Former Seahawks Continuing Careers at the Next Level

KP News welcomes submissions from readers who know former PHS athletes continuing their careers. Send additions and corrections to editor@keypennews.org”

From Power Five football to NCAA postseason runs and conference honors, former Peninsula High School athletes continue to leave their mark on colleges across the country.

Here’s a sport-by-sport look at former Seahawks currently competing at the collegiate level.

Baseball

Peyton Knowles (’23) will suit up for Seattle University this spring after spending his first two seasons at Gonzaga, where he made 13 starts in 2025 and earned All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team honors in 2024. A former Peninsula MVP and two-time all-state selection, Knowles also starred on the football field before focusing solely on baseball. Michael Tellez (’25) is beginning his college career at Columbia Basin College, listed on the roster as a catcher and outfielder. Hunter Bennett (’22) is a redshirt junior pitcher at Northwest Nazarene, following several successful seasons at Everett Community College. Jonathan Vergara-Dykes (’25) signed to play catch this season at Spokane Community College.

Basketball

Grace Richardson (’25) is a freshman guard at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, averaging 2.8 points per game as of mid-January for the Division II Marauders. Brooke Zimmerman (’23) is a junior at the College of Idaho, contributing off the bench while averaging roughly two points and two rebounds per game this season.

Football

Landon Sims (’21) capped a breakthrough season at Hawai‘i, rushing 122 times for 559 yards and three touchdowns while also catching two touchdown passes. A former walk-on who earned a scholarship in 2024, Sims was named the Rainbow Warriors’ Offensive MVP and helped Hawai‘i defeat California 35-31 in the 2025 Hawai‘i Bowl. 

Chase Coalson, who wrapped up his career after the 2025 season, was a cornerstone of a dominant Central Washington defense. A two-year starter who opened all 12 games in both 2024 and 2025, Coalson finished with 128 career tackles, earned honorable mention All-Lone Star Conference, was named LSC Defensive Player of the Week, and served as a team captain for a Wildcats squad that went 10-2, captured the program’s first Lone Star Conference title, and entered the Division II playoffs ranked fifth nationally. 

Hall Schmidt (’21) transferred to UCLA in December after an impressive run at Boise State. The former South Sound Conference Lineman of the Year at Peninsula started all 12 games in 2024 for the Broncos and anchored an offense that rushed for 3,365 yards and ranked among the nation’s top 10 in scoring and total offense before injuries sidelined him in 2025. The 6-foot-7-inch lineman has one year of eligibility remaining. 

Cole Muilenburg (’24) is a redshirt freshman on the Montana Grizzlies roster after transferring from Valparaiso. Montana finished 13-2 overall and reached the FCS semifinals, with both losses to eventual national champion Montana State. 

Dane Meddaugh (’23) emerged as a scoring threat for Linfield, catching three touchdowns and totaling 459 yards on 32 receptions as the Wildcats went 7-2. Meddaugh’s teammate Wyatt Abrigo (’25) was a freshman wide receiver at Linfield this season. 

Grady Johnson (’23) earned Second Team All-SCIAC honors as a junior defensive lineman at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in southern California, finishing with 46 tackles and four sacks for a loss of 33 yards. Johnson also competes in shot put for the Stags’ track and field team, placing fourth at last year’s SCIAC championships. 

Caleb Novak (’22) completed his junior season at Montana Tech, contributing 12 tackles for an Orediggers team that went 12-1 and competed at the NAIA level. 

Lacrosse

Ashley Hammel (’22) is a senior goalie at Life University in Georgia, carrying a career record of 12-8 in net for the NAIA program. Nathan DeLong (’25) is a freshman midfielder at the College of Idaho, with his collegiate debut set for Feb. 14.

Rowing

Mia Vittori (’23) has found success as a junior on the Seattle Pacific women’s rowing team. Peninsula did not offer rowing during her high school career, though Vittori was a standout long jumper for the Seahawks.

Soccer

Addi Sebren (’24) is a redshirt freshman defender at Portland State, where she transferred after beginning her college career at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Softball

Alli Kimball (’23) recently transferred to University of Texas Tyler after helping guide Western Washington to back-to-back conference championships and consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II World Series. Kimball went 24-4 as a freshman and 16-4 as a sophomore, posted a 2.10 ERA in 2025, earned Second Team All-GNAC honors, and was named to the GNAC Championship All-Tournament Team. 

Emily Barry (’21) is a senior at Eastern Oregon, where she was a Second Team All-Cascade Conference selection last season after batting .323 with 43 hits and 11 home runs.

Swimming

Brogan Braaten (’23) is a senior swimmer at Westmont, where she set the school record in the 75-yard backstroke (32.68) at the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Relay Invitational last year. Jonah Bergerson (’25) is competing at Pacific University, placing 17th in the 100-yard backstroke (50.36) at the UNLV Invite while also racing freestyle, butterfly, and the individual medley. 

Track & Field / Cross Country

Elektra Higgins (’25), one of the most successful distance runners in PHS history, is part of the Southern Methodist cross country program in Dallas, where she did not compete this fall but joins a roster that includes NCAA Championship-level talent. Anne Shipp (’24) continues to show rapid improvement as a sophomore at Eastern Washington, with a career-best high jump of 5 feet, 3.25 inches that earned third place at the Spokane Invite. Shipp has added nearly five inches to her high jump mark since her freshman season. Hailey Howard (’25) is in her freshman year as a distance runner at Central Washington. Hannah Lee (’23) is a junior at Eastern Washington, competing in both track and cross country after beginning her collegiate career at Nevada.

Volleyball

Ziah Sneva (’25) signed with Washington State before transferring to Eastern Washington, where she will be a redshirt freshman. Anika Christensen (’22) is a senior on Boise State’s beach volleyball team, continuing her collegiate career with the Broncos. Langley Griffin (’22) wrapped up her junior season at Utah, appearing in nine matches and recording 23 kills for a Utes squad that finished 15-15 overall. A former South Sound Conference MVP, Griffin’s sister, Maeve, recently completed her volleyball career at the University of Washington.

Wrestling

Mira Sonnen (’25), a two-time state champion and Peninsula’s first-ever girls wrestling champion, is a freshman competing with Columbia University’s women’s wrestling club. Olivia Griffin (’25) is wrestling at Fort Hays State while recovering from knee surgery.

Did we miss a Seahawk?
KP News welcomes submissions from readers who know of former Peninsula athletes continuing their careers at the collegiate level. Send updates, corrections, or additions to editor@keypennews.org.