Hutchinson Community College’s Faith Jepchirchir, a freshman from Kenya, won the women’s three-mile race at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic Friday night at Fun Valley Sports Complex. Jepchirchir set a women’s meet record time of 18 minutes, 16.93 seconds. She is the first Blue Dragon runner to win the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic women’s race. (Photo courtesy of Blue Dragon Sports/HutchCC Sports Information).
Hutchinson Community College’s Faith Jepchirchir won the women’s three-mile race at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic Friday night at Fun Valley Sports Complex in Hutchinson, posting a women’s meet-record time of 18 minutes, 16.93 seconds.
Jepchirchir, a freshman from Kenya, is the first HutchCC Blue Dragon runner to win the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic women’s race.
Teammate Jordyn Picolet placed sixth with a time of 18:43.42, Abigail Grantham 14th in 19:47.64, Ava Lemaster 19th in 20:10.64 and Laura Avila 23rd in 20:33.87.
The HutchCC women’s team also features transfer Rio Kirven and freshman Lillian Mateo Torrez, who did not compete in the Masterson meet.
Butler Community College’s Elizabeth Hernandez placed second with a time of 18:33.42, followed by Wichita State University runners Faith Ekart (Sterling High School) and Isabelle Hartnett in third and fourth place with times of 18:35.71 and 18:38.18. Garden City’s Maryeme Mai was fifth in 18:41.17.
HutchCC’s Dennis Cheruiyot, a freshman from Kenya, placed second in the men’s four-mile race with a time of 19:47.95. Teammate Cornelius Kogo, also a freshman from Kenya, placed fifth in 20:12.22.
HutchCC’s Titus Kiprotich placed seventh, 20:32.51; Buhler freshman Kaden Lohrentz, 24th, 21:48.43; David Ultreras, 26th, 21:55.46; and Hutchinson Central Christian freshman Blake Yoder, 40th, 23:21.25.
Blue Dragons Leo LeGrand and Thaddaeus Rotich did not compete.
Butler Community College’s Emmanuel Otis won the men’s race with a time of 19:47.95 and teammate Itumeleng Ngxabazi placed third in 20:04.84. Northwest Kansas Technical College’s Kabelo Maja placed fourth in 20:11.72.
Wichita State won the women’s team title with 42 points, followed by HutchCC with 63, Dodge City 79, Butler CC 84, Garden City 110 and Barton CC 172.
Butler CC won the men’s title with 34 points, followed by HutchCC with 64, Wichita State 76, Northwest Tech 76, Garden City 152, Barton CC 176, Dodge City 204, Bethany 219, Coffeyville 225, Neosho 253, Hesston 255 and Pratt 360.
The HutchCC cross country teams compete in the Chili Pepper Festival race Sept. 28 at the University of Arkansas cross country course in Fayetteville, Ark..
The Blue Dragon cross country teams compete at the Cowley Tiger Invitational Oct. 12 at Quail Ridge Golf Course in Winfield, the Region VI Championships Oct. 25 at Quail Ridge and the NJCAA Division I National Championship Nov. 9 at Pole Green Park in Richmond, Va.
Buhler’s Anika Paulsrud places 4th at 4A State Preview golf tournament
Buhler High School’s Anika Paulsrud placed fourth at the Class 4A State Preview tournament Thursday with a 78 score.
The tournament took place on the Hesston Golf Course.
Macy Miller posted a 94 to place 29th, followed by Juliette Stark 104 to place 48th, Paitlyn Weber 108 for 57th, Harley Terrell 109 for 59th and Gracin Bergmeier 113 for 67th.
Buhler placed seventh in the team competition with a 384 score. Wamego won the team title with 343, followed by Topeka Hayden 348, Wellington 353, Winfield 370, McPherson 373 and Baldwin 379.
Augusta placed eight with a 387 score, followed by Shawnee Mission Bishop Miege 396. Chanute 396, Pratt 409, Independence 421, Eudora 436, Rose Hill 447, Coffeyville 450 and Andale 465.
Wamego’s Addison Douglass took first-place individual medalist honors with a 2 under par score of 69. Lili Simpson was second at 3-over-par 74 and McPherson’s Andy Buschbom was third with a +7 78.
The Crusaders will host a tournament Tuesday at the Crazy Horse Golf Club.
Buhler varsity, JV girls tennis teams compete at Hesston, Maize South
The Buhler High School girls tennis team opened the season with a third-pace finish Thursday at the Heston Invitational.
Buhler’s Sofia Spies placed first in No. 1 singles. The No. 2 doubles team of Katelyn Harding and Danyka Sutton placed third. The No. 1 doubles team of Ashlyn Coker and Addie Caywood placed fourth.
While the varsity team was competing in Hesston, the Crusaders’ junior varsity squad placed sixth at the Maize South Invitational.
The No. 2 doubles team of Tesslyn Strawn and McKenzie Hamel placed fourth, Audrey Koster placed fifth at No. 1 singles, Brailey McIntire was fifth in No. 2 singles and the No. 1 doubles team of Naomi Cano and Megan Hatch placed sixth.
The Buhler varsity team competes at the Salina Central dual tournament Saturday, the Wellington Invitational Tuesday and the Maize Invitational Thursday.
Former HutchCC football player will start for Arkansas
According to ksn.com sports, Ashton Ngo, an Andover native who played football at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Arkansas, has been named the starting short snapper.
Ngo was already working as the first-team long snapper for punts for the Razorbacks in fall camp, but will now also handle snaps for the field goal unit after the departure of Eli Stein, who left the program Wednesday.
On top of that, Ngo was awarded a full scholarship by Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, he announced Wednesday.
“Ashton Ngo was our starter at punt snapping anyway,” Pittman said. “It was a very close battle there with the short (field goal) snapping. He was going to be that regardless of what happened, and will certainly take over the short snapping as well, yes.”
Ngo played long snapper in 16 games for Hutchinson during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He transferred to Arkansas ahead of the 2023 season, which he redshirted.
Hey Michael, Gina — could you fix the byline?