Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The 2023 Region VI Outdoor Track and Field Championships open Thursday in Coffeyville, but the Hutchinson Community College men's and women's track and field teams don't begin competition until Friday afternoon at Veterans' Memorial Stadium.

Field events on Friday begin at 4 p.m. with running events at 5 p.m. Then on Championship Day Saturday, field events open at 11 a.m. with running events at Noon.

When the competition opens for the Blue Dragons on Friday, Hutchinson men's team has already secured nine qualifiers for the upcoming NJCAA Championships in two weeks in Hobbs, New Mexico. The Blue Dragon women have four qualifiers for nationals.

Entering regionals, the Blue Dragon men have 10 different athletes or relays ranked in the NJCAA Top 20. Hutchinson's women have nine athletes in the Top 20 of the national leaders.

BLUE DRAGON WOMEN IN TOP 20
Freshman Madelyn Hernandez ranked in the Top 20 twice this season and owns one of the Blue Dragons' national qualifying marks. Hernandez is eighth in the NJCAA in the high jump. Hernandez cleared 5-5 3/4 (1.67m) at the Mark A Phillips Classic in March. She is just .25 seconds off the qualifying mark in the 100-meter hurdles. Hernandez is 19th in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.96 seconds, set at the K.T. Woodman Classic.

The Blue Dragons have two athletes in the Top 5 of the NJCAA rankings.

Pole vaulter Violet Martinez is fifth after clearing 10-7 at the Bethel College Invitational in April

Sophomore thrower Lushous Davis unleashed the second-best hammer throw in Blue Dragon history last week in Winfield with a throw of 156-6 (47.30m). Davis also ranks 16th in the discus with a throw of 126-5 (38.53m).

Hutchinson's other national qualifier, freshman, Liberty Limon, ranks 15th in the high jump at 5-3 3/4 (1.62m).

The Blue Dragons have three non-qualifiers ranking in the nation's Top 20.

Pole vaulter Alivia Noll is eighth in the nation at 9-9 1/4 (2.98m).

Pole vaulter Kiana Brown is 11th in the nation at 9-6 1/4 (2.90m).

Pole vaulter Raylee Johnson is 20th at 8-1 1/4 (2.47m).

BLUE DRAGON MEN IN TOP 20
Two-time individual qualifier Caleb Manning has qualified in both the triple and long jumps. Manning ranks eighth in the nation in the triple jump (24 feet, 0 1.2 inches-7.32 meters) and ninth in the triple jump (48-8 3/4-14.85m).

Sophomore Dimetre Browne is the highest-ranked Blue Dragon, sitting fifth in the nation in the long jump at 24-5 1/2 (7.45m). Browne is also a two-event qualifier this season, also punching his ticket in the 400 meters. His qualifying time of 48.06 seconds is 40th in the NJCAA.

Sophomore national 400-meter hurdler qualifier Sharim Hamilton ranks 11th in the nation, running a K.T. Woodman winning time of 43.08 seconds.

Pole vaulters Nathaniel Hein and Brayden Peterson rank Nos. 13 and 14. Hein cleared 14-6 1/4 (4.43m) at Friends University. Peterson cleared 14-6 (4.41m) at Tabor.

Hutchinson's 4x100 relay qualified last week at the Mike Kirkland Southwestern Relays with a time of 41.44 seconds, which is 18th in the NJCAA.

The Blue Dragon men have three Top 20 performers who are just off their national qualifying marks.

Noah Raigoza ranks 14th in the javelin with a throw of 162-8 (49.59m).

Alexander Holt is 20th in the 110-meter hurdles and is just .11 seconds off the national qualifying time.

Hutchinson's 4x400 relay team is .76 seconds off national qualifying time, sitting 20th at 3:17.93.

Blue Dragon distance runner Carsyn Turpin qualified in the 10,000 meters and sits just outside the nation's Top 20. Turpin ran a time of 32:36.24 at the K.T. Woodman Classic. That time is 22nd in the NJCAA.