The Hutchinson Community College women's cross country team started the 2001 season No. 1 in the nation.

Number 1 is where the 2001 Blue Dragons ended up.

Three runners finished in the top 15 to earn All-America status as Hutchinson won the NJCAA Division II women’s cross country national championship on November 11, 2001 at Lansing, Mich.

This was Hutchinson’s first national championship for cross country and the fifth team title in school history. The Blue Dragon men's basketball team won NJCAA titles in 1988 and 1994. The Blue Dragon men’s track and field team won national championships in 1954 and 1959.

“We figured we had second. It was an anxious time waiting for the results,” said HCC sophomore Lisa Volk, who earned All-American status with her seventh-place overall finish.

“We thought Paradise Valley beat us,” freshman Pam Shelite said. “When we found out, we started jumping around and screaming and crying. We were so excited.”

The Blue Dragons, who entered the NJCAA national championship ranked No. 3 in Division II behind Paradise Valley Community College and Schoolcraft Community College, edged Paradise Valley in the team standings 47-58. HCC's average team time was 20 minutes, 38 seconds to Paradise Valley's 20:41.

Pratt Community College finished third with 115 points.

“When we got the No. 1 ranking, I started pushing them a little harder,” said HCC head coach Terry Masterson. “I thought if I did, maybe they could do it. Then I started questioning if I was pushing them too hard.

“This team’s worked harder than teams in the past. I knew there was a potential to do it.”

Shelite was HCC's top runner, finishing fourth overall with a 5,000-meter time of 20 minutes, 13 seconds. Volk, who ran with Shelite for most of the race, finished seventh in 20:18. Ruth Limo, who set a school record for 5,000-meters at the Region VI championships two weeks earlier, led the race early, but dehydrated and slipped back to 10th place with a time of 20:18.

Other Blue Dragons’ places and times were: Jenny Shafer, 27th (21:09), Michelle Walker, 28th (21:10); Alissa Fischer, 36th (21:23) and Dolly Sando, 48th (21:54).

Masterson said the HCC women’s ability to run together was a key throughout the 2001 season. That was the case at the 2001 championship.

With Limo setting an early leading pace, Shelite and Volk ran together and maintained contact with the lead pack early on. When Limo started to struggle with dehydration, Masterson said her teammates ran with her to keep pace.

Late in the race, Shelite started to pull away for her fourth-place overall finish.

“I did better than I thought I could do,” said Shelite, a freshman from Buhler. “When I came here, I just wanted to become a better runner to move up to the next level. I was put on an awesome team. I didn't expect this.”

Volk, whose freshman season at HCC was slowed by injuries, said she was just looking for a top-15 finish.

“I would have been happy with 15th,” Volk said. “I’ve never won a national competition. This is the biggest thing I've ever done.”

For returning NJCAA All-American Michelle Walker, the 2001 national meet was another happy ending for her, but for different reasons.

Last year the Buhler sophomore finished seventh and earned her All-American status. This time she was running for her team.

“I was disappointed I couldn’t lead the team, but it was a different mindset this year,” Walker said. “We came here to win this as a team. It was awesome the way we came together.”