[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGONS SPORTS INFORMATION ]

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Community College freshman cross country runner Andrew Kibet’s first race as a Blue Dragon was a memorable one.

Kibet won the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic last Friday at Fun Valley and that performance earned the Blue Dragon Freshman United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National NJCAA Division I Runner of the Week honors.

Kibet became the first Hutch men’s cross country individual champion in two years in winning the Masterson Twilight Classic. That performance powered the Blue Dragons to their first team championship since 2016.

After a tight race for the first 3 1/2 miles, Kibet took charge in the last half mile, winning by a margin of 6.10 seconds with a time of 19:32.70.