JEPCHIRCHIR WINS REGION 6; DRAGONS JAYHAWK WEST CHAMPS

Faith Jepchirchir becomes the third Blue Dragon women's cross country runner to capture the Region 6 individual championship, winning the 2024 title on Friday in Winfield. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

October 25, 2024

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

WINFIELD – Running the same Kansas Veterans Home course where she shattered the Blue Dragon women's 5K record time two weeks ago, Hutchinson Community College freshman Faith Jepchirchir became the third Hutchinson runner in program history to win the Region 6 individual championship.

Jepchirchir paced the No. 6-ranked Blue Dragon women to a Region 6 Championship runner-up team finish and a Jayhawk West championship on Friday.

The Blue Dragons were edged for the regional team championship by one point – 69-70 – by Butler. Dodge City was third with 73 points and Cloud County was fourth with 76 points. This was Hutchinson's second-straight Region 6 runner-up finish.

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The Blue Dragons won their third Jayhawk West championship, the first since 2020, with 52 points, edging Dodge City by two points and Cloud County by four points.

Jepchirchir joined Ruth Limo (2001) and Louise Cocking (2021) as Blue Dragon runners to win the Region 6 individual championship. Jepchirchir broke Serenity Larson's 2022 Region 6 record time at 5,000 meters with a time of 17:08.43 on Friday.

This is Jepchirchir's third event championship of the season, also winning the Terry Masterson Classic and the Region 6 Preview two weeks ago at the Kansas Veterans Home course.

Sophomore Jordyn Picolet continued her impressive sophomore season with a sixth-place Region VI finish and fifth-place KJCCC finish. Picolet improved her personal-best time to 17:48.80, which remains third fastest at 5,000 meters in Blue Dragon history.

Sophomore Abigail Grantham moved up to 11th place on the Blue Dragon all-time 5K list with a time of 19:06.76. Grantham placed 16th in the region and 13th in the Jayhawk West.

Freshman Ava Lemaster posted a PR time of 20:04.37 to place 27th in the region and 20th in the conference.

Sophomore Laura Avila was 31st in the region and 22nd in the conference with a time of 20:22.56.

Freshman Rio Kerven was 41st in the region and 27th in the conference with a time of 21:10.35.

The Blue Dragons now have had eight-straight Top 5 Region 6 team finishes and seven-consecutive Top 5 placings in the Jayhawk West.

Hutchinson next competes in the NJCAA Division I Cross Country championships on November 9 in Richmond, Virginia.