Graphic courtesy of Blue Dragon Sports Information
By John Mesh
The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team will get an opportunity to defend their 2024 NJCAA Division I championship.
The Blue Dragons (28-4), who lost to Coffeyville in the Region VI semifinals, are the No. 11 seed in the 2025 NJCAA Division I women’s tournament.
Hutchinson will face No. 22 seed South Georgia Technical College in the first round on Wednesday, March 26, at 5:45 p.m. Central time/4:45 Mountain time at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyo.
Hutchinson Blue Dragon softball team routs Colby twice
The Hutchinson Community College softball team routed Colby Community College twice Sunday afternoon in Colby.
The Blue Dragons won the first game 20-4 (5 innings, run-rule) and climaxed the second game 9-1 (5 innings, run-rule).
In Game 1, Hutchinson scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning. Tailor Golly
Gabby Stauffer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Brooke Backhaus had an RBI single, Brie Brawner launched a grand slam to center field, Emily Dice hit a solo homer, Kaibryn Kruger hit an RBI double and Tailor Golly belted a two-run homer.
Colby got one run on three hits in the bottom of the first inning.
Brooke Backhaus stroked a two-run double for the Blue Dragons in the top of the second inning to give the Blue Dragons a 12-1 lead.
The Blue Dragons scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning. Golly led off the frame with a solo homer. Colby scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut the HutchCC lead to 19-3.
In the top of the fifth inning, Brawner drove in her career single-game-high fifth run with an RBI double to give the Blue Dragons a 20-3 lead. Colby added one run in the bottom of the fifth for the 20-4 final score.
In the top of the first inning in Game 2, Hutchinson’s Stauffer gave the Blue Dragons a 1-0 with a RBI hit.
The Blue Dragons plated four runs in the top of the second inning for a 5-0 lead. Colby scored a run to end the shutout bid.
Hutchinson scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning for a 7-1 lead.
Aubree Thomas (who also pitched and got the victory) and Golly homered in the top of the fifth to give Hutchinson a 9-1 lead.
Colby was held scoreless in the bottom of the fifth and the game ended on the run rule.
The Blue Dragons improved to 15-5 overall (9-1 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference).
Hutchinson plays a 1 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday at Garden City and hosts a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday against Dodge City.
HucthCC hosts Barton CC on March 26 and a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Pratt CC on March 29.
Hutchinson’s Kalen Hilst named AVCTL I Girls Coach of the Year
Hutchinson High School’s second-year girls basketball coach Kalen Hilst, who guided the Salthawks to a 15-7 record during the 2024-25 season, was named Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division I Coach of the Year.
The Salthawks defeated Andover Central 62-37 in the Kansas Class 5A West sub-state #1 semifinals and lost to Hays High 56-17 in the sub-state finals.
The Salthawk girls ended a 10-year, 15-game, 3,650-day victory drought against the Derby Panthers with a 58-54 upset win in early March.
Hays lost in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament and Derby lost in the Class 6A state tournament championship game.
Hutchinson senior forward Kaia Smith was named to the all-AVCTL I first team. She was the Salthawks’ leading scorer.
Hutchinson senior Grace Posch was named the AVCTL I Defensive Player of the Year and made the all-AVCTL I second team.
Posch will play basketball at Seward County Community College next season.
Junior forward Kohlbie Craft was named all-AVCTL I second team and senior point guard Lily Rodriguez was named honorable mention.
The Hutchinson boys basketball team, which posted a 10-11 record during the 2024-25 season, had four players recognized on the AVCTL I team.
Senior point guard Terrell King, who will play football at Hutchinson Community College next year, made the first team.
Senior forward Taishaun Govain made the second team. Sophomore Lamar Govain and senior Levi Kepler were honorable mention selections.
