SD’s best grapplers head west to Rapid City
SUMMIT PLAYER OF THE YEAR RACE SHAPING UP?
PROJECTING THE GIRLS BASKETBALL POSTSEASON WITH GIRLS DECLINE, HOOPS PARTICIPATION COMES INTO FOCUS
4 FULL COURT PRESS PREDICTIVE POWER
SUMMIT LEAGUE
8 COLLEGE HOOPS
Kirch eager to lead
12 USD COYOTES
GIRLS HOOPS
Leaders look at decline in participation, seek solutions
16 ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
EDITOR
MARCUS TRAXLER mtraxler@mitchellrepublic.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SARA LEITHEISER
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
CHRIS JOHNSON
KATIE HASTINGS
JEN PHILLIPS
MINDY WIRTZFELD
MATT ZIMMER
ADAM THURY
TRENT SINGER
BLAKE DURHAM
LANDON DIERKS
NATHAN SWAFFAR
JUSTIN WICKERSHAM
MARCUS TRAXLER
Marcus Traxler is the assistant editor and sports editor for the Mitchell Republic. A past winner of the state’s Outstanding Young Journalist award and the 2023 South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year, he’s worked for the newspaper since 2014 and covers a wide variety of topics.
MATT ZIMMER
Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting.
LANDON DIERKS
Dierks covers prep and collegiate athletics across the Mitchell Republic’s coverage region area. He is a Mitchell native who graduated from South Dakota State University with his bachelor’s degree in journalism in May 2020. Dierks joined the Mitchell Republic sports staff in August 2021.
BLAKE DURHAM
Blake Durham is a Sports Reporter for the Mitchell Republic, having joined the newspaper in October of 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Durham can be found covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports in the area.
TRENT SINGER
An Iowa native who grew up in the south, Singer is a 2012 graduate of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in photography with a minor in journalism. Singer was most previously the editor of high school sports at Just Women's Sports and, before that, was a sports reporter and editor at the Southeast Missourian and the Kentucky New Era, respectively.
Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Peyton Hellmann works to turn Sturgis’ Madison Snyder during the girls 138-pound state championship match on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
BY LANDON DIERKS Mitchell Republic
What is March without a little madness?
This time of year is synonymous with basketball tournaments, and as they draw closer, the questions begin to swirl.
Who is in? Who is out? Who is a sleeper waiting to strike? Who is primed for an early exit?
And most importantly, of course, who is going to win it all?
This week, we attempted to address some of those questions by simulating the entire South Dakota high school girls basketball postseason using an analytical tool known as the Massey Ratings.
Most well known for factoring into college football BCS formula from 1999 to 2013, the Massey Ratings are self-proclaimed as “the most scientific and full-featured system available for analyzing the performance of members of a competitive league.”
The Massey Ratings offer several different ways to evaluate teams, including metrics such as overall rating, offensive and defensive ratings and strength of schedule. For this exercise, we’ll be honing in on one measure: power rating, which is meant more for predictive use than the other ratings.
For Class A and Class B, teams were organized by Massey power rating, and based on regional tournament matchups, the top two teams from each region advanced to the SoDak 16.
Note that this is not always the same as simply identifying the top two teams in the region by power rating because of the bracket structure. For example, the Massey Ratings have Kadoka Area and Wall ahead of Bennett County in Region 7B, but because the Kougars and Eagles would have to play each other as the actual No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the regional bracket, No. 1 seed Bennett County still advances because it’s higher in the power ratings than any of the other teams on its half of the bracket.
Qualifying teams were then seeded into our mock SoDak 16 based on their real seed-point value. In Class AA, since there is no regional qualification, we started at the mock SoDak 16 stage based on the current seed-point standings. From the SoDak 16 onward, we simulated every matchup using the Massey Ratings, which produced a most likely score and win probability.
Here’s a look at how Massey sees the South Dakota high school girls basketball postseason shaping up. (Note: All simulations were done Feb. 23-24.)
