Feb. 7, 2020 Hutchinson Collegian

Newspaper staff lovebirds

Close calls Page 6

Page 2

Blue Dragon men learning from tight games

Two staff writers become more than friends The student voice of Hutchinson Community College

February 7, 2020

www.hutchcollegian.com

Chiefs game-night party pulls through

Vol. 61 Issue 13

By Samarah Bailey Staff Writer

(Left to right) Kendarius Hicks, Dionte Gibson, Kaytron Allen, Alfonso Deleon and Damarius Peterson react to a big moment in the Super Bowl.

It’s official.

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl for the first time since 1970.

This historic win is the first in many fans’ memory.

The last time the Chiefs won the big game was the same year The Jackson 5 got their first No. 1 hit with their song “I Want You Back.” It was also a month before the NFL and AFL merged to create the NFL as it is today.

Even though it had been such a long time since the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, loyal fans of all ages tuned in to watch the big game with hope for a historic win.

One group of students at Hutchinson Community College made a day out of the game and came together to enjoy the nice weather and comradery the day brought.

Wellington freshman Taylor Meyer said she enjoyed the experience of watching the Super Bowl at the dorms saying, “Having a big group cheering and being loud in the lobby made the game 10 times more fun to me.”

Meyer has been a Chiefs fan for as long as she can remember. “[This win] means a lot

because I have grown up watching the Chiefs, and it has been such a long time since they have won anything like this, so it felt like such an accomplishment,” Meyer said.

Part of what made this year so exciting for fans was that the Chiefs haven’t made a Super Bowl appearance in so long.

Newton freshman Hailey Million, another student who watched the game at the HutchCC dorms, said, “It was very exciting, especially since I haven’t ever had the chance to watch them in the Super Bowl before.”

Chiefs fans all across the United States have waited 50 years to see their team make it to the Super Bowl, (Left to right) HutchCC students Damarius Peterson, and 2020 made all that Stevie Young, D’Quanis Robertson and Gerald Sandwaiting seem worthwhile. ers enjoy the food before the game.

Many Chiefs fans can’t even remember a time before Super Bowl LIV when the Chiefs had won the big game, but that’s why, for many, the victory tasted so much sweeter.

“I’ve just grown up watching the Chiefs, and so it was finally great to actually accomplish the main thing we’ve been working towards for so long,” Million said.

Photos by Samarah Bailey/Collegian (Left to right) Hailey Million, Kenarius Hicks, Dionte Gibson, Emilee Diekmann and Damarius Peterson cheer Kansas City on from the dorms.

(Left to right) Kaytron Allen and Payton Bowens watch intensely as the Chiefs pull ahead.

Cheer in the spotlight with new Netflix series

By Laci Sutton Staff Writer

There have been countless films and television series revolving around sports like basketball and football, but where’s the hype for the sport supporting the sports?

For many people, the idea of cheerleading is the preppy rah-rah girls on the sidelines with the pom-poms, but there’s so much more to it.

Netflix recently released a docuseries “Cheer” that follows the ups and downs of the

nationally-ranked Navarro College cheerleading team. This series gives viewers the chance to see that these athletes are more than the game-day sideliners most people imagine.

Hutchinson Community College’s cheer squad competes at the same national competition in Daytona, Florida as Navarro, and the Blue Dragons plan to compete there this April.

Isaac James is a sophomore on the HutchCC cheer team and has seen “Cheer.”

“I thought it portrayed

Upcoming events

Feb. 8 — Women’s Basketball vs. Garden City Homecoming 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 — Men’s Basketball vs. Garden City Homecoming 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 — Happy Valentine’s Day Feb. 15 — The 24 Hour Devised Theatre Project at B.J. Warner Recital Hall Feb. 15 — Auditions for HutchCC student films at Stage 9, 10 a.m. - noon

what actual college cheerleading and all-star cheerleading really is,” James said. “It really is that tough. You really do get injured that much. I feel like it portrayed our sport as a sport and not for what people think it is.”

The series shows the highs and the lows of Navarro’s journey to Daytona. It depicts both the physical and mental challenges the athletes have to face. The cheerleaders have a passion for their sport, and it’s clear in every episode.

“It made me kind of

Promotional Photo

emotional watching it, just because I can relate to it so much,” HutchCC cheerleader Hannah

The happenings around campus

Moore said. “We’ve gone through some of the same things they have.”

