Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The 2020 Hutchinson Community College men's track and field team debuts on Friday at the Shocker Prelude at Wichita State's Heskett Center.

Friday will also be the debut of new Blue Dragon head track and field coach Robert Spies.

The new Blue Dragon mentor will have seven returning athletes from last season. Five members of that group were usual point scorers for the Dragons last season.

The Blue Dragons will enter Friday's Shocker Prelude with just a week of workouts under their belts as student-athletes returned for second semester only last weekend.

"Our strengths are going to be in the mid-distance and in the distance with spots from our sprints and jumps," Spies said. "For us with me coming in. We want kids to continue to get personal bests and continue to strive for better performances. We want kids to get to nationals and for those who went to nationals last year, to become All-Americans this year.

"We also want to pick up our freshmen who have never done indoor and see what they have in their tanks."

For those returnees, they have a lot of potential to score bit for the Blue Dragons.

Brett Hillabrand is a four-team NJCAA All-American (two indoor, two outdoor) from last season and he was also a coaches' association All-American in the 2018 cross country season. Individually, Hillabrand placed seventh in the 2019 NJCAA Indoor mile (4:19.44), running the fifth-fastest time in Hutchinson history. He also helped the 2019 Hutch Distance Medley Relay to a seventh-place finish. Hillabrand was a three-event qualifier last season, also running in Hutchinson's 4x800 relay. Hillabrand also owns the sixth-fastest 1,000-meter time in Hutch history of 2:34.94.

Sylvestre Kibarar was a two-time indoor qualifier as a freshman and a two-time outdoor All-American and two-time Cross Country All-American. Kibarar finished 14th in the NJCAA indoor 5,000 meters with the second-fastest Blue Dragon time of 15:11.03. He was also 20th in the mile run of 4:26.61. Kibarar also owns the second-fastest Blue Dragon time in the 3,000 meters of 8:49.70.

Sprinter Jared Scott has a most impressive freshman indoor campaign before being injured in the outdoor season. Scott holds the third-fastest times in both the 60-meter and indoor 200-meters at 6.78 and 21.56 seconds, respectively. Qualifying for both races last season in the indoor season, Scott just missed advancing to the finals in both events.

"Jared got hurt last season. Hopefully he will be a returner to the national scene," Spies said. "He has tremendous talent and has worked very hard this fall."

Sophomore Andrew Kibet will run for the first time in an indoor season in 2020. Coming off his national cross country championship season of 2018, Kibet sat out the 2019 indoor season recovering from nagging injuries. He wound up being a two-time All-American, finishing as national runner-up in the outdoor 1,500 meters and third in the outdoor 5,000 meters. His 1,500-meter time (4:27.61) was second fastest in school history and ninth best in NJCAA history. Kibet also owns the outdoor 800-meter school record of 1:51.22.

Sophomore Elijah Fisher qualified in both the indoor and outdoor long jumps last season. He placed 13th in the indoor national championships at 22 feet, 10 inches.

"As you are with every first meet of the year coming off the winter break, every indoor coach wonders of they got it done over the break," Spies said. "The first meet is a catch-you-up type of meet for the coaches and the student athletes and from there, you can figure out what's going on for the regular season."

The Blue Dragons have a lot of potentials in the springs with Scott, sophomore transfer Alex Bengtsson and freshman Joshua Fielder and Jordan Hawkins.

Hillabrand, Kibet, Kibarar and freshman Teagan Flanagan will bolster a strong middle distance and distance group.

"I think we are going to have a pretty good deal in middle distance, Spies said. "Brett Hillabrand is going to good in the middle distance. Andrew Kibet is going to try and work his magic in the 800, 1,500 and mile. Sylvestre had a really good year in cross country. "I think he turned the corner in terms of his training. Teagan is new to our program, but I think he will be able to do some good stuff and also help with relays."

McPherson College transfer Omar Sabur will be Hutch's top hurdle prospect this season.

Joining Fisher in the jumps will be Fielder and transfer Matthew Melchor.

Freshman Devin Marx will be Hutch's lone thrower to start the season.

"It's a building year. We are trying to match the pieces and give our sophomores their best shot to have great years., "Spies said. There is really good potential with several freshmen," Spies said. "If we keep this freshman group together, then put together a good freshman group to put with them, we will be very tough next year."