By Steve Carpenter
Hutchinson CC Sports Information Director
Unlike his men's team and all of its returning experience, Hutchinson Community College head coach Jafet Molinares' Blue Dragon women's team underwent a complete roster turnover for 2025.
Six freshman runners begin their collegiate careers Friday for the Blue Dragons when they compete in the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic, which begins at 8:30 p.m. at Fun Valley.
"I'm very excited about this team," said Molinares, who is in his third season at Hutchinson. "We have a nice combination of distance runners and middle distance girls. We have some good Kansas girls and we have a lot of girls who put in a lot of miles this summer. I'm looking forward to Friday with this group."
Last season the Blue Dragons finished second in both the Jayhawk West and in Region 6. The Blue Dragons closed the season with a sixth-place finish at the 2024 NJCAA Division I Championships. Faith Jepchirchir was the individual national runner-up and Jordyn Picolet earned NJCAA Coaches Association All-America honors.
Regardless of the complete roster turnover, the Blue Dragon women start the season ranked No. 15 in the USTFCCCA/NJCAA Division I Preseason rankings, one of six Jayhawk Conference teams to be ranked.
"I'm a little shocked we are ranked, but I also think that is super exciting," Molinares said. "Last year the guys started No. 10 and we wound up No. 3. No. 15 is a great spot for the girls to start the season."
The 2025 Blue Dragons have four international runners and two in-state runners making up the roster.
The international runners are Mildred Rono (Iten, Kenya) Mali Lovett (Adelaide, Australia), Ashara Frater (Trelawni, Jamaica) and Sabrina McDonald (Kingston, Jamaica).
Kimberlin Lovell (Rose Hill) and Eva Ramey (McPherson) are the in-state runners. Last season Lovell finished 15th at the Kansas State Class 4A Championships with a time of (21:06.63). Ramey was 22nd in that same race with a time of 21:33.35.
The Blue Dragons open the season with the Masterson Twilight and will run their first 5K race on September 20 at the Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin, Missouri.