By Steve Carperter-HCC Sports Information
Thursday, March 30, 2017

The NJCAA National Champion Hutchinson Community College Men’s Basketball team was in Topeka on Thursday to be honored by the Kansas State Legislature.

State Representative Steve Becker and State Senator Ed Berger made congratulatory speeches to honor the Blue Dragons after the won the 2017 national championship on Saturday at the Sports Arena with an 84-58 victory over Eastern Florida State in the title game.

The 2017 national championship is the third in program history. Hutchinson also won men’s basketball national titles in 1988 and 1994. The 2017 Blue Dragons finished with a record of 35-2.

The Blue Dragons started the morning in the state House of Representatives where Becker, a proud HutchCC alumnus, along with Rep. Patsy Terrell, introduced the team and travel party and gave head coach Steve Eck a Certificate of Recognition by the State House of Representatives.

A few minutes later, the Dragons moved through the rotunda to the State Senate chamber where Berger, the former President of Hutchinson Community College, offered a similar congratulatory speech and brought a resolution to the Senate floor to honor the national champion Blue Dragons.

Several members of the team weren’t present on Thursday because of spring break at the college. James “Papi” Conley, Trent Webster and Tiylar Cotton were players who were present as well as Coach Eck, assistant coaches Jay Cyriac and Cortland Carney and team manager Cody Baker. Also with the team were Hutchinson Community College president Dr. Carter File, HutchCC Director of Marketing Denny Stoecklein, Blue Dragon Athletic Director Josh Gooch, and assistant athletic directors Steve Kappenman and Scott Brooks.

The celebration of the 2017 national champions isn’t over yet. The Blue Dragon Championship Celebration will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Sports Arena.