MCCUE, SCHMITZ POWER BLUE DRAGONS TO 1959 NATIONAL TITLE

When the Hutchinson Junior College men’s track and field team won the 1954 NJCAA championship, 15 different Blue Dragons scored in that meet to secure the school’s first-ever national team title.

When the 1959 Blue Dragons lifted the NJCAA national championship trophy at Gowans Stadium, sprinter Larry McCue and distance runner Ray Schmitz scored more than half of the Blue Dragons’ team points by themselves.

Only six Blue Dragons scored in 1959 as Hutchinson racked up 55 team points to claim the program’s second national championship. Arlington Junior College was second with 45 and Tarleton Junior College was third with 35 points.

CLICK FOR FINAL RESULTS OF 1959 NJCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

McCue was the high-point scorer for the 1959 national championship with individual titles in the 100-yard dash (9.9 seconds) and 220-yard dash (21.7 seconds).

Schmitz earned an individual national title in the Mile Run with a time of 4:24.8. Schmitz finished third in the 2-Mile Run, posting a time of 10:17.6.

McCue and Schmitz scored 36 of Hutchinson’s 55 team points.

The 1959 Blue Dragons also received key contributions from three other athletes.

Dave Lindahl earned eight crucial points with a national runner-up finish in the high jump, going 6 feet, 2 3/4 inches.

Stan Ingram placed third in the Javelin with a throw of 191 feet, 11 inches.

Doug Goodnight played fourth in the Broad Jump with a leap of 21 feet, 7 inches.