KIPROTICH, KOGO BREAK BLUE DRAGON 8K RECORD AT REGION 6 PREVIEW
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
WINFIELD – The Hutchinson Community College men's cross country team joined the women's team in the re-write of the Blue Dragon record books on Saturday.
Both Titus Kiprotich and Cornelius Kogo broke the Blue Dragon men's 8,000-meter record to lead the No. 5-ranked Hutchinson men to a third-place finish at the Region 6 Preview at the Kansas Veterans Home, the site of the 2024 Region 6 Championships in two weeks.
Both Kiprotich and Kogo finished in the Top 10 to lead the Dragons, who scored 56 points with an average time of 24:53.73.
CLICK FOR COMPLETE REGION 6 PREVIEW RESULTS
No. 4-ranked Butler won the team title with 38 points. Eighth-ranked Crowder was second with 52 points and the Blue Dragons were third. The Dragons defeated both Butler and Crowder two weeks ago at the Chili Pepper Festival.
Kiprotich broke the Blue Dragon 8K record with a fifth-place time of 23:49.64, beating his career-best time set two weeks ago by 50 seconds.
Kogo was 10 seconds behind Kiprotich, also breaking the old 8K record, placing sixth with a time of 23:59.12
Kiprotich and Kogo surpassed the tied record of 24:01.8, originally set in 1976 by David Zuk and matched in 2018 by Andrew Kibet.
Freshman Thaddaeus Rotich posted the 18th-fastest Blue Dragon time and finished 18th with a time of 25:21.92. Freshman Farrin Mangelson placed 20th in a time of 25:40.62.
Freshman Kaden Lohrentz placed 21st with a time of 25:47.32. David Ultreras as 22nd in a time of 26:04.90. Blake Yoder was 58th in a time of 28:31.39.
The Blue Dragons next run at the Region 6 Championships on Friday, October 25 at the Kansas Veterans Home in Winfield.
BLUE DRAGON MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TOP 8K TIMES
1. Titus Kiprotich – 2024 -- 23:49.6
2. Cornelius Kogo- 2024 -- 23:59.1
3. David Zuk –1976 -- 24:01.8
Andrew Kibet – 2018 -- 24:01.8
5. Dennis Weber –1976 -- 24:12.5
6. Bill Robinson – 1976 -- 24:22.3
7. Dennis Cheruiyot – 2024 -- 24:22.9
8. Tim Rockhotlz –1976 -- 24:30.7
9. Sylvestre Kibarar – 2019 -- 24:32.2
10. Monty Johnson – 1980 -- 24:53.4