DRAGONS QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS FOR 25TH-CONSECUTIVE SEASON
CLICK FOR FINAL PLAINS DISTRICT RESULTS
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
SPRINGFIELD, Missouri – For the 25th-consecutive season, the Hutchinson Community College men's golf team has qualified for the NJCAA Division I Championships.
The No. 7-ranked Blue Dragons finished second on Tuesday at the Plains District Tournament, earning one of the three automatic team qualifying spot for the 2026 national championships, which will be May 12-15 at Sand Creek Station in Newton.
The Blue Dragons posted their second-straight and 15th Top 3 finish at a district qualifying tournament since the NJCAA went to the district qualifying format in 2007.
Hutchinson finished with a 54-hole total at 5-over 869. Indian Hills won the team championship with a dominant 23-under score of 841. Garden City earned the third automatic qualifying spot at 900.
The Blue Dragons counted scores in Tuesday's final round, which was delayed twice by weather, from Corey Scullion and Grant Hatzenbuehler, who shot rounds of 70, a 74 from Jack Northgraves and a 75 from Hugo Duquaine.
Three Blue Dragon golfers finished in the Top 10 at the district tournament.
Scullion was the top individual Blue Dragons who finished at 1-under 215. Scullion overcame three early bogeys over his first four holes and finished the round playing 4-under over the final 14 holes, including a birdie on the 503-yard, par-5 18th hole.
Duquaine finished tied for fifth at 218. Northgraves also tied for fifth at 218.
Hatzenbuehler made the biggest jump of any Blue Dragon on Tuesday, moving up eight spots to finish 13th at 221 with a 2-under 70 in the final round. After starting the tournament with an 80 on Monday morning, Hatzenbuehler played the final 36 holes in 3-under par.
Joe Austin shot a 77 on Tuesday and closed in a 23rd-place tie at 229.
The best Blue Dragon round on Tuesday came from Hutchinson individual player Matt Vearncombe, who had a six birdie round of 69 and tied for eighth at 219.
Indian Hills' Charlie Preston won the individual title at 13-under 203, winning the tournament by four strokes with a final round 69.