CLASS B
Class B SoDak 16
No. 1 Centerville 58, No. 16 Arlington 46 (75%)
No. 2 Harding County 52, No. 15 Faulkton Area 37 (83%)
No. 3 Lyman 58, No. 14 Wall 46 (75%)
No. 4 Ethan 56, No. 13 Lemmon 36 (90%)
No. 5 Parkston 58, No. 12 Highmore-Harrold 37 (90%)
No. 6 Bennett County 52, No. 11 Warner 48 (59%)
No. 7 Colman-Egan 47, No. 10 Deubrook Area 44 (56%)
No. 8 Andes Central/Dakota Christian 53, No. 9 Northwestern 39 (81%)
On the whole, the Massey Ratings are fairly confident in the teams that would advance, with six of the eight matchups producing a win probability of 75% or better for the victorious side.
Top-two regional seeds the ratings have missing out on the Class B SoDak 16 are De Smet in
Region 2B; Tiospaye Topa in Region 6B; Kadoka Area in Region 7B; and McLaughlin in Region 8B. Other notable omissions (due to regions being restricted to two teams each) based on the current seed point standings include Sanborn Central/ Woonsocket (eighth), Dell Rapids St. Mary (10th), Viborg-Hurley (11th) and Freeman (16th). Meanwhile, four teams outside the Class B top 20 advance: Lemmon (22nd), Wall (25th), Faulkton (32nd) and Arlington (33rd).
Class B state tournament Quarterfinals
No. 1 Centerville 56, No. 8 Andes Central/Dakota Christian 46 (72%)
No. 4 Ethan 51, No. 5 Parkston 46 (61%)
No. 7 Colman-Egan 48, No. 2 Harding County 44 (57%)
No. 3 Lyman 54, No. 6 Bennett County 44 (73%)
Semifinals
No. 4 Ethan 52, No. 1 Centerville 49 (54%)
No. 7 Colman-Egan 48, No. 3 Lyman 46 (53%)
Championship
No. 4 Ethan 50, No. 7 Colman-Egan 41 (72%)
After going all chalk in the SoDak 16, the Massey Ratings pick No. 7 Colman-Egan over No. 2 Harding County in the state quarterfinals. Then the ratings double down with the Hawks winning again over No. 3 Lyman, in addition to No. 4 Ethan avenging an earlier loss to No. 1 Centerville to set up an all-Region 3B championship, though it is worth noting that they see both semifinal pairings as little more than a coin flip.
CLASS A
Class A SoDak 16
No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian 58, No. 16 Rapid City Christian 42 (84%)
No. 2 Hamlin 56, No. 15 West Central 50 (62%)
No. 3 Mahpíya Lúta 59, No. 14 Sisseton 50 (70%)
No. 4 Vermillion 46, No. 13 St. Thomas More 40 (64%)
No. 12 Flandreau 50, No. 5 Mobridge-Pollock 46 (58%)
No. 6 Wagner 57, No. 11 Lakota Tech 51 (63%)
Mahpiya Luta’s Ashlan Carlow-Blount (1) looks to score while attacking the lane between Vermillion’s Taylor Reuvers and Alexis Hanson (10) during a Hanson Classic high school girls
game on Saturday, Jan.
No. 7 Sioux Valley 55, No. 10 Miller 45 (73%)
No. 8 Aberdeen Roncalli 46, No. 9 Mount Vernon/ Plankinton 44 (54%)
Compared to Class B, the ratings are less bullish on the teams to advance in Class A. Where Class B’s average win probability in the SoDak 16 was a shade over 76%, Class A’s is more than 10 full points lower at exactly 66%. Somewhat ironically, one of the matchups the ratings feel most strongly about is the normally tight No. 7 versus No. 10 pairing, due in part to Massey viewing 10-seed Miller as the weakest of the qualifying teams.
Top-two regional seeds the ratings have missing out on the Class A SoDak 16 are Groton Area in Region 1A; Tri-Valley in Region 3A; and Dakota Valley in Region 4A. Other notable omissions based on the current seed point standings include Elk Point/Jefferson (sixth) and Lennox (13th). All 16 qualified teams are inside the top 22 spots in the seed-point standings.