The series shows a

Blue Dragons weekend forecast

Friday — High: 46 Low: 27 Saturday — High: 51 Low: 37

Sunday — High: 49 Low: 26

few of the athlete’s backstories and what brought them to Navarro cheer.

See Cheer, Page 3

Inside Scoop

Opinion: Page 2 - Emily Fehrman explains that Valentine’s Day is really just a scam Campus: Page 3 -HutchCC Film students holding auditions Campus: Page 4 - Homecoming finalists announced Campus: Page 5 - Trustee Darrell Pankratz retiring

Opinion

Page 2

The Hutchinson Collegian The Hutchinson Collegian is the official student newspaper of Hutchinson Community College.

It is created by the Newspaper Production class each week during the academic year, except for when school is not in session, or during final exams. Copies may be found on campus Friday mornings, or in Shears Technology Center, room 207.

Our newspaper is printed by The Hutchinson News.

Valentine’s Day baby

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 7, 2020

Kansas weather be playing too much

Columnist

Emily Fehrman

All right, Valentine’s Day is in a week, which means it’s time to start thinking about what to get or do with your significant other. Or at least, that’s what society has told us is important in all our lives.

The idea of Valentine’s Day being sweet and about love is a little forgotten. It started the same way it’s been forever, a holiday designed to get the average person to waste a bunch of their money on things that don’t really matter for their significant other.

The gender norms that surround the holiday are as outdated as the holiday itself. A certain expectation lies around the man taking the woman out, figuring out where to go, what to do. Buying overly expensive gifts that no sane woman would actually look at any other day and think “Hmm… this is so cute, let me just snag this real quick.”

But that’s how the holiday is Letters to the marketed – the man buys his lady editor overpriced terribly cringy gifts that The Hutchinson Collegian she pretends to like. welcomes letters As of late, many younger couples to the editor. have been straying from the gender Letters must include the au- norms of V-Day, realizing that the thor’s signature, man shouldn’t be the only one payaddress and phone number. ing for everything, planning dates The Collegian and making decisions.

Staff

Editor In Chief Tabitha Barr Campus editor Jared Shuff Opinion page editor Emily Fehrman Sports editors Adam Kolb and Bailey Pennycuff Social Media Coordinators KJ Ryan and Shea Hubbs Online Web Master Aaron Strain Editorial cartoonist Kristin Anguiano Staff members Samarah Bailey, Emily Branson, Jake Brown, Rachel Lyons, Bre Rogers, KJ Ryan, Caleb Spencer, Laci Sutton, Leslie Grajeda Adviser Brad Hallier

reserves the right to edit letters for style, legality and length. Letters may not exceed 300 words. Send letters to hallierb@hutchcc.edu.

On the web

Visit our web site at www. hutchcollegian. com Our e-edition can be viewed at www.issuu.com

Social media

Facebook: The Collegian Hutchinson Community College Twitter: @HCC_ Collegian Instagram: the_ hutchinson_ collegian SnapChat: hutch_collegian

Nondiscrimination statement

Hutchinson Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law, or by college policy. The following person has been designated to monitor compliance and handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies (www.hutchcc. edu/equity): Jake Gunden, Coordinator of Equity & Compliance 1300 N. Plum Hutchinson, KS 67501 (620) 665-3500 equity@hutchcc. edu

How I met Emily In the fall, I began my last year at Hutchinson Community College. I wasn’t thinking much of it, as to me, it was just supposed to be another year.

Funny thing is, my adviser, Brad Hallier, said in newspaper class, “You may find your significant other in this newspaper class.”

But I’m not gonna fall in love or anything, right?

Anyhoo, I remember going to Brad’s classes with my best friend Jake Brown on the first day, and it was typical. We both acted pretty stupid, as expected, although the whole time I was thinking this girl who sat in front of me was pretty cute. After the second day of class, I remember leaving with Jake Brown to go get food and telling him that I thought this girl who sat in front of me, Emily Branson, was really cute.

Brown said, “Go for it, man.”

Well, I sure did. After that day, I started to try and talk to her, not with any intention of wanting to date her, but just to get to know her. I wanted to see if we could be friends first. We hit it off well.

Emily and I are both snarky idiots, so being around each other was amazing.

She was so goofy and had a way to make every day interesting and a blast in class.

After a long while, maybe a month or so, I was thinking to myself, “How can I try and hang out with her?”

