Hutchinson CC Sports Information
LUBBOCK, Texas – For the second time this season, Hutchinson Community College freshman high jumper Richard Newman surpassed 7 feet.
His second clearance of high jump's magical number – officially 7 feet, 1/2 inch – earned him a national runner-up finish on Friday at the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships at Texas Tech University.
Newman posted the highest individual Blue Dragon finish at the NJCAA indoor championships since Skylar Arneson finished third in the 2015 indoor weight throw.
Friday had more than its share of tense moments for Newman.
With the bar at 6-10 3/4, Newman cleared that height on his final attempt to advance. Then with the bar at 7-0 1/2 and eight athletes remaining, Newman was the first to clear on his first attempt. All others missed on their first and second attempts, and the first three missed on their final attempts. Finally three others joined Newman at 7-0 1.2 Only Hinds' Milton Harrell cleared that height, doing so on his final attempt,
Newman also competed in the men's long jump on Friday. He didn't qualify for the finals, but finished 13th at 22 feet, 6 inches.
A pair of Blue Dragons advanced to Saturday finals out of Friday preliminary races.
Freshman Devon Henderson posted the fourth-fastest 60 meter time on Friday at 6.75 second to advance to Saturday's final. Henderson posted the third-fastest time in Blue Dragon history with his PR effort.
Freshman Tre'Juan Cash posted the sixth-fastest time in the 60-meter hurdles. His time of was 8.08 second and will compete on Saturday.
The Blue Dragons thought they had a third athlete heading to the finals, but freshman Alex Grays was disqualified from the 200 meters after stepping out of his lane on the curve.
Freshman pole vaulter Myles Hansen just finished off the medal stand on Friday with a ninth-place finish and a season-best 14 feet, 9 inches.
Sophomore sprinter Kadrin Williams didn't qualify in the 60- or 200-meter finals. Williams was 16th in the 60-meter preliminaries in a time of 6.83 seconds. He was 17th in the 200 prelims with a time of 21/58 seconds. Grays was 17th in this 60 prelims in a time of 6.93 seconds and Donovan Whitmore was 23rd in the 200 in 21.71 seconds.
Sophomore Jeffrey Muiruri ran 13th in the 60-meter hurdle prelims with a time of 8.44 seconds.
Freshman Elijah Smith was 16th in the 600-meter prelims with a time of 1:22.06
The men's Distance Medley Relay team of Connor Kaufman, Denilson Whitmore, Fred Gonzalvies and Jared Stark with 16th in 10:58.14.
Stark placed 24th in the 3,000-meter finals in a time of 9:12.23. Kaufman was 26th in 9:29.22.
In addition to the finals in the 60 meters and 60 hurdles, other Blue Dragons to complete on Saturday will be:
+ Michael Bryan in the 35-pound weight throw. He had the ninth-best throw this season.
+ The 4x400 relay team of Gonsalvies, Denilson and Dovovan Whitmore and Smith. That group is ranked 11th entering the national championships.