Class A state tournament
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian 53, No. 8 Flandreau 42 (75%)
No. 4 Vermillion 52, No. 5 Wagner 49 (55%)
No. 2 Hamlin 53, No. 7 Aberdeen Roncalli 45 (68%)
No. 3 Mahpíya Lúta 59, No. 6 Sioux Valley 50 (70%)
Semifinals
No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian 54, No. 4 Vermillion 49 (61%)
No. 3 Mahpíya Lúta 57, No. 2 Hamlin 51 (63%)
Championship
No. 3 Mahpíya Lúta 54, No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian 52 (54%)
Much like last year’s Class A state bracket, which produced several classic games and where all contests were decided by 11 points or fewer, the Massey Ratings predict another tight tournament this time around. Defending champion Vermillion comes up one game from being able to defend its state title, as Sioux Falls Christian avenges its lone defeat from the regular season in the semifinals. But in the end, Mahpiya Luta pulls out three single-digit victories to complete an unbeaten season, taking out to No. 2 and No. 1 seeds in the process.
CLASS AA
Class AA SoDak 16
No. 1 O’Gorman 62, No. 16 Sturgis 25 (99%)
No. 9 Harrisburg 48, No. 8 Aberdeen Central 46 (54%)
No. 4 Rapid City Stevens 54, No. 13 Watertown 43 (74%)
No. 5 Mitchell 49, No. 12 Sioux Falls Roosevelt 38 (75%)
No. 2 Brandon Valley 58, No. 15 Huron 39 (87%)
No. 7 Pierre 53, No. 10 Sioux Falls Jefferson 51 (54%)
No. 3 Sioux Falls Washington 56, No. 14 Tea Area 48 (68%)
No. 6 Spearfish 54, No. 11 Brookings 46 (67%)
Keeping in line with the historical trend of scarce upsets in the Class AA SoDak 16, only the No. 8 versus No. 9 game produced a lower-seeded winner, and
only one other matchup had a win probability less than 67%. This round produced the most confident pick of the whole simulation, with O’Gorman as a 99% favorite over Sturgis by win probability, and Brandon Valley over Huron at 87% is also in the top five of all games in the simulation.
Class AA state tournament
No. 1 O’Gorman 58, No. 9 Harrisburg 39 (87%)
No. 4 Rapid City Stevens 51, No. 5 Mitchell 48 (56%)
No. 2 Brandon Valley 57, No. 7 Pierre 48 (70%)
No. 3 Sioux Falls Washington 56, No. 6 Spearfish 49 (66%)
No. 1 O’Gorman 59, No. 4 Rapid City Stevens 46 (77%)
No. 2 Brandon Valley 55, No. 3 Sioux Falls Washington 50 (59%)
Championship
No. 1 O’Gorman 55, No. 2 Brandon Valley 50 (61%)
Chalk continues to reign supreme in the state tournament, with no lower seeds winning. O’Gorman’s SoDak 16, quarterfinal and semifinal game are three of the four most confident picks in the class, as Massey expects the Knights’ dominance to continue. In a rematch of last season’s state championship game, O’Gorman tops Brandon Valley once again to repeat as champion. If true, that would give the Knights back-to-back perfect seasons an even 50 wins in a row.
Larkins nearing a lock for women’s award, men’s honor becomes three-player race
BY MATT ZIMMER
Sioux Falls Live
SIOUX FALLS — With the regular season winding down, the Summit League will soon announce its all-conference team and individual awards.
Who will be the men’s and women’s player of the year?
Let’s take a look at the contenders.
On the women’s side, Grace Larkins is, statistically, a lock.
The Coyote senior is closing in on an unprecedented triple crown — she leads the Summit in scoring (23.9), rebounding (9.3) and assists (5.6). She’s also fourth in steals (1.9) and seventh in field goal percentage (.492), the latter number of which is pretty incredible given the attention she gets from opponents day in and day out, playing a leaguehigh 37.3 minutes per game.
The catch? USD is a mere 11-18, and 5-10 in Summit League action.
Does that matter? Historically, yes. The last time the Summit League player of the year came from a losing team was in 2002-03, when Tiffany Kyser of IUPUI won the award. For what it’s worth, Kyser’s numbers that year (18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.6 steals) don’t compare to Larkins’.
Then there’s Amanda Hyde of IPFW, who won the award in back-to-back years in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
In 2013, the Mastodons went 13-17 overall and 8-8 in league play, and Hyde won the award averaging 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals. A year later IPFW went 15-15, 8-6 in league play, and Hyde repeated as POY averaging 22.3 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Both of those IPFW teams were at least .500 in league play. In recent years, the POY award has gone exclusively to players from the league champion or a contender. Macy Miller is the last woman to win Summit League player of the year without being on the regular season champion, in 2018, and her Jackrabbits finished second and won the conference tournament.