Luckily, I didn’t need to think because she asked me to go to the Kansas State Fair with her. I was nervous about that, as it was just a friend thing, but I was thinking to myself that it’s a decent probability she does like me, at least as a friend, so that’s good.

Anyway, the fair trip with Emily went well. I had a funnel cake for the first time, Emily went on the Ye Olde Mill for the first time, and we even went on the Ferris wheel together. After this, we became really comfortable with each other, I felt like I could talk to her about anything, she was just that easy to talk to.

Emily and I started bonding more in class and would get food after class basically everyday. At this time, I thought “You know, she doesn’t like

The holiday is a bit toxic. It creates unrealistic expectations for the whole relationship from there on out. Setting the bar at the absolute highest is counterproductive because now you have nowhere to build up from. When putting the pressure to give your significant other the perfect Valentine’s Day, you can find yourself spending way too much money you don’t have on things that are unimportant and unnecessary to your partner.

Everyone has different expectations for the holiday, and partners not having good communication can lead to a lot of irrational arguments.

No matter how much you love

your significant other, you’re probably dreading Valentine’s Day because it is stressful getting things planned out and perfect. I suggest talking to your partner and establishing that you don’t care to have all the craziness that seems to follow the holiday.

During the time leading up to Valentine’s Day, you start to feel pressured into spending more money, because every corporation and business wants to sell you something. It’s all right to spend however much you want if you really want to. I don’t want anyone to think they shouldn’t get their partner anything. I’m saying don’t do it because everyone and society

This romance isn’t fake news

me, and just wants to be friends,” which was fine for me.

At that point, she was my best friend, and I just wanted her to have a role in my life. But, other people, such as my friends, were always telling me different. I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I just winged it. Time went by, and one day Emily invited my friends and me over for a bonfire at her house. It was awesome. I got to meet her family and got to be around her while making s’mores.

Over time we would make time and hang out with each other. We eventually ended up discussing how we felt about each other, and by the grace of God, she actually liked me back.

So knowing that Emily felt the same way, there was something to do, right?

Ask her to be my girlfriend.

Well, I had to meet the parents first.

I’ll be honest, Emily had me scared to the bone. I was thinking there was going to be a lie detector test, good cop-bad cop, and all sorts of stuff.

It wasn’t like that. I was told that I had the blessing to date Emily. So, after we left her parents’ house, I asked her to be my first girlfriend ever. She surprisingly said yes.

That was nearly two months ago. I am the happiest and most confident I have ever been in my life. I truly believe that’s because of Emily. She’s really put me on the right track with my goals and being the best I can be. It’s amazing and I will always be grateful for her.

KJ Ryan is a Buhler sophomore studying Journalism.

The fall of 2019 marked my first semester of college, among so many other things. I had gone to the same school in Halstead for the entirety of my educational experience, so starting somewhere new was… different.

I felt like a fish out of water, no matter where I went. Needless to say, when the first day of classes rolled around, I was nervous. I had literally never been to another school in my life, and I knew that none of my friends from high school were in my classes.

I remember walking into (Journalism Instructor) Brad Hallier’s classroom and just knowing it was different than what I was used to. It was full of energy the entire time. As Brad gave his goofy first-day-of-class speech, he made a comment that probably not a single person in the class took seriously: “You never know, you could end up meeting your future best friend or significant other in this class.”

We all laughed, but now I can admittedly say, he was onto something.

All I wanted to do when I started college was get a degree. I didn’t want to live on campus or even live in Hutchinson. I just wanted to do my work and be done. However, it didn’t take long until something about that newspaper staff changed my mind.

I’m the type of person that dedicates a lot of time to their job and schoolwork, so I didn’t make it a point to hang out with any new friends a whole lot during that first month of school. What I didn’t know was that one person on The Collegian staff had his mindset on changing that.

KJ Ryan is the kind of guy that catches your attention from day one, but

are telling you to.

Just because it’s Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you should expect your life to turn into a rom-com for the day, so don’t set the expectation so high. It’s just any other day that you can show your affection and appreciation for your special someone.

I know I seem like I hate Valentine’s Day, but in reality (when you have someone to be with) it’s a nice little holiday. I don’t do all the extravagant things, but it’s nice to be with someone special having a chance to celebrate the bond you share.

Emily Fehrman is a Pretty Prairie sophomore studyingJournalism. She is the Opinion Page Editor.

