HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION
The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team was picked to finish second this season in the 2026-27 KJCCC Division I Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish, which was released on Friday by the conference office.
The Blue Dragons received three first-place votes and totaled 143 points in the preseason poll of the league 13 head coaches. Dodge City received nine first-place votes and is the preseason pick to win the league. Coffeyville is third, Barton fourth and defending league and Region 6 champion Butler was picked fifth.
hThis is the 18th time in 20 seasons under head coach John Ontjes that the Blue Dragon women were picked either first or second in the KJCCC preseason coaches’ poll. Ontjes is in his 20th season on Hutchinson’s bench.
Hutchinson went 29-7 last season and was an at-large selected to the 2026 NJCAA Tournament. Of the three KJCCC teams to qualify, the Blue Dragons were the last-remaining conference team in the national tournament, advancing to the quarterfinal round. The Blue Dragons tied Dodge City for second with 20-4 league records.
Three players return from last year’s team.
Sophomore point guard Whitney Brown (5’4, Fayetteville, AR) started in 35 of 36 games and averaged 8.6 points, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Brown shot 32.7 percent from the field last season.
Sophomore forward Kaia Smith (6’0, Hutchinson) played in 33 games as a freshman and averaged 7.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Sophomore guard Tayla Galucho (6’8, Melbourne, Australia) saw action in 20 games last season, averaging 1.1 points per game.
The Blue Dragons add three transfers to the roster this season in Londyn Harper (5-7, guard, Duncanville, Texas, Three Rivers CC), Robynn Thompson (5’10, guard, Memphis, Tennessee, Queens University) and Abril Ricart (5’9, guard, Barcelona Spain, Jacksonville State).
Ontjes also has six freshmen joining the program in guard Nicolly Sanches (5’8, Itatiba, Brazil), forward Rebeca Corte (6’2, Sao Paulo, Brazil), guard Liva Hermane (5’9, Riga, Latvia); forward Dazlyn McClenon (5’10, Houston, Texas), forward Bonni Buttsworth (6’4, Queensland, Australia) and forward Jasiene Garcia-Howell (6’0, Pawnee, OK).
The Blue Dragons will have one home preseason scrimmage on Thursday, October 22 at 5:30 p.m. against Sterling College. Hutchinson will then open the new season on Monday, November 2 at 5:30 p.m. against Neosho County before playing South Plains and Connors State in the BSN Sports Tipoff Classic on November 6 and 7 at the Sports Arena.
2026-27 KJCCC DIV. I WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
- Dodge City (9) 153
- Hutchinson (3) 143
- Coffeyville 130
- Barton 114
- Butler 103
- Colby (1) 98
- Seward County 93
- Cowley 83
- Garden City 93
- Cloud County 65
- Pratt 38
- North Hays Tech Northwest 34