THID BREAKS OWN 400 HURDLE RECORD AT ALEX FRANCIS CLASSIC

David This breaks the Blue Dragon 400-meter hurdle record for the second time this season after winning the FHSU Alex Francis Classic with a time of 51.14 seconds. (Photo courtesy Ryan Prickett/FHSU Media Relations).

April 24, 2024

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

HAYS – Hutchinson Community College freshman David Thid broke his own school record in the 400-meter hurdles on Wednesday at the FHSU Alex Francis Classic at Fort Hays State University.

Thid led a list of one school record, four event titles, three all-time Top 10 performances and two national qualifiers at the Alex Francis Classic, which was moved from Thursday to Wednesday because of impending severe weather forecast for Thursday.

Thid won the 400-meter hurdles with a Blue Dragon-record time of 51.14 seconds. That beat his own record he set at the KT Woodman Classic by 0.36 seconds.

Thid's 400-meter hurdle record marks the third Blue Dragon outdoor school record and fifth overall track and field record to be broken this season.

The Blue Dragons upped their total of 2024 national qualifiers to 17 on Wednesday. Ty'Rique Roland qualified in the high jump after placing second with a PR height of 6 feet, 10 inches. That mark ties for the ninth-highest high jump in program history.

Sophomore Christopher Brown placed second in the shot put with a national-qualifying mark of 51 feet, 6 inches (15.70 meters). Brown tied for 12th all time in Blue Dragon history. Brown also placed second in the discus with a throw of 170 feet, 0 inches (51.82m), which is the fifth-best mark in Blue Dragon history. Brown added a fourth-place finish in the hammer throw at 161 feet, 1 inches (49.11m).

The Blue Dragons added three more event victories – three individual events and one relay – on Wednesday.

Chris Johnson, the nation's No. 1 pole vaulter, won the Alex Francis pole vault clearing 16 feet, 4 1/4 inches (5.00m).

Ezekiel Seamster won his third 100-meter title of the outdoor season with a time of 10.34 seconds, a PR time that is the ninth-fastest mark in Blue Dragon outdoor history.

Seamster rank the anchor leg of Hutchinson's winning 4x100-meter relay on Wednesday. D'Antonio Warren, Omari Smith and Trenton Bronaugh teamed up with Seamster to win the relay with a time of 41.12 seconds.

The Blue Dragons will now compete at the Region 6 Outdoor Championships next Thursday through Saturday at Pratt Community College.