By Hutchinson CC Sports Information
MONROE, Louisiana (BlueDragonSports.com) – Serenity Larson‘s final weekend as a Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons turned into an unforgettable day for the sophomore from Dodge City.
Larson opened Day 1 of the 2024 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday by shattering the Blue Dragon record in the 10,000 meters. She was part of a second school record on Thursday by running the second leg of Hutchinson’s 4×800-meter relay team to reached the awards podium.
The Blue Dragons scored four points on Day won and are tied with five others teams for 15th place after 5 of 22 events. The Blue Dragons will have six athletes competing on Day 2 of the national championships on Friday.
BLUE DRAGON WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships – Day 2
When: Friday, May 17, 2024
Where: University of Louisiana-Monroe; Monroe, LA
Times: 9:00 a.m.; 11:00 a.m.; 1:00 p.m.
Video: NJCAA TV (Pay-Per-View)
Live Results: Adkins Trak Timing Associates
X: @bluedragonsport
Larson led a strong Blue Dragon contingent in the 10,000 meters early Thursday morning. All three Blue Dragon runners in the event – Larson, Jordyn Picolet and Lauren Aden – posted PRs and all-time Top 5 Blue Dragon times.
Seeded 15th entering the national championship, Larson placed sixth to lead the Blue Dragons with a school-record time of 37 minutes, 31.41 seconds. She beat her own Blue Dragon record originally set two weeks ago at the Region 6 Championship in Pratt by a staggering 2 minutes, 10 seconds.
Picolet finished 14th on Thursday with a career-low time of 39:46.51, the second-fastest 10,000-meter time in Hutchinson history. Aden had a PR time of 41:39.42, the fourth-fastest 10,000 meter time in Blue Dragon women’s track and field history.
Later Thursday in the 4×800 relay finals, the relay team of Ellie Van Zelfden, Larson, Abigail Grantham and Taylor Hoskinson placed eighth with a school-record time of 9:33.92 seconds. That mark broke a 23-year-old record of 9:38.95 set at the 2001 Region 6 Championships.
Larson, Van Zelfden and Hoskinson now become three-time NJCAA All-Americans, the 31st, 32nd and 33rd Blue Dragon athletes to reach that plateau.
With the two school records broke on Thursday, Blue Dragon women’s track and field has broke nine school records this season (5 outdoor, 4 indoor).
Also on Thursday, Hayleigh Burke finished 19th in the women’s hammer throw with a mark of 134-11 (41.14 meters).
Cloud County leads the women’s team race with 22 points through five events. New Mexico Junior College is second with 20.5 points.
