By John Mesh
Eight Hutchinson High School seniors have committed to two- and four-year athletic programs for the 2025-26 school year — three football players, one basketball player, one baseball, one soccer/track and field athlete, one athletic trainer and one dancer.
Terrell King and Taysen Runyon will go from teammates to rivals on the football field.
King, an all-state defensive back/wide receiver, will stay at home with the NJCAA Division I national champion Hutchinson Blue Dragons.
Runyon, who is the all-time leading kicker in Salthawk history, will kick for Iowa Western Community College.
The Blue Dragons defeated Iowa Western 28-23 in the NJCAA Division I national championship game.
Teammate Spencer Riggs will play football at the University of Central Missouri.
Carter Morgan, who played football and baseball at Hutchinson High School, signed to play baseball at Emporia State University.
Grace Posch will play for the Seward County Community College women’s basketball team in Liberal.
Landon Nusser will compete in men’s soccer and track and field at Bethany College in Lindsborg.
Madalyn Moore will stay home to perform on the HutchCC dance team and Taysha Rideaux will study athletic training at HutchCC.
“Morgan (nicknamed Cmo) has been a big part of the Hutchinson High School baseball team’s improvement during the past few seasons,” said coach Mace Krol.
The Salthawks posted a 4-17 record in 2023 and lost in the Kansas Class 5A regional quarterfinals. In 2024, Hutchinson posted an 18-10 record and lost in the regional championship game.
Mace said he hopes Hutchinson will post a 24-4 record, including a 3-0 run to the state championship.
“Carter has played baseball and football at a high level as a Salthawk,” Krol said. “Cmo is the type of kid that impacts the game in a variety of ways. He can go hitless but win the games defensively, he can fill it up on the mound, and he creates runs on the basepaths.
“Carter’s senior year will be good one. He is a savvy player, he is going to be a great teammate, and he is going to help us win a lot of games.”
Hutchinson High School girls basketball coach Kalen Hilst said Posch has meant a great deal to the Salthawk program.
“I am incredibly proud of Grace and her commitment to Seward County,” Hilst said. “I have only been the coach at HHS for two years, but she has meant a ton to this program and the community for the last four years.
“Grace has countless accomplishments both athletically and academically and is a great kid to be around. She is a phenomenal basketball player and an even better person and I am incredibly proud of her. Her work ethic is unmatched and will pay off when it comes to collegiate athletics.”
Hutchinson High School track coach Andrew Schroter said competing in multiple sports will help King, Runyon and Nusser.
“This will be Landon’s first year running for Salthawk track,” Schroter said. “He transferred in last year from Goddard Eisenhower but tore his ACL in soccer and was unable to compete. Terrell and Taysen were also track kids who were state qualifiers. Terrell in the long jump and Taysen in the high jump.”
Haven softball seniors make commitments
Haven High School seniors Trista Rogers and Sophie Faidley will continue their softball careers at the two-year level.
Rogers signed with Barton Community College Wednesday and Faidley signed with Dodge City Community College.