As the 2013 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field season begins for the Hutchinson Community College men’s team, all the usual questions are raised.

How many national qualifiers will the Blue Dragons get? How many school records will fall?

Those are short-term questions. Veteran HCC track and field head coach Pat Becher is looking at the season with a much broader view and is also looking long term.

“Obviously I want all of our kids to be successful and see how many we can qualify for nationals,” said Becher, whose Blue Dragons open the 2013 indoor season on Friday at the Johnson County Invitational. “I want to spend (the indoor season) getting our athletes back into shape and tuned up for the outdoor season.”

Hard to argue with Becher’s methods. In 2012, the Blue Dragons were fourth in the indoor Region VI championships and went on to win a second-straight Jayhawk West outdoor title and first Region VI outdoor crown since 1986.

“I train my kids for the long haul, not the short haul.” Becher said. “I would rather get them stronger and healthy so they are ready for the end of the season.”

But that doesn’t diminish what he thinks will be a very strong team in 2013 that should well in the indoor season. The Blue Dragons return seven indoor national qualifiers and eight outdoor qualifiers from 2012.

Sophomore Skylar Arneson (Nickerson) leads a strong group of throwers this season. Arneson was a four-time All-American and five-time national qualifiers between the indoor and outdoor seasons. Arneson was the outdoor national runner-up in the shot put as well as the eighth-place finisher in the discus and national qualifier in the hammer. In the 2012 indoor NJCAA championships, Arneson placed fourth in the weight throw (52 feet, 11 1/2 inches) and fifth in the shot put (50-11).

“Skylar is really throwing well,” Becher said. “His is really being heavily recruited and I expect big things from him.”

Another field athlete with high expectations is high jumper Spencer Amerin (Meade). Amerin was an outdoor All-American, tying for third at the outdoor nationals with a personal best 6-feet, 11 inches. Amerin was ninth in the indoor national championships after clearing 6-6 3/4.

“He is jumping very confidently,” Becher said of Amerin. “We are confident he will go over 7 feet this season.”

Other returning qualifiers for the Blue Dragons are:

+ Sophomore sprinter Juwan Cubit (Oklahoma City), who qualified last season in the indoor 60- and 200-meters and the outdoor 200 meters.

+ Sophomore sprinter Matthew Wright (Wichita), who qualified for the NJCAA indoor 600 and indoor 4×800 meter relay that finished eighth in 2012.

+ Sophomore middle-distance runner Isaac Williams (Pretty Prairie) who was part of HCC’s indoor qualifying 4×800 relay and outdoor 4×800 relay that finished third in the nation. Williams also qualified for the 2012 NJCAA cross country championships.

+ Sophomore Dakota Becker (Halstead), who was a national qualifier in both the indoor and outdoor national pole vaults.

+ Sophomore multi-event athlete Karson Becker (Pratt), who finished 11th in the NJCAA indoor heptathlon and 10th in the NJCAA outdoor decathlon.

+ Sophomore Brandon Koenigsman (Hutchinson), who was a 2012 outdoor national discus qualifier.

“I think we are pretty good in all of our events,” Becher said. “We might be the weakest in the long and triple jump, but there is potential there.”

The Blue Dragons will be bolstered in the sprints and relays with the return of Cubit, transfer runner DeAngelo Strickland (Chicago/Highland CC) and returning sophomore Devonte Smith (Hampton, SC).

HCC was void of points in 2012 in the hurdles. That should change this season with the addition of freshman Blake Wilkey (South Haven) and Tyler Barber (Herington), both whom won high school state hurdle championships.

National cross country qualifiers Orbelin Rojas (Phoenix) and John Murphy III (Wichita), both freshmen, will improve the long-distance point potential for Hutchinson in 2013.

“I think we will have some good indoor performances this season, but this group is really built for the outdoor season,” Becher said. “I think we are going to have a pretty strong men’s team.”

The 2013 Region VI Indoor Championships will be on Feb. 15 in Lawrence, while the NJCAA Indoor Championships will be March 8-9 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

(HCC Sports Information)