2021 CHAMPION DRAGONS START NO. 1 IN 2022 PRESEASON RANKINGS
BUSHNELL/GOLF WEEK NJCAA DIVISION I
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| Team | Points | 21 NJCAA Finish | |
| 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. T10. T10. |
Hutchinson (5) Odessa Midland Western Texas Indian Hills Garden City McLennan Iowa Western Ranger 11 Jefferson State Dodge City |
50 43 42 25 23 20 18 13 11 8 8 |
Champion 2 3 T4 7 T4 6 8 T9 T9 18 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Eastern Florida State, 6; New Mexico JC, 5; Central Alabama, 3 | |||
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The defending NJCAA Division I Men's Golf national champion Hutchinson Community College men's golf team starts the 2021-22 season off wearing the No. 1 target, according the Golf Coaches Association of America.
The Blue Dragons are the No. 1 team in the preseason Bushnell/Golfweek preseason rankings, which are compiled by the GCAA and released on Friday.
Hutchinson won its first team national championship on May 13 in Lubbock, Texas with a nine-stroke victory over Odessa College.
With three major contributors from that team returning, the Blue Dragons have been tapped as the preseason No. 1 team. The Blue Dragons received all five first-place votes.
The remainder of the Top 5 has Odessa College, Midland College, Western Texas College and Indian Hills. Garden City, which tied for fourth last season in the NJCAA national tournament, is ranked sixth to start the season. Dodge City is tied for 10th in the preseason rankings with Jefferson State.
This is Hutchinson's first preseason No. 1 ranking in program history. The Blue Dragons started last season No. 4 and didn't reach No. 1 until the first spring poll of 2021.
The Blue Dragons have three returning All-Americans from the 2021 national championship team.
Defending national champion as well as Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year and Phil Mickelson Most Outstanding Freshman Ben Partridge leads the Blue Dragons returnees for the 2021-22 season.
The 2021 NJCAA national individual runner-up, as well as Nicklaus and Mickelson Award finalist and NJCAA District III champion, Harry Crockett also returns.
Both Partridge and Crockett were PING first-team All-Americans.
Third-team NJCAA All-American Cameron Rios-Ceballos and returning sophomore Charlie Hilton, the championship team alternate, also return for the Blue Dragons.
Hutchinson will play in four fall tournaments to open the first half of the season.
The Blue Dragons' fall tournaments are at:
Sept. 27-28 at Missouri Southern Invitational (Shangri-la CC, Monkey Island, OK)
Oct. 3-5 at West Texas A&M Invitational (Amarillo CC, Amarillo, TX)
Oct. 11-12 at Midwestern State Fall Invite (Wichita Falls CC, Wichita Falls, TX)
Nov. 4-5 at NJCAA National Preview (Odessa CC, Odessa, TX)