ROLAND WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN HIGH JUMP
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
One year ago, Ty'Rique Roland missed the medal platform and finished 11th in the NJCAA high jump as a freshman.
After a trying offseason with injury issues and not qualifying in the NJCAA indoor championships, Roland was determined not to let that happen again on Friday.
He didn't.
Roland became the fourth Hutchinson Community College athlete in men's track and field history to win a national championship in the event on Friday at the 2025 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships at Gowans Stadium.
BLUE DRAGON TRACK AND FIELD
NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships – Day 3
When: Saturday, May 17, 2025
Where: Gowans Stadium
Field Events: 10 a.m.
Running Events: 12:30 p.m.
Live Results: Heartland Timing
Live Video: NJCAA Network (PPV) – 12 30 p.m.
Admission: $10
CLICK FOR TODAY'S MEET SCHEDULE
With only one miss at earlier heights, Roland cleared a career-best 6 feet, 10.75 inches (2.10 meters) to win the Blue Dragons first outdoor national championship of the meet and second this season when combined with the indoor season.
Roland's victory helped the Blue Dragons remain in the Top 10 of the overall team standings with 8 of 22 events completed with 20 points. New Mexico Junior College leads with 39 points and Iowa Wester is right behind with 38 points.
Roland becomes the first Blue Dragon to win a national championship in the high jump since Richard Newman in 2019. His height of 6-10.75 is the sixth-best by a Blue Dragon in a national meet and seventh-best all-time in Blue Dragon track and field history.
Roland joins Leo LeGrand (Indoor 800) as national track and field event champions for the Blue Dragons in the 2025 season.
Freshman sprinter Kebba Makalo will be going after two titles on Saturday after qualifying in both the 100- and 200-meter finals on Friday.
Makalo finished second in the 200 preliminaries on Friday with a time of 20.61 seconds, which is the second-fastest 200-meter time in Blue Dragon outdoor history. Hutchinson's record holder in the 100 already, Makalo qualified third in the 100 with a time of 10.38 seconds.
Other Blue Dragon performances on Friday:
+ D'Antonio Warren was 13th in the 100-meter prelims with a time of 10.38 seconds.
+ LeGrand ran his 800 preliminary and finished 15th with a time of 1:53.06 and did not move on to Saturday's final.
+ Grady Bare was 16th in the shot put at 45-6.75 (13.89 meters).
On Saturday, David Thid will go after a second-straight national championship in the 400-meter hurdles to highlight the meet program for the Dragons. He qualified for the finals on Thursday with the third-best time in the prelims.
Here is the Saturday schedule for the Blue Dragons:
+ 10:00 a.m. – Elisha Williams in the men's javelin
+ 1:30 p.m. – Malique Parkinson competes in the men's triple jump
+ 2:10 p.m. – Makalo runs the 100-meter finals
+ 2:55 p.m. – Thid will run in the 400-meter hurdle finals
+ 3:15 p.m. – Makalo is in the 200-meter finals
+ 3:20 p.m. – Titus Kiprotich, Cornelius Kogo and Farrin Mangelson run in the 5,000-meter finals.