So if you’re really dying for a reason not to give the award to Larkins, there you have it.
If, however, you’re trying to give the award to the objectively best player in the conference, good luck finding someone more deserving.
There’s Jordan Jones of Denver, who averages 19.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists — all in the league’s top 10. Well, the Pioneers are 8-19 overall and 1-13 in conference. No real reason to vault her over Larkins.
Taleyah Jones, Jalei Oglesby, Ruthie Udou moh and Makyra Tramble of Oral Roberts all have had outstanding seasons, and the Eagles have had an outstanding season at 22-6 and 12-3 in league play. Jones aver ages 18.2 points, Oglesby 17.9 points and 5.7 rebounds, Udoumoh 12.1 points and 7.9 re bounds, while Tramble averages 10.7 points, 3.5 assists, a league-leading 2.0 steals and is second in the league in 3s made.
All four have a legit case for All-Summit League first team honors, but the Golden
tion doesn’t mean a lot to me but it may to others.
As for the men, there are a handful of strong candidates, but it seems likely that the three with a real chance of winning the POY are Jacksen Moni of NDSU, Marquel Sutton of Omaha and Oscar Cluff of SDSU.
Here are the resumes:
Eagles’ balance makes it hard to give any of them the nod over Larkins for an individual award.
That basically leaves SDSU’s top players, of course.
Brooklyn Meyer won last year’s POY award, in addition to the defensive player of the year. Her stats this year are similar — Meyer averages 17.6 points and leads the league with a .643 FG percentage. Her 24
Moni: 20.6 points (1st in Summit), 5.6 rebounds (7th), 3.7 assists (3rd), .508 FG (2nd), .837 FT (7th), 64 3-pointers (5th), 113 FTs (6th).
Sutton: 18.7 points (4th), 7.5 rebounds (2nd), .479 FG (4th), .735 FT (14th), 139 FTs (1st).
Cluff: 17.3 points (5th), 12.5 rebounds (1st in all of D1), 2.9 assists (7th), 24 blocks (2nd), .640 FG (1st in league, 6th in D1), .795 FT (10th), 101 FTs (8th), 20 double-doubles (1st in all of D1).
All three players have contributed to
SDSU is 19-10 and 10-4 in league play, tied for 2nd. NDSU is 20-10 and 9-6 in the league, good for third.
Sutton feels like the sort of sentimental pick. The Mavs are a great story and he’s been the driver of their success.
Moni is the most versatile — his numbers across the board are probably the best. He’s got his hand in just about everything the Bison do.
Cluff is the most dominant. A power conference-caliber player, he’s a true throwback center — a 6-11, 260-pound back-to-thebasket bruiser with surprising touch and agility around the basket, the ability to step back and hit the occasional 3, and the passing acumen to make teams pay when they double-team him.
There’s still a week left in the season. The numbers aren’t final.
But as of right now, I’m leaning Larkins
TOP: Kimball/ White Lake/PlatteGeddes’ Lucas Lenz wrestles in the 2024 South Dakota State Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. ADAM THURY / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
MIDDLE: Bon Homme/ Scotland/Avon’s Peyton Hellmann works to turn Sturgis’ Madison Snyder during the girls 138-pound state championship match on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. ADAM THURY / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
RIGHT: Miller/ Highmore-Harrold’s Kellan Hurd wrestles in the 2024 South Dakota State Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls. ADAM THURY / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
BY MARCUS TRAXLER Mitchell Republic
RAPID CITY — The race to have your arm raised as a state wrestling champion is back this week.
The South Dakota High School Activities Association’s state wrestling championship will be held over three days at Summit Arena in Rapid City, with 40 state individual state titles to be handed out and team honors on the line.
Wrestling begins at 11 a.m. Central on Thursday with the opening round, followed by the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Thursday. Friday’s semifinal round begins at 4 p.m. Central time, with the placement matches for third, fifth and seventh at 11 a.m. Saturday and the championship round at 2 p.m. Saturday.
LEFT: Watertown’s Gage Lohr attempts to turn Brandon Valley’s Trevon Oehme during the Class A 120-pound state title bout during the 2024 South Dakota State Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls.
