By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Jerold Harris knew Josh Munsch was an NCAA Division I-caliber runner four years ago. As a freshman, Munsch consistently ran in the lead pack and eventually finished sixth at the Class 5A state cross country meet for Hays High School.

The next season, though, Munsch stamped himself as one of Kansas' elite. In the Kansas Relays during track season, Munsch broke a 30-year-old school record when he ran 4 minutes, 21 seconds for the 1,600-meters.

"After that point, I thought that if I kept working at this, I could run at the Division I level," he said.

"My eyes really opened up his sophomore year at KU," Harris, the Indian co-cross country coach and distance track coach, said.

Nearly two years later, the talented Munsch punctuated a terrific prep career when he signed with the University of Kansas for cross country and track. Munsch, along with distance runner Kylie Gaughan and football/track athlete Jay Wickham, was honored in a ceremony Thursday morning at the Hays High cafeteria.

"In my mind, that (Division I) was like the only thing that I wanted to do," Munsch said. "I am extremely excited with the fact that I am getting to run up there."

Munsch, a three-time Western Athletic Conference champion, finished in the top six at the Class 5A cross country state meet three times. That included a career-best third place showing last fall when he ran 16:34.05. A devoted runner, Munsch holds the 5-kilometer school record, is the all-time winningest runner in HHS cross country history (since 1985) and has earned multiple state track medals, including a silver medal in the 1,600-meters as a sophomore.

"You don't need to say anything to the kid," Harris said. "He is out running in the 15 degrees. He is just doing whatever it takes to be good. He is a student of the game. He reads about distance running. He studies it. He studies nutrition and stretching."

Munsch, who wants to major in pre-med/human biology, is well-liked by peers and earned Homecoming King in the fall.

"He is really fast, of course," Gaughan said. "He is a really good person. He is one of the nicest people that I know. I think he will do really well in college because he has a lot of determination."

Munsch's work ethic has helped him throughout his four-year career. He won 18 career cross country titles, including at least one in all four seasons. As a freshman, Munsch instantly became one of the top runners and displayed Division I talent.

"He ran with the big boys," Harris said.

The KU Relays' 1,600-meter race, though, is one of the seminal runs in Munsch's career.

"That was one of my favorite moments," Munsch said.

Harris, who still vividly recalls the race, was disappointed Munsch didn't start faster. However, Munsch turned it on at the end and ran a 61-second final 400 meters.

"I knew at that time," Harris said. "I said, 'This kid is going to a heck of a miler.' It was exciting."

Munsch's junior year yielded a fifth-place finish at state cross country and a track season curtailed by injuries. Still, Munsch received plenty of Division I looks. He took an official visit to KU after the Rim Rock Run in the fall. Munsch stayed with the team for two nights and enjoyed it. He later went to Kansas State University and Wichita State University for visits, but knew KU was his choice.

"It felt right," he said.

Gaughan signs

with Fort Hays

For more than a year, Gaughan knew she wanted to attend Fort Hays State University. A three-time all-state cross country runner, Gaughan also decided she wanted to run in college.

"I thought that running there would be even better," she said. "I made that my goal to make it so I could run at Fort Hays."

Gaughan made her decision official when she recently signed a national letter of intent to run for the Tigers. A four-time all-conference and all-region runner, Gaughan broke the school cross country record as a junior. This season, she was the team's No. 2 runner behind sophomore Madeline Kasra and finished 24th at the state meet.

"I just think she is going to get better and better," Harris said. "I think we are going to see real good things from Kylie and I think that Fort Hays was lucky to get her."

Wickham headed

to Friends

Helped by a strong junior year, Wickham drew the attention of several NAIA schools, including Evangel (Mo.) University and Friends University in Wichita. Wickham eventually signed with Friends as a two-sport athlete, for football and track.

"It kind of had to do with the coaching," he said. "It is real big on how the coaches treat me. I want to make sure they are there for me. ... Friends just kind of hit the spot."

In 2008-09, Wickham changed positions in football and started a new sport. For football, Wickham punted part of the year and delivered a 34-yard average off three punts. During the spring, Wickham went out for track for the first time. At first, his personal best in the high jump was 5 feet, 6 inches. By spring's end, he went 6-2 and qualified for the state meet.

At Friends, the 6-2, 175-pound Wickham might punt and could see time at linebacker or strong safety.

"It's his blue-collar nature," Friends coach Monty Lewis said. "He is not afraid to get his fingernails dirty and that's what you find out here in Hays."

"He runs well," Matt Welch, Friends' defensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator, said. "With his size, he is going to get better."