How I met KJ you can’t quite figure out why. Besides his bright red hair and contagious laugh, something about him had me interested.

KJ is likely the funniest human being I have ever met. There’s always something weird or sarcastic or random that he has to say, and it comes as a shock every single time. So when the Kansas State Fair came around, I thought that it would be a great idea to invite him to come along with me, just to get to know him better. What I didn’t know was that that was only the beginning of our wildly crazy adventure together.

I wasn’t fully convinced that having a boyfriend in college was going to work with my busy schedule, so I pretty much pushed KJ into the friendzone for a couple of months (my bad). I invited him and some of his friends over to my house to meet my family and have a bonfire together. Once I realized that I not only had the funniest, but also the most loyal and loving human being as my best friend, something in my heart told me that I should stop making the poor guy wait.

I caved and told him how I felt, and he surprisingly felt the same way toward me.

I knew that he was someone I could trust, and he proved himself every single day. By late November, I asked KJ if he could, finally, meet my dad. My dad was the official seal of approval in our relationship, so I suppose you could say we were “official” after that.

It’s been a little over two months since we started dating, but I feel like we’ve already experienced a million adventures. Having someone that is your best friend, sidekick, and boyfriend all wrapped into one is probably one of the best feelings on the planet.

Brad Hallier may have been joking when he said that we would find our significant other in newspaper class, but it definitely worked out in my favor. Journalism has brought so many exciting things into my life, but my best friend is my favorite of them all.

Emily Branson is a Halstead freshman studyingJournalism.

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 7, 2020

Sports

• Continued from Page 6

and Major Kuath all had six points each.

Hutchinson snaps a two-game losing streak and improves to 17-6 overall and 8-6 in the Jayhawk West. The Blue Dragons will Northwest Tech on Wednesday.

Men’s track and field – Sophomore Andrew Kibet and fellow sophomore Sylvestre Kibarar went into the indoor track and field record books on Saturday at the Pittsburg State Invitational.

Kibarar started the day off with a Blue Dragon record in the indoor 5,000 meters. He finished fourth in the event with a school-record time of 14 minutes, 52.32 seconds.

Kibet later joined in with a record-breaking performance in the mile.

He finished with a time of 4:08.80. This was Kibet’s third school record in as many weeks in as many events. Kibet has also broken the 600- and 800-meter records this season.

Also qualifying for

nationals in the mile was Brett Hillabrand, who finished 12th at PSU with a time of 4:22.70.

The Blue Dragons will next compete at the Mule Relays on Saturday in Warrensburg, Mo Women’s track and field – Sophomore middle-distance runner Gabby Collins and sophomore distance runner Sheila Too both posted personal bests to lead the Hutchinson Community College women’s track and field team at the Pittsburg State Invitational on Saturday at the Plaster Center.

Collins ran a PR in the 800 meters, running a time of 2:24.40. That mark is just .01 second off the national qualifying mark for the NJCAA. Collins also helped the Blue Dragon Distance Medley Relay run the seventh fastest time in the nation this season.

Too posted the second-fastest indoor 5,000-meter time in school history on Saturday with a time of 19:16.78, which is a personal record for Too.

Homecoming Photos by KJ Ryan and Emily Branson / Collegian Pictured Right: Homecoming candidates, the Dragon Dolls, Duke the Dragon, the HutchCC cheer squad, and the HutchCC Pep Band.

Campus

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Homecoming 2020 SnapShots

Campus

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Jump

• Continued from Page 1

“I relate to Morgan (on the show) because she didn’t do competitive cheer, but she’s one of the best ones on their team because she put in the hard work outside of practice,” Moore said.

For many college athletes, their coaches become so much more than just their coach.

They become their family, their therapist, and their support system both on and off the court.

That same relationship is shown from Navarro’s coach, Monica Aldama, as well as HutchCC’s coach, Kala McElhaney.

“As a coach, I think that it showed that coaching in practice is only about 20% of our job,” McElhaney said. “We are also their mom, their counselor, and their advisor outside of practice for sure. We have to get them through life and not just through a sport.”

Cheer is a physically demanding sport. Many cheer injuries are head injuries, such as concussions. This is shown over and over in “Cheer,” as athletes are tossed around and pushed to their physical limits.

James is no stranger to the

pain cheerleading can bring. He has cheered competitively and for school since his sophomore year of high school and has had more than his share of injuries.

