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By Bret Mitchell
HCC Sports
Information
Friday, January
18, 2008
The
Hutchinson Community College women’s track and field team has some holes to
fill, but a good nucleus of returning athletes and a strong incoming class
give HCC plenty of reasons to think big in 2008.
The
Lady Dragons open the 2008 season on Saturday at the Highland Classic at
Highland Community College.
All-American Natalie Kolarik was at the top of a group of sophomores in 2007
that provided many points last season. Also gone are Sara Weibe, Brooke
Cameron, Catherine Wurtz and Patience Ball.
While
this year’s HCC women’s team is significantly more inexperienced than last
year, the overall 2008 team will be deeper and more competitive in more
events.
Sophomore All-American middle-distance runners Kayla Delzer and Amanda Young
are the returning NJCAA Indoor national qualifiers. Both were part of HCC’s
2007 national third-place two-mile relay team. Young also competes in the
high jump.
Sophomore Lauren Kelly returns to compete in the long jump, triple jump and
sprints.
“She
is much stronger, very versatile,” said HCC veteran head coach Pat Becher
about Kelly. “We see a big jump in improvement from her.”
Chelsey Dreiling and Eleya Foster are back in the weight events.
The
Lady Dragons look to have some impact freshmen in 2008.
Jackie Ford and Ashton Trotter are both sprinters, with Trotter will also
run some middle distance. Kristi Oak is also a “very good” 400 meter
runner, according to Becher.
Amber
Kerschen, Natalie Marshall and Andrea Schurman – all members of the HCC
cross country team – will give the distance corps more depth with all coming
off solid cross country seasons. Kerschen and Schurman both competed at the
NJCAA National Cross Country Championships.
“The
girls are young, but good,” Becher said. “We need freshman to step up.”
There
will be a strong Reno County presence on the 2008 Lady Dragons. Kristen
Arneson and Krystal Smith hail from Nickerson. Kylee Naccarato, Jana Koehn,
Katie Holloway and Jessica Hoffman are all Hutchinson High or Hutchinson
Trinity products. Buhler is represented with Brittany Hines and Tara Weins.
Arneson and Delzer also play soccer at Hutchinson. Naccarato and Hines will
join the team for the outdoor season after basketball season has been
completed.
HCC
will have a competitive indoor season with trips to the Jayhawk Classic,
Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern before the Region VI Championships in
Manhattan. |
