HANSEN, KIBARAR PUNCH TICKETS TO NATIONALS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

PITTSBURG – The Hutchinson Community College men's track and field team picked up two new NJCAA qualifiers on Friday during Day 1 of the fourth annual Gorilla Classic.

Pole vaulter Myles Hansen and distance runner Sylvestre Kibarar became the 11th and 12th Blue Dragon men's qualifiers at Pittsburg State's Plaster Center, the site of the 2019 Region VI and NJCAA Indoor championships.

Hansen placed seventh on Friday with a clearance of 14 feet, 7 1/2 inches to qualify for the second-straight season.

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Kibarar qualified in his second individual event when he posted a national qualifying time of 15 minutes, 12.77 seconds to finish 26th in the 5,000 meters.

A handful of other Blue Dragons competed on Friday at the Gorilla Classic.

+ Brock Appiah advanced to Saturday's preliminary round of the 60 meters. Appiah was one of 16 runners to advance and posted the seventh fastest time with a mark of 6.96 seconds. Appiah did not advance in the 200 meters with a 28th place time of 22.18 seconds

+ Jared Scott advanced to the 200 meter prelims. He qualified 15th in 21.96 seconds.

+ Elilah Smith placed 11th in the 600-yard run with a time of 1:14.07. Converting his time of 600 meters, Smith just missed qualifying for nationals by .45 seconds.

+ On the women's side, sophomore Hannah Smith placed seventh in the women' weight throw. Her best throw was 51-11 1/4.

+ Jewel Bolden advanced to Saturday's preliminaries in the 60-meter hurdles. She posted the fourth-best time in qualifying with a mark of 8.99 seconds. Bolden also played 18th in the long jump with a top jump of 17-8 1/4, just missing a national qualifying mark.

The Blue Dragons will compete on Saturday at both the Gorilla Classic and Scottie Classic in Highland.