STEVE CARPENTER
HutchCC Sports Information
JOPLIN, Mo. – One of the goals that Hutchinson Community College women’s cross country runner Louise Cocking had for this season was to break 19 minutes in a 5,000-meter race.
The Blue Dragon sophomore achieved that on Saturday morning at the Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin, MO.
Cocking became only the third Blue Dragon women’s cross country runner to break 19 minutes. Cocking posted a time on Saturday of 18:56.42. Only Lisayo Ewoi in 2018 (18:29.10) and Ruth Limo in 2001 (18:50.0) have better 5K times in Blue Dragon history than Cocking.
The Blue Dragon All-American finished fourth overall in the MSSU Stampede, her sixth career Top 5 finish at Hutchinson.
The Blue Dragons finished sixth in the team standings with 163 points. Baker was the team champion in the junior college/NAIA division with 42 points. John Brown University’s Allika Pearson was the women’s individual champion with a time of 18:06.57.
Freshman Anastasia Meyer was the second Blue Dragon to cross the finish line on Saturday. Running her first collegiate race at 5,000 meters, Meyer finished 36th overall with a time of 21:09.12.
Freshman Michele Gage was 52nd in 21:56.55. Freshman Aidyn White was 56th in 22:14.27. Freshman Sydney Grauer was 57th in a time of 22:22.93.
Sophomore Jurney Yung was 61st in 22:41.70 and sophomore Izzy Wheeler was 68th in 22:59.23.
The Blue Dragons are off until Saturday, October 2nd when they will get an early look at the 2021 Region VI championship course with the Region VI Preview in Colby.