SOUTH DAKOTA PUBLIC BROADCASTING PHOTO
RIGHT: McCook Central/ Montrose’s Alexis Bryant looks to score in the 114-pound championship match during the Region 2 girls wrestling tournament on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 in Salem.
MARCUS TRAXLER / MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Here’s a look at what to know for the competition:
■ Five Class A wrestlers remain undefeated entering the state tournament. Sioux Falls O’Gorman’s Keenan Sheridan is 46-0 on the season at 175 pounds and Watertown’s Micah Hach is perfect at 44-0 at 285 pounds. Tea Area’s Tyler Woodring is 38-0 in the 126-pound class, Brandon Valley’s Elijah Schunke is 29-0 in the 215-pound weight class and Huron’s Moses Gross is 21-0 at 150 pounds. Gross is looking for a third state title after winning in 2022 and 2024.
■ Watertown’s Micah Hach is the state’s top nationally ranked wrestler, checking in at No. 10 in Sports Illustrated’s 285-pound rankings. Teammate Gage Lohr is ranked No. 28 at 138 pounds and Sheridan is an honorable mention at 175 pounds.
■ Lohr, a sophomore from Watertown, is going for a fourth-straight state championship in 2025, competing in the 138-pound bracket with a 30-1 record this season and seeded No. 2. Rapid City Stevens’ Aidan Callahan is the No. 1 seed with a 34-7 record. Lohr won the first meeting by technical fall, while Callahan won by injury time at the Jerry Opbroek Invitational in January for Lohr’s only loss of the season.
■ Ryan Tschetter, of Rapid City Central, is the Class A leader in wins with a 53-9 record in the 126-pound weight class. The Cobblers senior is the No. 3 seed in his bracket, which is one of the most interesting in the state tournament. It includes the undefeated Woodring from Tea Area as the No. 1 seed, 2024 113-pound champion Brendon Oehme, of Brandon Valley, as the No. 2 seed, plus No. 4 seed Brody Randall, who is wrestling at Watertown this season after winning a Class B state title with Hamlin/Castlewood last season.
■ Hach is the Class A leader in pins this season with 38 in a total time of 32 minutes and 19 seconds, leaving an average of 51 seconds to earn a pin in those matches. The Arrows senior is committed to both play football and wrestle at South Dakota State University. Tschetter is No. 2 in Class A with 37 pins this season.
■ Jacob Williams, of Rapid City Stevens, is the top takedown man in Class A wrestling with 167 to his name this season. He has a 46-2 record. Mason Schrempp, of Aberdeen Central, ranks No. 2 at 165 takedowns. The 40-5 Schrempp is the No. 1 seed at 157 pounds, while Williams is seeded second in the bracket. Williams is a defending champion from 2024 after winning the 144-pound title in 2024.
■ Additional Class A wrestlers seeking repeat state titles includes Rapid City Central’s Pierce Hurd, who won at 106 last season and is looking for a 113-pound title with a 34-3 record this season. Hurd is seeded second, while Sturgis’ Tyler Baldwin is seeded No. 1 with a 42-1 record.
■ Aberdeen Central, Rapid City Stevens and Sturgis qualified wrestlers in all 14 weight classes. Brandon Valley and Pierre qualified 13 wrestlers, while Madison and Harrisburg will send 12 wrestlers to Rapid City.
■ Sturgis won the 2024 Class A team points title and the Scoopers already won their second Class A state dual wrestling title in a row in February in Pierre.
■ Three wrestlers are in the Class B state tournament with undefeated records. Winner eighth-grader Apollo Willuweit has a 40-0 record in the 106-pound class, while Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes’ Lucas Lenz is 39-0 in his senior season at 165 pounds and Canton’s Teague Granum is 28-0 at 190 pounds for the C-Hawks.
■ Jace Blasius, of Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall, is seeking his third state championship after winning the last two seasons at 138 and 144 pounds, respectively. Blasius is the No. 1 seed at 157 pounds and has a 38-1 record.
■ In addition to Blasius, three others are going for repeat championships in Class B. Reigning 106-pound champion Carter Kendrick, of Canton, is in the running for the 120-pound title with a 32-5 record, while Custer’s Tray Weiss is 47-2 and looking for a 132-pound title. Miller/Highmore-Harrold’s Kellan Hurd is seeking a title at 144 with a 42-4 record after winning 138 last season.
