KIBARAR LEADS WAY FOR NO. 7 BLUE DRAGONS AT ESU
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
EMPORIA – For the first time in his Hutchinson Community College men's cross country career, sophomore Sylvestre Kibarar finished as the Blue Dragons' top runner in a race.
Kibarar and fellow sophomore Andrew Kibet finished 2-3 to pace the No. 7-ranked Blue Dragons to a third-place finish at the Emporia State Invitational at Jones Park.
Despite four runners finishing in the Top 20, the Blue Dragons were edged by No. 1 Cloud County by a single point at Emporia State 51-52. Fort Hays State won the men's team title with 40 points.
Kibarar was running his ninth career race for the Blue Dragons. In each of his first eight, he finished behind Kibet. That all changed on Friday at ESU.
Kibarar had his best career individual placing with a second-place finish. His time was 26:19.43 over 8,000 meters. That time was 26 seconds faster than he ran at Emporia State last season.
Kibet was third overall with a time of 26:46.24. Sophomore Brett Hillabrand placed 15th with a time of 28:51.37. Jeffrey Klopf had a season's-best finish of 18th with a time of 29:11.91. Austin Lorenzo was the fifth runner to figure into the Dragon score. He placed 23rd 29:46.37.
Matthew Schrag placed 28th with a time of 30:19.90. Zach Haxton was 38th in 31.19.65 and Jacob McElhanon was 51st in a time of 33:35.80.
The Blue Dragons run next in two weeks at the Fort Hays State Tiger Open on October 12.