[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]
[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]
PITTSBURG, Kan. — Freshman Gabby Collins picked up two national qualifications and Hannah Smith broke the third school record of the Region VI Indoor Championships for the Hutchinson Community College women’s track and field team Pittsburg State’s Plaster Center.
Collins qualified in both individually in the 1,000 meters and as part of the Blue Dragon 4×800-meter relay team.
Smith became the third Hutch athlete to break a school record this weekend, breaking her own record in the weight throw. Also breaking records this weekend were Jewell Bolden (long jump) and Tatyana Hopkins (60 meters).
The Blue Dragons finished fifth in the region standings with 51 points. Barton won the women’s team title with 174 points, followed by Cloud County with 120 points, Cowley with 115 points and Highland with 66 points.
Picking up three new qualifiers for the NJCAA Indoor Championships, the Blue Dragons will seven qualifiers back to Pittsburg on March 1-2.
Collins’ day started with the 4×800 relay. The team of Sarah Patteson, Collins, Christina Bruce and Saw Ahmara qualified for nationals in a time of 9 minutes, 58.91 seconds, which was third in the region. That time is also the third-fastest in Blue Dragon indoor history.
Already a national qualifier, Smith bettered her record that she established in January at the Jayhawk Classic in Lawrence. Smith finished as Region VI runner-up with a record throw of 52 feet, 10 3/4 inches. She beat her previous best by 10 feet, one-quarter inch.
Hutchinson had several other point scorers on Saturday:
+ How loaded was the Region VI women’s 60-meter hurdles field this weekend? Take into consideration that Hutch’s Jewel Bolden lowered her personal best in the event twice to 8.94 seconds in Saturday’s finals. She finished fifth and two runners broke the old Region VI record. Bolden’s time is the second fastest in Hutch indoor history.
+ Freshman Sheila Too finished fifth in the 3,000 meters with a time of 11:20.76. She then finished seventh in the mile with a time of 5:37.90, which is the fifth-fastest time in Hutch indoor history.
+ Patteson placed seventh in the 1,000 meters in a time of 3:15.55.
+ The Dragons had two point-scorers in the triple jump. Destini Mathis was seventh with a jump of 33-10 3/4. Claire Olson was eighth with a jump of 33.8 3/4.
+ America Garcia placed eighth in the mile run with a time of 5:57.40.
For the men, sophomore Elijah Smith has been knocking on the door of the NJCAA Indoor Championships in the 600 meters all season long.
Smith kicked that 600-meter door in on Saturday at Pittsburg State’s Plaster Center and broke a school record in the process.
Smith finished fifth in the Region VI 600 with a national qualifying time of 1 minute, 20.55 seconds. Smith broke the Blue Dragon record of Stein Desir in 2016. He became the 18th Blue Dragon qualifier for the 2019 NJCAA Indoor Championships which at the Plaster Center on March 1 and 2.
Freshman Brett Hillabrand earned his fourth NJCAA qualification, running the leadoff leg of the 4×800-meter relay for the Blue Dragons. Hillabrand, Connor Kaufman, Tony Ibarra and Jason Luft finished as Region VI runner-up on Saturday with a national qualifying time of 7 minute, 55.34 seconds. That is the fifth-fastest time in Blue Dragon indoor history.
The Blue Dragon men finished fourth in the team standings with 58 points. Cloud County captured the men’s team title with 172.5 points. Barton was second with 155 points and Coffeyville was third with 145.5 points.
The Blue Dragons had several other point scorers on Saturday:
+ Freshman Sylvestre Kibarar placed fourth in the mile run with a time of 4:26.50 and then placed sixth in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:55.85.
+ Sprinter Jared Scott placed fourth in the 200-meter finals with a time of 21.49 seconds and placed fifth in the 60 finals in a time of 7.35 seconds.
+ Sprinter Brock Appiah moved up to fourth on the all-time Blue Dragon 200-meter list with a seventh-place Region VI time of 21.80 seconds.
+ Hillabrand and Kaufman moved up the Blue Dragon charts in the 1,000 meters. Hillabrand was fifth with a PR of 2:33.24, which is fourth-best in Hutch history. Kaufman was eighth in 2:34.42, which is seventh in Blue Dragon indoor history.
+ Kade Gerlach placed eighth in the 3,000 meters in a time of 9:11.81.