■ Hunter Richmond, of Canton, is the Class B leader in pins this season with 38. He is 46-3 this season and is seeded No. 2 in the 285-pound class. Warner/ Northwestern’s Preston Cavalier is the No. 1 seed.
■ Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall’s Kale Crowser leads Class B in technical fall victories this season with 38. He has scored a state-best 251 takedowns this season and allowed only two against. Crowser has a record of 45-1 and is the No. 1 seed at 175 pounds.
■ One weight class to watch is 190 pounds, where Wagner’s Gannon Knebel is the No. 1 seed with a 42-1 record, while Teague Granum is 28-0 for Canton and the No. 2 seed. Knebel has not lost to a South Dakota wrestler all season and was second in the weight class last season, while Granum moved up from 144 pounds after finishing fifth last year.
■ Canton is going for a 10th state title in Class B in the team points race and its eighth in a row. It is the longest streak in South Dakota team wrestling history for either class. It already won the Class B state dual title earlier this season over Winner.
■ The C-Hawks lead Class B with 12 individual qualifiers, Winner and Philip/Kadoka Area/Wall both posted 11 wrestlers for the state brackets. Tri-Valley and Bon Homme/Avon both have 10 state qualifiers.
At Summit Arena, Rapid City. Note: All times Central.
Thursday, Feb. 27
11 a.m.: First-round matches (eight mats)
5 p.m.: Quarterfinal matches (eight mats)
Friday, Feb. 28
10:30 a.m.: First and second-round wrestlebacks (eight mats)
4 p.m.: Semifinals (four mats) and third-round wrestlebacks (four mats), with fourth-round wrestlebacks to follow.
Saturday, March 1
11 a.m.: Third-, fifth-, seventh-place matches (six mats)
2 p.m.: Championship matches (three mats)
■ Three wrestlers in the state girls wrestling tournament enter with undefeated records. Canton eighth-grader Finley Evjen is 44-0 at 120 pounds, Bon Homme/ Scotland/Avon senior Peyton Hellmann is 41-0 at 145 pounds and Sioux Valley’s Summer Guthmiller is 39-0 as a sophomore at 138 pounds. All three are the No. 1 seeds in their respective brackets.
■ Hellmann and Evjen are two of five wrestlers looking to repeat as state champions, with Hellmann looking to be the first South Dakota girl to win five state championships. Harrisburg junior Regina Stoeser is looking for her fourth consecutive title. McCook Central/Montrose’s Alexis Bryant (114) and Pierre’s Abigail Lewis (152) are both seeking their second-straight state championships.
■ Hellmann, of Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon, continues to run through her competition in South Dakota. She’s won 124 matches in a row, with every match this season ending via pin (28) or technical fall (seven) this season.
■ Hellmann is the state’s top-ranked wrestler in the most recent USA Wrestling rankings entering the state meet. She is ranked No. 9 nationally at 145 pounds. Sioux Valley’s Summer Guthmiller is ranked No. 25 nationally at 140 pounds and Harrisburg’s Regina Stoeser is ranked No. 28 at 135 pounds.
■ Hellmann is the state leader in takedowns with 131 and she has not allowed a takedown all season. Guthmiller has done the same, with 73 takedowns without allowing one to an opponent. Sioux Falls Washington’s Olivia Kolbrek ranks second in the state with 93 takedowns.
■ Sisseton’s Vi Anderson leads the state with 14 technical falls. Anderson, a ninthgrader, is 36-7 in the 114-pound bracket.
■ Tiara Faehnrich, of Custer, is the state leader in wins entering the state tournament with a record of 52-8 already to her name. The Wildcats senior is the No. 4-seed in the 138-pound division. She is also the state leader in pins with 44 this season, with Sturgis’ Brooklyn Baird checking in with 43 pins and Bon Homme/Scotland/ Avon’s Hadlee Kracht has scored 40 pins.
■ Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon’s Britney Rueb won’t be able to go for a fourth state championship this season at 126 pounds. She started her season 10-0 before injuring her leg in the Floyd Farrand Invitational championship match and hasn’t returned this season.
■ Canton leads the state competition with an entry in all 12 weight classes in the girls weights. Pierre has the second-most with 11 qualifiers, while Aberdeen Central has nine qualifiers and Harrisburg is sending eight. A total of 59 different schools qualified at least one girls wrestler to the state meet, which includes a full girls competition for the fifth season. This year was the first to include a girls regional qualifying format to fill out the 16-wrestler brackets.
