Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Hutchinson Community College women's track and field sophomores Louise Cocking and Violet Martinez both earned All-America honors for the third time each on Thursday on opening day of the 2022 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Gowans Stadium.

Cocking placed fifth in the 10,000 meters late Thursday night and obliterated the Hutchinson women's school record in the event. Martinez became the second Blue Dragon in team history to be a national runner-up in the pole vault, tying for second place on Thursday.

Overall, the sophomore duo accounted for all 11 points scored by Hutchinson on Day 1. The Blue Dragons are tied for seventh after competition on Thursday.

Running the 10,000 meters for the first time in her career on Thursday, one of the best distance runners in Blue Dragon history, Cocking stayed in the lead pack for most of the 25 laps around Gowans Stadium and finished fifth, bettering the Blue Dragon school record in the women's 10,000 meters by 2 minutes, 1.11 seconds.

Cocking's time of 40:10.21 on Thursday was 2 minutes, 10.21 seconds better than the previous 10,000 record owned by Sheila Too 2019 (42:11.32).

Cocking become the first Blue Dragon to become an All-American in the 10,000 meters in school history. She was also a first-team All-American in the 2020 NJCAA Cross Country Championships and was a third-team All-American in the 2022 indoor championships in the 3,000 meters.

Martinez cleared 10 feet, 4.5 inches on Thursday, tying Cloud County's Maggie Armstrong for second place in the pole vault. Martinez and Armstrong matched performances by clearing 10-4.5 on their first attempts, but missing at the next height.

Martinez matches the best Blue Dragon finish in the pole vault in team history. Page Stuhlsatz was the national runner-up in 2012.

Martinez earned her third All-America honor in the pole vault, finished sixth in the 2021 outdoor championships in Levelland, Texas and seventh in the 2022 indoor championships in March in Pittsburg.

The Blue Dragons had two other entries on Thursday.

Hutchinson's 4x800-meter relay team finished 11th in the event final on Thursday. The relay team of Anastasia Meyer, Sydney Grauer, Courtney Baetz and Michele Gage posted a time of 10:39.43.

Sophomore thrower Hannah Schrock finished 14th in the women's hammer throw on Thursday with a mark of 129 feet, 1 inch. Schrock will also compete in the discus on Saturday.

The Blue Dragon women have a quiet Friday with only one entry competing. Sophomore Noel Buckhaults runs in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase final at 4:30 p.m. at Gowans Stadium.