DRAGONS, BOX COMPLETE DOMINANT RUN AT NATIONAL PREVIEW
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
NEWTON – With a strong wind blowing a complete 180-degrees difference from Thursday's opening rounds, the No. 2-ranked Hutchinson Community College men's golf team completed a wire-to-wire finish to win the NJCAA National Preview by 20 strokes on Friday at Sand Creek Station.
Led by Preview individual champion Charlie Box, the Blue Dragons posted a final-round 297 on Friday to win its second tournament of the fall season with a 54-hole total of 885.
The Blue Dragons won its second NJCAA National Preview in team history. The last time Hutchinson won the National Preview was in Fall 2022 in Lubbock, Texas when the Blue Dragons won that tournament by a record 45 strokes and Ben Partridge was individual champion.
The NJCAA National Preview is an opportunity for NJCAA Division I teams to play the same course that will host the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships next May.
No. 7-ranked Western Texas was the team runner-up at the 2024 National Preview with a 905 team total after a final-round 298. No. 8 McLennan and Garden City tied for third at 909 and No. 3-ranked Odessa was fifth at 913 after shooting the low team score of the final round of 294.
Thursday's rounds were played with a strong south wind. That wind turned around to the north and temperatures were much colder at tee time on Friday with temperatures in the mid-50s after a high of 92 on Thursday.
After blistering Sand Creek Station on Thursday to the tune of 7-under par 137 through two rounds, Box shot an even-par 72 to win the individual title at 7-under 209. Box defeated tournament runner-up Adam Bresnu of Odessa by eight strokes. Bresnu carded a 69 on Friday.
This is Box's second tournament victory of the fall. He won the Sam Proal Classic in the season opener in September and finished with three Top three finishes in five fall tournaments.
Freshman Jaydon Carruthers tied for third on Friday at 3-over 219. Carruthers closed with a 3-over 75 after shooting back-to-back rounds of 72 on Thursday.
Sophomore Louis Ross posted a 1-over 73 and finished 11th at 226. Sophomore David Razinskas shot 78 on Friday and tied for 25th at 232. Freshman Jack Northgraves had a 77 on Friday and placed 39th with a 54-hole total of 236.
Blue Dragon individual Tyler Walker closed with a 76 on Friday and tied for 25th at 232. Individual player Cal Schultz was 62nd at 248 after a final-round 85.
The Blue Dragons complete the fall portion of the season with two team titles, a tie for second at the Bent Tree Intercollegiate and seventh- and eighth- place finishes in two NCAA Division I Tournaments this season.
The 2025 Spring season opens in March.