BLUE DRAGONS OPEN NATIONAL MEET THURSDAY ON HOME TRACK

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Defending national champion David Thid opens his title defense to highlight Day 1 for the Hutchinson Community College men's and women's track and field teams at the 2025 NJCAA Outdoor Championships, which begin Thursday at Gowans Stadium.

This will be the eighth time that the new Gowans Stadium will play host to the NJCAA Outdoor Championships

BLUE DRAGON TRACK AND FIELD
NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships – Day 1
When: Thursday, May 15, 2025
Where: Gowans Stadium
Times
Multi Events – 9 a.m.
Field Events – 11 a.m.
Running Events – 5:00 p.m.
Live Results: Heartland Timing
Live Video: NJCAA Network (PPV) – 9 a.m.
CLICK FOR NJCAA CHAMPIONSHIP WEB SITE

As a freshman, Thid captured the 2024 NJCAA national championship in the 400-meter hurdles where he set a Blue Dragon record in the event of 50.76 seconds.

This takes the second-best time in the national into Thursday's preliminary round with a time of 51.00 seconds set at the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic on April 18.

Thursday's 400-meter preliminaries are scheduled for 6:15 p.m. and the finals are Saturday.

Blue Dragon 10,000-meter record holder Titus Kiprotich competes in the first of his three events on Thursday night with the men's 10,000 meters. That race has been pushed back to 9:20 p.m. because of potential heat issues. Kiprotich is ranked 10th in the nation (30:27.83) coming in and Blue Dragon freshman Cornelius Kogo is ranked 13th (30:55.96).

Sophomore Elisha Williams is ranked fourth in the men's long jump enter the championships. Williams' mark of 25-3 1/2 (7.70 meters) was actually set in the NJCAA Indoor national championships, which earned him third place. Williams opens the field events for the Blue Dragons at 11 a.m.

Thrower Deisheline Mayer Scott and distance runner Jordyn Picolet lead the Blue Dragon women on Day 1.

Mayer Scott competes in the first of her three events at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Her best performance in the hammer is 143 feet, 6 inches set at the Mark A. Phillips Classic in March.

Picolet goes after the school record in the 10,000 at 8:30 p.m. at Gowans. Picolet, who owns the 5,000-meter Blue Dragon record, has the second-fastest 10,000 time of 39.46.51.

Here is Thursday's Blue Dragon performance schedule for Day 1:
11 a.m. – Women's Hammer (State Fairgrounds): Deisheline Mayer Scott; Aiyanna Green
11 a.m. – Men's Long Jump: Elisha Williams
1 p.m. – Women's Pole Vault: Grace Bender, Alycea McCoy
2 p.m. – Men's Hammer (State Fairgrounds): Tyler Zehr
5 p.m. – Men's Pole Vault: Gregory Martinez; Jayce Spencer
5:45 p.m. – Men's 4x100 Relay Preliminary: Giovanni Jones, Rickyle Telemaque, D'Antonio Warren, Kebba Makalo
6:15 p.m. – Men's 400-Meter Hurdles Preliminary: David Thid
6:45 p.m. – Men's 400-Meter Preliminary: Da'Shawn Lester
8:30 p.m. – Women's 10,000 Meters: Jordyn Picolet
9:20 p.m. – Men's 10,000 Meters: Titus Kiprotich, Cornelius Kogo.