“I’ve torn my meniscus, broken my hand, pulled my back, and I’ve almost torn a ligament in my shoulder,” James said.

“It’s a year-round sport so we never catch a break, even over the summer.”

The HutchCC cheer team practices four days a week, and twice on Mondays. Some athletes, like James, also compete with all-star teams. Managing the busy sports schedule, while still having time to stay on top of studying, can be overwhelming.

“It is so much, but the biggest thing is having an agenda and actually keeping (to it),” Moore said.

The series gives audiences an insight into the world of college cheerleading and shows a new perspective many people have never seen for the sport.

To see the action, the Blue Dragons will be competing at the regional competition on March 8th in Salina. They will be hosting a showcase before regionals, at a date to be announced. The national competition is in Daytona, from April 8-12.

What’s cooking?

D’Quanis Robertson prepares ribs for a Super Bowl party in the HutchCC dorms.

Photo

by Sam Bailey/ Collegian

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 7, 2020

HutchCC students tired of ‘Karens’

By Tabitha Barr Editor in Chief

In this day and age, college students need to work to afford college. It’s a must, as college can put students in debt for years.

Businesses that hire college students are usually ones that are entry-level food and retail service. That means that the customers that come in are vast. With the range of people that come into our jobs, there are bound to be those who think their service is the only thing that matters. Today’s youth has named people who are rude to entry-level workers for no reason “Karen.”

According to Dictionary. com, Karen is defined as “a mocking slang term for an entitled, obnoxious, middle-aged white woman. Karen is generally stereotyped as having a blonde bob haircut, asking to speak to retail and restaurant managers to voice complaints or make demands, and being a nagging, often divorced mother from Generation X.” Karens don’t always have to be a woman or one that follows that physical appearance, but it’s the stereotype that’s been set.

Matt Watson, Topeka West sophomore, said that Walmart was a prime place for Karens.

He had one situation where a woman tried to convince him that a product was priced

differently than what it rang up with.

Watson couldn’t believe what happened next as she turned around and said to the customers behind her, “Watch this,” and then turns back to him and says, “Let me talk to your manager.”

The classic line that makes it known that “Karen” is not going down without a fight.

The manager looked into it and said that the price stated was the one that was presented and that they wouldn’t change it for her. She then proceeded to say she was never coming back and left.

Anytime a “Karen” says she’s never coming back or that “you just lost my business,” it often means nothing to employees. It just means they don’t have to deal with the rudeness ever again.

Alyssa Ibarra, a dual-major earning a second degree, said that a “Karen” pulled into the drive-thru 10 minutes before closing while Ibarra was the only one at Subway.

“My headset had died,” Ibarra said. “I was doing the dishes and so I didn’t know it had died.”

Since this “Karen” couldn’t get any service at the drive-thru, she pulled up to the window. She proceeded to pound the window to try and get someone to help her.

“I get scared, and I’m not going to the freaking window,” Ibarra said. “I’m

terrified.”

After not having anyone answer, “Karen” gets out of her car, opens the drive-thru window, leans her body inside and screams, “Hello, can I get some service, please?”

Ibarra realizes it’s not a robber, just a “Karen” and tries to calm her down by apologizing and telling her that the headset had died without her knowledge.

“Karen” persisted in her rant, called Ibarra stupid and that she would be calling her manager to get her fired.

The next day, Ibarra found out that she had already called and her manager didn’t answer because “Karen” was being unreasonable.

With the term “Karen” being a stereotype that was introduced in today’s world, not many people who are the age of a Karen know about how rude they can be.

Visual Media Design Professor Amber Brawner didn’t know what a Karen was until informed. This lack of understanding could be why a Karen thinks they can get away with doing what they want. Brawner agrees that someone who acts like that is completely overreacting and rude.

“Karens” wouldn’t be “Karens” if they understood college students are working for not much more than minimum wage and should be treated decently.

The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 7, 2020

Campus

One Passion, Three Decades

By Rachel Lyons Staff Writer

Jan. 9 marked the end to a 28-plusyear stint on the Hutchinson Community College Board of Trustees for Darrell Pankratz.

As a nine-year veteran of secondary education, being a trustee on the board allowed him the opportunity he desired to stay in education while serving the Hutchinson community.

Over the past 28-plus years, Pankratz said he had the privilege of working with both Edward Berger, the former HutchCC president, and Carter File, the current HutchCC president.

