The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team made history on Wednesday, climbing to No. 1 in the NJCAA Women’s Division I basketball poll for the first time in the program’s 39-year history.
The Lady Dragons (16-0) made the move to the top rung on the NJCAA ladder after former No. 1 North Idaho lost to Salt Lake earlier this month.
Hutchinson is the third team to be ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA poll this season. Trinity Valley started No. 1 and was replaced by North Idaho.
The Lady Dragons become the first Jayhawk Conference Division I team to be ranked No. 1 since Seward County opened the 2007-08 poll as the nation’s top team. HCC is the first Jayhawk Conference team to be ranked No. 1 during a regular-season poll since Cloud County held the top spot for three weeks in the 2006-07 season.
For the first time in Jayhawk Conference history, the league has two No. 1 teams. Highland moved into the NJCAA Division II top slot on Wednesday as well.
The HCC women’s basketball team is the second Blue Dragon athletic team to reach No. 1 in this athletic season. The HCC women’s soccer team was ranked No. 1 for five weeks this past fall.
The Top 5 teams this week are Hutchinson, North Idaho, Trinity Valley, Central Arizona and Gulf Coast State College. Garden City is No. 10 this week. Hutchinson defeated Garden City 61-46 on Monday night.
Hutchinson plays at 12-3 Butler on Wednesday evening.
With this week’s ranking, Hutchinson has now been ranked in 24-straight polls in which it has been ranked in the Top 10. The Lady Dragons have appeared in 41-straight and 51 of the last 53 polls dating back to 2009.
(HCC Sports Information)
NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POLL
Record Points Last Week
1. Hutchinson CC (8) 16-0 200 2
2. North Idaho College 18-1 192 1
3. Trinity Valley CC 14-1 184 5
4. Central Arizona College 14-1 176 8
5. Gulf Coast State College 16-1 168 9
6. Shelton State CC (1) 16-0 160 6
7. Northwest Florida State College (1) 15-1 152 3
8. Walters State CC 12-1 144 10
9. Georgia Highlands College 14-1 136 7
10. Garden City CC 15-1 128 10
11. Chipola College 16-1 120 12
12. Blinn College 15-0 112 14
13. Gillette College 14-2 104 13
14. Collin County CC 14-1 96 15
15. Mineral Area College 15-1 88 15
16. Iowa Western CC 15-2 80 4
17. Southwestern Illinois College 7-1 72 17
18. Darton State College 15-2 64 24
19. Redlands CC 10-2 56 19
20. South Plains CC 13-2 48 NR
21. Salt Lake CC 10-6 40 20
22. Tallahassee CC 11-4 32 22
23. Sheridan CC 11-4 24 NR
24. Gadsden State CC 12-3 16 21
25. Harford CC 13-1 8 25
Other schools receiving votes: State Fair CC (12-3); Moberly Area CC (14-2); Northern Oklahoma-Enid (10-5); Lawson State CC (10-3); Copiah-Lincoln CC (8-3); Wallace State CC (10-5); Wabash Valley College (5-5); Volunteer State CC (11-1); Lake Region State College (8-2); Crowder College (13-3); Colorado Northwestern CC (12-6); Cochise College (14-2); Odessa College (10-3); Florida State College/Jacksonville (12-6); Pensacola State College (11-4); Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (9-4); Monroe CC (9-4).