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By Steve Carpenter
HCC Sports Information Director
Friday, January 16, 2009
Only seven sophomores return
for the Hutchinson Community College women’s track and field team that
finished sixth in the 2008 indoor season and tied for 21st at the NJCAA
Indoor National Championships.
So, HCC head coach Pat
Becher knows that his freshmen will have to step up for the Lady Dragons to
score points in the 2009 season.
“We are going to have a lot
of freshmen and I am going to have to see how they will do,” said Becher,
whose team begins the 2009 indoor season on Saturday at the Highland
Invitational. “I look forward to seeing how they develop.”
The Lady Dragons return two
national indoor qualifiers from last season. Both Ashton Trotter (Wichita,
Kan.) and Andrea Schurman (Scott City, Kan.) were on the Lady Dragons’
sixth-place 4x800 relay team.
Also back is sprinter Jackie
Ford (Garland, Texas). Ford finished 13th last season in the Region VI
60-meter sprint and eight in the 200.
“We are going to be a little
thin on the track this season,” Becher said. “With so many new kids, we will
see how things develop on the track.”
With Trotter and Schurman,
expect the HCC women to score points in the middle distance races and
relays. Where the Lady Dragons should also score a lot of points will be in
the throws.
Sophomore Kristin Arneson
(South Hutchinson) will be the most experienced of five weight people for
HCC this season. Arneson’s best indoor event is the weight throw.
Freshman Leeza Henry (Scottbluff,
Neb.) has been strong in early-season practice, throwing well over national
qualifying standards in the shot put and weight throw. Megan Woods (Olpe,
Kan.) and local products Samantha Owens and Kyleigh Edwards (both from
Hutchinson High) and Haven’s Ashton Wendler give the Lady Dragons plenty of
depth in the throws.
“We should be able to score
well at the national level,” Becher said.
HCC will be young but deep
in the jumps as well. Hannah McPherson (Pratt), Shayla Thompson (Wichita,
Kan.) and Kalaya Jackson (Marion, Kan.) will carry the load in the jumps.
“They were all good in high
school,” Becher said. “We have a lot of question marks, but we will see.” |
