CROSS COUNTRY COMEBACK

Cross Country Comeback

Dylan Shah, Reporter & Designer

The Terry Masterson Invitational is a unique four-mile race with a bright setting under the lights. This one-mile loop around the Fun Valley Softball Complex is a path that consists of a mix of grass/dirt that winds down service roads and crossings that make the Masterson Twilight Classic one of the best early season college runs in the region.

After a successful 2019 season, the Blue Dragons men’s team was looking to compete at the same or higher level like they had before. After the loss of sophomore runners, the stakes were high. Each and every runner has to perform their best and maintain peak physical health to reach thier goal.

Photo by Dylan Shah ▲

Tegan Flangan, Wichita, leads early in the race at the 2020 Masterson Classic. Flanagan finshed with a record time of 20:26.0.

▲ Photo by Dylan Shah ▲

Tegan Flanagan, Wichita, and Matthew Scharag, Hutchinson, stride forward straight out of the start line. Flanagan and Schaarg both beat their freshmen records at this years Twighlight Classic.

The Blue Dragons ran hard and placed third overall as a team with four runners placing in the top 20. HutchCC’s very own Tegan Flanagan, Wichita, ran neck and neck with Cloud County’s Habtamu Geta for the race lead. The two swapped the lead through the first two miles of the four-mile course. Geta started to gain distance from Flanagan during the third mile and wounded up winning the men’s individual title outpacing Flanagan by 12.5 seconds. Flanagan outran his posted freshman time on the same course by 1 minute, 17 seconds with a time of 20:26.0. Flanagan recorded the third-fastest Masterson time by a Blue Dragon and the eighth-fastest time overall ever recorded at the Masterson Invitational. Flanagan wasn’t the only Blue Dragon with a big performance, Sophomore Jacob McElhanon, Midlothian, Texas, became the second Blue Dragon finisher placing sixth overall with a time of 22:03.4. Sophomore Matthew Schrag, Hutchinson, also had a strong 2020 season debut after finishing 13th while outpacing his freshman Masterson time by 48 seconds with a time of 22:16.9. The fourth Blue Dragon top 20 finisher with a great debut was freshman Cameron Delaney, Osborne, in 19th with a time of 22:39.6. Sophomore Andrew Holt, Lago Vista, Texas, just missed the top 20 with a 21st-place performance and a time of 22:46.8.

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Aaron Geissinger, Abilene, races his first ever Terry Masterson Twilight Classic. Geissinger finshed with a time of 23:37.7

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Matthew Scharag, Hutchinson, runs towards a new personal record at the 2020 Terry Masterson Twilight Classic. Scharag finshed in thirteenth place.

RUNNInG THROUGH COVID-19

The global pandemic known as Covid-19 has completely usual. Each and every runner has to perform their best changed the way the American society lives in today’s and maintain peak physical health to reach this season’s world. Athletics are just a part of the many changes being goal. Not only do the runners have to be their best, I made but the Blue Dragons cross country team was able myself have to make sure I’m creating the best running to have a somewhat normal season this year. The virus plan possible to make sure we’re getting the best out of forced the Blue Dragons in a tougher than usual position. each runner due to that lack of depth.”

Head Coach Justin Riggs said, “The biggest difference Even with many challenges to face this season, Riggs this year from the recent years is that our depth being is confident in making it into the top three teams in a lot smaller. With the inability of bringing in out-of- their region. country recruits due to Covid, the stakes are higher than

Hutch CC IS RANKED 3Rd IN THIS YEARS NJCAA DIV. I MEN’S XC

▲ Photo by Dylan Shah ▲ Jacob McElhanon, Midlothian, Texas, crosses the finish line as the second Blue Dragon to finish. McElhanon finished in 6th place.