NJCAA, Jayhawk Conference penalize Hutchinson women’s basketball for excessive benefits

The NJCAA came down hard on the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball program on Wednesday. So did the Jayhawk Conference.

After a month-long investigation into improper benefits to players and an eligibility matter with one of the premiere junior-college programs in the nation, the school announced the sanctions levied by the NJCAA and the Jayhawk on Wednesday.

The NJCAA, in its ruling, determined Hutchinson gave two players excess benefits outside of their scholarships for the 2014-15 school year and stripped the Blue Dragons of six scholarships over the next two seasons — from 15 to 11 in 2014-15 and 15 to 13 in 2016-17.

The penalties from the Jayhawk, which said Hutchinson also violated its conference bylaws, require the school to forfeit all of its 2014-15 victories and the Jayhawk West and Region VI championships. Hutchinson is also on probation next season and ineligible for postseason play.

The Blue Dragons went 36-1 last season, losing to Chipola 54-46 in the NJCAA Division I championship game on March 22 in Salina. Hutchinson, under former Blue Dragon star and Nickerson native John Ontjes, have been second in the nation three of the last four seasons.

“The college intends to appeal and vigorously contest the findings and proposed sanctions of the Jayhawk Conference,” Hutchinson president Carter File said in a statement, “in accordance with the conference bylaws.”

Athletic director Josh Gooch and Ontjes did not return calls seeking comment.

File said he was unsure if the school would appeal the NJCAA’s ruling. It has seven days to appeal to the NJCAA executive committee.

“(Ontjes) was very cooperative throughout this process, he provided the information we asked for and was absolutely (forthright),” File said. “I’m not disappointed with how the program handled itself, I’m disappointed that this happened. I can’t say much beyond that.”

This story was originally published July 15, 2015 at 1:04 PM with the headline "NJCAA, Jayhawk Conference penalize Hutchinson women’s basketball for excessive benefits."