“They have led a great organization that is focused on being nimble, responsive, and accessible to students,” Pankratz said.

Over the years, Pankratz has found himself vouching for HutchCC as one of

the best values in education in the state of Kansas and finds himself inspired by those who would be considered non-traditional students. It shows how taking the time for education at HutchCC can drive good change in an individual’s life.

Pankratz said he was incredibly grateful to the many faculty and staff he has met during his time at HutchCC. “I have learned to know a number of instructors throughout my tenure,” Pankratz said. “I always feel a sense of commitment to learning and student success when visiting with faculty.

Many great ones have retired, and they are missed. Fortunately, Hutchinson and HCC can attract quality educators, and the tradition continues.”

While Pankratz does acknowledge that there are still changes that need to be made, he upholds that his only regret is “I am not an alumnus, but maybe it’s not too late.”

Photo by Janae DeWeese/HutchCC Marketing Retiring Board of Trustees member Darrell Pankratz speaks at commencement in May 2019.

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Puzzles

Sports

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The Hutchinson Collegian Friday, February 7, 2020

Battling through adversity

Athlete of the week

(Jan. 26-Feb. 1) Josh Baker, Men’s basketball

Photo by Nathan Addis /HutchCC Sports Information D.J. Mitchell dribbles the ball in the game against Barton at the Sports Arena.

Blue Dragons bounce back at Seward

By Bailey Pennycuff Co-Sports Editor

Battling through adversity is something every team must go through. However, the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team is not only battling adversity, but succeeding through it.

With an overall record of 16-6, the Blue Dragons faced Seward County last Saturday in Liberal.

Hutch earned the victory, 68-67.

The game ended up coming down to the last second of the game.

“It was good to beat Seward.

They’re a lot better now than they were at the beginning of the year. They have 13 freshmen, so they’re getting better,” Blue Dragon coach Steve Eck said.

Although not all of their close games have been dependent on the last fraction of a second, the Blue Dragons have still encoun-

tered some recent impending contests nevertheless. They’ve lost five games since 2020 began by single digits, and two in overtime.

“I think it’s just us losing focus, us not being able to close a game, that’s all,” sophomore guard D.J. Mitchell said of their close games.

On the other hand, Eck credits their losses to other reasons.

“Two of the close games, we shot 50 percent from the free throw line - there’s two losses.

And then the Barton game, that’s on me. That’s most of our real close losses,” Eck said.

In addition to the hardships they have faced, more have arisen.

“We’re not very healthy. DJ has real bad shin splints, (sophomore guard Saquan Single-

ton) has a real bad hip pointer, (freshman guard Josh Baker) has a pretty bad knee. Baker and DJ probably shouldn’t have played Saturday night but they did,” Eck said. “I give the credit to the players. The players are doing a good job and fighting through it.”

On a brighter note, Saturday’s win was a definite morale boost for the Blue Dragons.

“After the win on Saturday, we knew it was really time to get back on track. It’s only up from here,” Mitchell said.

“We’re done taking two steps back, we are taking two steps forward now.”

Not only was the win a conference win, but the game may have meant more to some of the older players.

“We owed them a couple -

they got us last year a couple times. For some of us sophomores, it was kind of a personal game. We all knew we had to buckle down and come together as a team and come get that win,” Mitchell said.

Despite the feelings, the Blue Dragon players may have felt going into the game, they all knew to keep their focus on the big picture.

“I wouldn’t even say we were overwhelmed, it’s still just another win in the book and we gotta keep going forward from it,” Mitchell said.

With only six scheduled games left in the season, the Blue Dragons will face Garden City on Saturday in the Sports Arena. Hutch has already defeated the Broncbusters this season, 91-72.

The week: Baker had a good week in a couple difficult Jayhawk West games.

During an Baker overtime loss to Barton at the Sports Arena, Baker had 12 points, four steaks, two rebounds and one steal. Then three days later against Seward County in Liberal, Baker had one of his best games of the season in a 68-67 win. He scored a gamehigh 21 points, five rebounds, four assistsa and a steal. He hit 3 of 6 from 3-point range and was 7 of 12 overall from the field.

The season: Baker, a freshman from Tempe, Arizona, is establishing himself as one of the top players in the Jayhawk West. He’s the Blue Dragons’ leading scorer at 14.3 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game.

He’s shooting over 50 percent from the field and 3-point range, and is a remarkable 90.3 percent from the free-throw line.

