The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team matched its highest national ranking in team history when the NJCAA released the first regular-season poll of the 2011-2012 season on Wednesday morning.

The 4-0 Lady Dragons are ranked No. 3, which matches the highest ranking ever achieved. That came in 1978, a season after their first Region VI Championship.

Hutchinson has four decisive victories to start the 2011-12 season with wins over Hesston College, Labette, Neosho County and Marshalltown. HCC will go on the road for the first time this season to take on two tough Texas foes in Frank Phillips College and South Plains College in the Seward County Billy’s/Days Inn Classic in Liberal.

The Lady Dragons started the season ranked No. 7 in the preseason NJCAA poll, their highest preseason ranking and second Top 10 preseason ranking in as many seasons.

Dating back to last season, Hutchinson has been ranked in the Top 10 in four-straight polls. That’s the longest run in the Top 10 since a 16-week run during the 1977 and 1978 seasons.

Last season the Lady Dragons climbed as high as No. 5 in the national poll.

Hutchinson is one of three Jayhawk Conference teams ranked in the first regular-season poll. Independence is No. 10 and Seward County is No. 14.

Johnson County, Hutchinson’s first opponent in the Ramada Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 25 is ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA Division II poll.

Both games from the Billy’s/Days Inn Classic in Liberal will be videostreamed live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network. Air time each day will be 1:45 p.m.

(HCC Sports Information)