LAWRENCE, KS – After a frustrating regular season, the postseason started off rather nicely for the Hutchinson Community College men’s golf team.

The Blue Dragons captured the program’s 17th Region VI championship under adverse conditions on Tuesday at Alvamar Country Club. Hutchinson also qualified for their 14th consecutive NJCAA National Tournament and 17th national appearance overall with a runner-up performance in the NJCAA District III final standings.

Hutchinson will now compete in the 2014 NJCAA Men’s Division I National Championship on May 13-16 at Spirit Hollow Golf Club in Burlington, Iowa.

The Blue Dragons entered Tuesday’s final 18 holes with a 16-stroke lead in the Region VI standings and trailed Indian Hills by seven strokes in the district standings.

In wet, drizzly, cold and breezy conditions – temperature at tee off at 8:30 a.m. was 44 degrees with a light rain – the Blue Dragons posted a 311 team score after back-to-back 304s on Monday.

While no Blue Dragons shot low on Tuesday, all four scored that counted were within four strokes of each other to maintain a comfortable working margin through the final round. Freshman Dominic Lara was the low Blue Dragon on Tuesday with a 5-over 76. Freshman Fraser Dawson shot a 77, freshman Dax Shaw shot a 78 and sophomore Jordan Hecker carded an 80.

The Blue Dragons finished with a 919 team total, finishing 10 strokes better than Region VI runner-up and Jayhawk Conference champion Dodge City (929).

Hutchinson finished 17 strokes behind Indian Hills (902) for the District III title and 10 strokes ahead of Dodge City in the district team standings.

The Region VI championship is the first for Hutchinson since 2011 and the sixth won under head coach Chris Young. The district runner-up finish was the best for Hutchinson since 2009 when the Blue Dragons won District III.

Individually, Hecker finished as the Blue Dragons low scorer. Entering the day just one stroke off the district lead, the sophomore’s 80 led to an eighth-place district finish at 229 (74-75-80). Hecker finished third in the Region VI standings and earned first-team All-Region honors.

Dawson also earned first-team all-Region VI honors and he tied for fifth in the region and tied for ninth in the district at 230. Dawson’s rebound second round on Monday of 72 after an opening 81 put the Dragons in great team position on Tuesday.

Shaw was a second-team All-Region VI performer after a 54-hole total of 231 (76-77-78). He tied for seventh in the region and tied for 13th in the district.

Lara was 11th in the region and tied for 18th in the district at 233 (76-81-76). He also earned second-team All-Region honors.

Freshman Alex Schremmer tied for 14th in the region and tied for 24th in the district standings at 239 (78-80-81).

Blue Dragon individual player Elliott Leonard was 46th in the district and 32nd in Region VI at 253 (85-84-84).

Indian Hills’ Colin Pearson was the individual champion, defeating teammate George Trujillo in a playoff for medalist honors. Both players shot 8-over 224s. Indian Hills had the top four individual golfers.

Barton’s Jeremie Eloy won the Region VI individual championship.

All-Region VI First Team

Jeremie Eloy, Barton

Zach Kirby, Dodge City

Jordan Hecker, Hutchinson

Parker Miller, Johnson County

Charlie Rinehart, Johnson County

Fraser Dawson, Hutchinson

 All-Region VI Second Team

Tristan Abts, Johnson County

Dax Shaw, Hutchinson

Hugh Campbell, Dodge City

Jack Rickabaugh, Dodge City

Dominic Lara, Hutchinson