From a memorial growing by the hour to the many kind words shared by those who knew him, it’s clear Tayven Geiger will be deeply missed.

Geiger, a 17-year-old senior at Randolph Public Schools, was driving on an icy Highway 56 in Randolph Wednesday morning when Minnesota State Patrol says he crashed his pick-up truck.

Troopers say the truck rolled in the ditch and that Geiger, not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the truck and died on scene.

At a growing memorial near the crash site, a baseball bat and baseballs rest aside a cross, pointing out his passion for the sport.

“He’s truly going to be missed. I mean, I’m getting choked up just thinking about it,” Chase Hentges, of HTP Sports Academy, said.

Hentges was one of Geiger’s coaches at the academy.

“[Geiger is] one of the greatest kids to come through the academy,” Hentges added. “A smile every time he walks in the door, he just lights up the room.”

Another coach at HTP Sports Academy, Jake Petricka, also had nothing but great things to say about the teen.

“It’s something you never want to hear about, read about, let alone touch you so close,” Petricka said.

Geiger also played baseball for the Randolph Rockets where he and his 2022 varsity team won the Class-A state championship.

“Anytime I’d see him in the hall, he’d stop and chat, [and was] always upbeat,” Mike Kelley, superintendent for Randolph Public Schools, said about Geiger.

Kelley feels his absence will be felt — adding that many times walking through the high school doesn’t lead to many interactions, but Geiger always made an effort to connect.

“He always had a friendly word and always smiling,” Kelley said.

To give students more time to reflect on the death of their classmate, Kelley said they’ve postponed Friday’s girls’ basketball games. They’ve also added extra support staff this week.

To support the Geigers, the team at HTP Sports Academy started an online fundraiser that as of Thursday night had raised more than $7,000.