Roundup: HutchCC women with thrilling road victory

By Adam Kolb Co-Sports Editor

Photo by Bre Rogers/Collegian Blue Dragon players celebrating a 3-pointer in a game against Barton at the Sports Arena.

The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team pulled into a first-place tie in the Jayhawk West Saturday night with a thrilling victory at Seward County in a battle of nationally-ranked teams.

Abby Ogle scored with 2.7 seconds to play in regulation and Seward County wasn’t able to get a final shot off as the No. 8-ranked Blue Dragons defeated the No. 12-ranked Saints 72-70. The win snapped a four-game losing streak to the Saints and Seward’s 61-game home-court winning streak.

Ogle led the Blue Dragons

with 20 points on 9 of 14 shooting and six rebounds. Makayla Vannett finished with 17 points and hit four of nine from three-point range. Nafatoumata Haidara came off the bench and had a huge third quarter, scoring nine of her 10 points in the third period.

The Blue Dragons improve to 21-2 overall and will play its next game on Wednesday against Northwest Tech.

Men’s basketball – The men’s basketball team earned a much-needed win Saturday at Seward County, reversing a recent trend of late-game setbacks.

The Blue Dragons rallied

from a 10-point deficit in the second half, getting a go-ahead Josh Baker 3-pointer with 1 minute, 19 seconds to play and held on for a 68-67 victory over the Saints at the Green House.

Baker led the Blue Dragons with 19 points, hitting 3 of 6 from 3-point range. He also had seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals. D.J. ended the game in double figures with 13 pints to go with seven rebounds and two assists. Clarence King had a big game as well, ending with a career-high 14 points scoring nine in the second half.

Saquan Singleton, Tyler Brown, See Sports, Page 3

Blue Dragon sports schedules, results. Home events in caps.

Baseball Pre-conference

All dates doubleheaders unless indicated Feb. 8, at Northern Oklahoma-Enid, 1 p.m.

Feb. 14, vs. Crowder at Edmond, Okla., 3:30 p.m. (1) Feb. 15, vs. NE Oklahoma A&M at Edmond, Okla., 12:30 p.m. (1) Feb. 18, at Labette, 1 p.m.

Feb. 21, at Northeast Texas, 6 p.m.

(1) Feb. 22, at Northeast Texas, 1 p.m.

(1) Feb. 23, at Northeast Texas, noon (1)

Feb. 27, at Coffevyille, 1 p.m.

Feb. 29, COFFEYVILLE, 1 p.m.

Basketball, men

Feb. 5, at NW Kansas Tech, L 105102, OT Feb. 8, GARDEN CITY, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 10, PRATT, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 12, at Dodge City, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 15, COLBY, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 19, at Barton, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 22, SEWARD COUNTY, 7:30 p.m.

Basketball, women

Feb. 5, at NW Kansas Tech, W 73-53

Feb. 8, GARDEN CITY, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 10, PRAT, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 12, at Dodge City, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 15, COLBY, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 19, at Barton, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 22, SEWARD COUNTY, 5:30 p.m.

Golf

March 9-10, at Luc Chap Classic, Lubbock, Texas March 23-24, at TAMUC Lion Invitational, Trophy Club, Texas March 29-30, at Jayhawk Conference Tournament, Manhattan April 13-14, at Jayhawk Conference

Tournament, Newton April 20-21, at Jayhawk Conference championship, Wichita April 27-28, at Region 6/District 3 Championship, Wichita May 12-15, at NJCAA National Championship, Odessa, Texas

Softball Pre-conference

All dates doubleheaders unless indicated Feb. 9, vs. Allen County at Wichita, 1 p.m.

Feb. 11, at Friends JV, 3 p.m.

Feb. 14-15, at Cowtown Classic, Fort

Worth, Texas Feb. 19, OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN JV, 2 p.m.

Feb. 21, at Sterling JV, 2 p.m.

Feb. 22, IOWA CENTRAL, 1 p.m.

Feb. 26, NORTHERN OKLAHOMA-ENID, 2 p.m.

Feb. 28, HESSTON, 2 p.m.

Track, indoor

Feb. 7, at Crete, Neb., 10 a.m.

Feb. 15, at Norman, Okla., 10 a.m.

Feb. 21-22, at Region 6 Championships, Pittsburg, 9 a.m.

March 6-7, at NJCAA Championships, Lynchburg, Va.