon track three straight indoor season with either a national runner-up or national champion. That hasn't happened since the 2006-08 seasons. Kyle Roberts was the 2006 national men's Pentathlon runner-up. Teddy Poole won the 2007 200-meter national championship and was 60-meter national runner-up in 2008.
The Blue Dragons had one other athlete reach the medal stand when freshman high jumper Zach Biel tied for fifth on Friday. Biel cleared 6 feet, 4.75 inches.
The Blue Dragons are tied for ninth after Day 1 with 14.5 points.
Jumper Erick Johnson finished 14th in the men's long jump on Friday. His best jump was 21-5.5 inches. Cleydterrious Thompson placed 16th in the long jump at 20-3.75.
Sprinter Donovan Hines ran a 60-meter preliminary time of 7.00 seconds, which was 20th in the prelim round. He didn't advance to Saturday's finish.
Johnson is the lone Blue Dragon to compete on Saturday when he competes in the men's triple jump, scheduled for 11:30 a.m..