photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eight Lawrence High seniors signed their collegiate letters of intent in the Lawrence gym on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Lawrence.

Eight Lawrence High seniors celebrated national signing day by putting pen to paper on their college letters of intent at Lawrence on Wednesday.

Lawrence had two Lions sign with soccer teams. Stella Comparato signed her letter of intent with Missouri Western, while Patrick Sandefur signed with St. Olaf College.

Comparato got to sign her letter of intent with her mom and dad, the latter being her coach throughout her upbringing. As the coach of Lawrence High, Joe Comparato got to introduce and speak about his daughter, which was an emotional moment for both.

“It was sad and happy at the same time because I know he’s really proud of me,” Comparato said of signing next to her dad. “It’s sad to leave him. He’s been my coach forever. It’ll be nice having a change of scenery, but I’m always going to miss having him by my side.”

Comparato visited Missouri Western and got to check the school out over the past summer. She enjoyed the visit and the team there, saying it felt like “a second home.” This past fall, Comparato attended more and more of their games and determined it was the right place for her. Now, in a few months, she’ll start her college career as a Griffon.

Sandefur has been committed to St. Olaf for a few months, but getting to put pen to paper with his family with him was memorable.

“I couldn’t have been here without my family,” Sandefur said. “They’ve been my biggest supporters my whole life. I’m glad they’re getting the credit, because they should get all the credit.”

Sandefur has been competing with his club soccer team this winter, which consists of a few college soccer players. They, along with his brother, Colin, gave Sandefur an understanding of what the competition will be like at the collegiate level.

Along with getting to play at the next level, Sandefur is excited for the next chapter and challenges that come with it.

“I’ve haven’t done anything like this,” Sandefur said. “It’ll be new and I’m excited. I think it’ll push me even farther than I think I can go.”

Jonah Stutler was part of the Lawrence boys soccer team but signed with Benedictine College for baseball, which is his primary sport. Stutler worked to get himself recruited by the Benedictine coaching staff by making it known he wanted to play there.

“I let the coaches know I wanted to be there, and then they started to show some interest,” Stutler said. “It all worked out, and I’m grateful for that.”

With his papers signed and official, Stutler can now get ready for his final year with the Lions without the outside stress of finding a place to play college baseball.

“I knew I wanted to focus on baseball in college,” Stutler said. “I made it known that I wanted to get committed and signed before the season started, and now I feel like I can focus on the season and not have to worry about the outside stuff.”

Lawrence’s top girls cross-country runner from this past season, Andie Garrett, will continue her career at Rockhurst University.

Garrett made the most of her senior season, which allowed her to earn a spot on the Rockhurst cross-country team.

“This past season, she stepped up to the plate,” Lawrence cross-country coach Kyle Morgison said in his opening coach’s remarks. “She led her team, got to be captain and was the front-runner of most of our races.”

Morgison said Garrett has done a lot for the program over the last few years both on and off the course as a role model and runner.

Football had four members of its team sign with colleges: Turner Juelsgaard, Devin Foster, Tahj Edwards and Wyatt Hendricks.

Juelsgaard, a hard-hitting safety, signed with Baker, where his brother, Truman, is a quarterback. During the coach’s introductions, Lawrence football coach Jason Thoren said he’s looking forward to getting to watch him in college a few miles down the road.

Foster’s commitment to Missouri Western came late in the cycle, but the moment was all worth it when he signed his letter of intent.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to sign today because it was such a short period of time to make sure everything got sorted out,” Foster said. “It’s been my dream since I was a little kid. I’ve been playing sports as long as I can remember. It feels good to know that I’ve accomplished my goal of going to continue my athletic career after high school.”

Foster is a versatile and coachable athlete. In baseball, Foster was thrust into the starting catcher role right before the season began and thrived in the position. In football, he was tasked with playing left tackle along with his usual defensive line duties and was an anchor for the offensive line.

“I think I’m able to do those things because of the people I have around me here,” Foster said. “The coaches at Lawrence High are flexible, and they always understanding.”

Tahj Edwards ended his senior season with a torn ACL, but the running back is progressing ahead of schedule before he gets to Coffeyville Community College.

“It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders, because four months ago I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my life,” Edwards said. “I know the hard work is going to pay off. I’m rehabbing a lot faster than anticipated. I’ll be running literally next week and probably doing cutting stuff the month after that. So I’m progressing faster than I thought.”

Edwards is excited for the toughness of junior college. Everyone there is working for a chance to get to the Division I level. It’s something Edwards is excited to prove himself in as he works to get to Division I in the next two years.

“I can’t wait to get there and compete,” Edwards said. “I’m not even thinking about my knee. I’m just thinking about getting back out there to play.”

Hendricks signed with Drake University, where he will go to play center for the Bulldogs with his brother, Will. After having played together in high school, Wyatt is excited to do so again at Drake.

“It’s always nice to have someone to lead by example and someone who has been in the system to see the ins and outs,” Hendricks said. “I’m fired up. I got to play with him in high school, and it’s a dream of mine. There’s nothing like it.”

Thoren called Hendricks one of the smartest players he’s coached, which helps him excel in his position at center. With a close confidant in his brother there to discuss the scheme with, Hendricks has a bright future ahead with the Bulldogs.

For his final months at Lawrence, Hendricks is enjoying himself and taking it all in. He’s making the most of his last moments being a senior and enjoying high school life at Lawrence.

“You walk into the gym and you see all the state championship banners, and it’s pretty crazy to realize that you’re living into that (Lawrence High) legacy,” Hendricks said. “Being able to graduate with the 2026 class and be with a bunch of guys who have worked really hard is great. I’m proud of myself and the other guys, for sure.”