Buhler’s John Darrow named AVCTL Division III Girls Coach of the Year, Natalya Krafels named Girls Player of the Year
Buhler High School girls basketball coach John Darrow, who guided the Crusaders to a fourth-place finish at the Kansas Class 4A state tournament in Salina Saturday, was named the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division III Coach of the Year.
The Buhler Crusader girls posted a 19-6 record during the 2024-25 season.
Buhler’s Natalya Krafels was named Player of the Year and is a member of the ACTL III First Team.
Buhler girls team members also were recognized on the AVCTL III team. Gracie Oard made the First Team, Charley Baxter is a Second Team member and Ella Voss and Nyah Sewell received honorable mention status.
Buhler’s Mitchel McDaniel made the Second Team AVCTL III Boys Team. Teammates Jacob Miller and Isaiah Heredia were honorable mention selections.
Halstead, Haven, Nickerson basketball players earn CKL All-League recognition
Halstead sophomore point guard Piper Schroeder and Haven’s Sienna DeFrain were named to the Central Kansas League Girls Basketball All-League Team.
Halstead’s Addisen Wills and Dalaina Schutte and Haven’s Avery Brawner were named to the Second Team.
Nickerson’s Adaylee Morrell was an honorable mention selection. Halstead had three honorable mention picks: Bailey Bernal, Jordy Schroeder and Kaci Young.
Have’s Daltrager and Nash Wray made the CKL Boys First team and Gatlin Rinehart was a Second Team performer.
Halstead’s Kohen Corona and Braxton Creed were named Second Team.
Nickerson’s Garrett Crosman earned honorable mention recognition.
Fort Hays State falls to MSU Moorhead in NCAA II regional quarterfinals
The season ended for the Fort Hays State men’s basketball team Saturday in the NCAA Division II Regional Quarterfinal round at Lee Arena in Topeka.
The Tigers fell to the MSU Moorhead Dragons 69-62.
FHSU finished its season at 22-10 overall, while MSU Moorhead extended its win streak to 12 games and moved to 24-8 overall.
Kaleb Hammeke, a Hutchinson Trinity Catholic alumnus, led the Tigers in points (16), rebounds (7) and assists (5).
Kyle Grill added 12 points and 6 rebounds. R.J. Crawford reached double figures in scoring as well with 10 points. Traejon Davis had 7 points and Shaun Riley had 6 in their final collegiate game.
Hammeke closed his storied Tiger career with 2,086 points, 585 rebounds, and 576 assists. He is the all-time leading scorer for FHSU men’s basketball.
Crawford finished with 1,145 points in his college career and Riley finished with 1,003.
Omaha, SIUE get their NCAA first-round matchups, schools have Hutchinson CC, Barton CC ties
The University of Omaha (featuring two former Hutchinson Blue Dragons) and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (featuring two former Barton Cougars) got their first-round matchups for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The No. 15-seeded Mavericks will face No. 2 St. John’s (30-4) Thursday in Providence, R.I., as the No. 15 seed in Providence in the West region.
If Omaha wins, coach Chris Crutchfield’s team would face the winner of No. 7 Kansas-No. 10 Arkansas first-round matchup in the second round.
This is the the first time in the NCAA Division I tournament for Omaha, the Horizon League Tournament champions.
Omaha (the Summit League Conference Tournament champions at 22-12), feature former Blue Dragons Kamryn Thomas and Valentino Simon.
SIU-Edwardsville (22-11) received a No. 16 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and it faces the No. 1-seeded Houston Cougars (30-4) in the first round. The game will be played Thursday in Wichita.
SIUE features former Barton Cougars Myles Thompson and Ring Malith. Thompson is a former Hutchinson High School Salthawk basketball and football standout.
Thompson was the MVP of the 2024 NJCAA Division I men’s tournament and helped lead Barton to a national title.
The SIUE-Houston winner will face either No. 8 seed Gonzaga or No. 9 seed Georgia in the second round.
To qualify for the NCAA Tournament, SIUE defeated Southeast Missouri 69-48 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game on March 8.