DRAGONS PLACE 4TH AT NJCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLICK FOR COMPLETE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – One of the best overall seasons in Hutchinson Community College Women's Cross Country history closed with the best finish in a Division I national championship on Saturday.

The No. 3-ranked Blue Dragons placed fourth in the 2022 NJCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championships at Apalachee Regional Park.

The fourth-place finish is the best placing for the Blue Dragons in a Division I national championship. The 2001 Blue Dragons won the NJCAA Division II national championship. The previous best Division I national finish was seventh in 2020.

Freshman Serenity Larson earned third-team All-America honors with a 12th-place performance. Larson, who was Hutchinson's top runner in every race this season, is the 10th NJCAA All-American in Hutchinson women's history.

Larson, who earlier this season broke the Blue Dragon Women's Cross Country record for 5,000 meters, ran a time of 19:01.1 on Saturday. She was the third-highest Region VI placer on Saturday.

The Region VI and Jayhawk West champion Blue Dragons finished behind Southern Idaho (61 points), New Mexico Junior College (79 points) and Salt Lake (95 points) in the team standings. Dodge City placed eighth, Cloud County was ninth and Garden City was 11th.

Freshmen took the next two spots in the Hutchinson finishing order.

Taylor Hoskinson placed 34th with a time of 19:55.2. Gracie Lambert was close behind in 36th with a time of 19:55.2.

Sophomore Louise Cocking closed her stellar Blue Dragon career with a 45th-place performance in a time of 20:14.4. Freshman Adaline Fulmer was the fifth runner to figure in the scoring, placing 65th in 20:54.8.

Sophomore Courtney Baetz and freshman Lauren Aden were 77th and 78th, respectively. Baetz's time was 21:15.9. Aden ran a time of 21:16.1.

El Paso's Faith Nyathi won the individual national title in 17:47.8.