■ Pierre and Canton are the expected favorites for the girls team points title as they have been in the past three seasons. The Governors won last season’s state title by 33.5 points over Canton.
BY NATHAN SWAFFAR Mitchell Reoublic
VERMILLION — The relationship between new University of South Dakota football defensive coordinator Billy Kirch and head coach Travis Johansen has been fostered for over two decades.
The two first met when they went to high school together and played football in Blaine, Minnesota. The two went their separate ways following, but constantly stayed in touch, especially as the two progressed in their coaching careers.
Now, over 20 years after they played together on the gridiron, the two have reunited as Kirch begins a new role as defensive coordinator on Johansen’s coaching staff.
Before taking over Johansen’s old role, Kirch spent the last 10 seasons coaching at NAIA side Northwestern College (Iowa) and spent the last nine as defensive coordinator. Over that span, he turned the Red Raiders’ defense into one of the top units year in and year out.
In 2022, Footballscoop.com named him the NAIA Coordinator of the Year after helping to guide the Red Raiders to their first NAIA
national title since 1983. He also coached four GPAC defensive player of the year award winners and 13 NAIA All-Americans.
The conversation between the two began almost as soon as Johansen was elevated to head coach following Bob Nielson’s retirement. Kirch had kept up with USD’s success over the past few years, especially since he and Johansen stayed in touch, discussing how games went and bouncing ideas off each other.
When he was offered the position, he felt it was the logical next step, even though the decision to leave Orange City was a difficult one.
I need to be at a place that’s committed to winning championships and a place where I could surround myself with people that believe in the same process that I believe in.
— Billy Kirch
‘To me, it’s important that I’m at a place where I can put my family and my faith, first,” Kirch said. “I need to be at a place that’s committed to winning championships and a place where I could surround myself with people that believe in the same process that I believe in. A place where I could develop professionally and personally.”
Although Johansen said the relationship between him and Kirch is an incredibly strong one, his results at Northwestern made him a clear candidate to take over as defensive coordinator.
“We’ve got a relationship outside of football, but it’s certainly not the reason why I’ve tried to get him here,” Johansen said. “He’s an excellent football coach, a national coordinator of the year, a national champion. We’re very like-minded in the game. We’ve spent the better part of the last 15 years talking defense, talking scheme and where we land in our schemes are very similar.”
Many South Dakota fans are already familiar with Kirch, just not in a coaching role. Before he began his coaching career, he was a standout linebacker for South Dakota State. He played for the Jackrabbits under John Stiegelmeier
from 2002-05 and led the Jacks in tackles during his senior season. Kirch is also the second former Jackrabbit to be hired as a coordinator at USD in the last three years as former offensive coordinator and current Fresno State OC, Josh Davis, played and coached in Brookings before spending the last two seasons in Vermillion.
With Johansen at head coach, Kirch leading the defense and Tim Morrison promoted as the USD offensive coordinator, the Coyotes will have new faces in the three largest coaching roles next season.
Kirch said he has an immense amount of respect for the SDSU program and how it’s developed into a perennial FCS contender. Knowing that makes him more eager to coach against his alma mater.
“I learned a lot, I grew a lot, I developed, I was around great people there and great mentors. I’ve got a lot of respect for how that program was run and the way they’re currently doing things,” Kirch said. “I’m excited for the competition, the challenge and everything that comes along with it.”
When it comes to defensive identity, Kirch said his unit needs to be able to win games for USD when called upon, be great in critical situations such as in short-yardage or third down and be sound in every area possible.
“We want to put a defense on the field that plays inspired,” Kirch said. “[We need] guys that are smart, that are physical, that are tough. We need to put an emphasis and we will put an emphasis on being fundamentally sound and schematically sound. Limit the conflict in our players so they can play fast and play with confidence.”
Kirch has already talked to every member of the defense and fostered relationships with them, a highlight of his first few weeks on the job. He and the defensive staff are also deep in preparation and identifying focuses for spring practice, which will begin next month.
With the first opportunity to hit the field with his new defense quickly approaching, Kirch’s anticipation to see his unit in action is overwhelming.
“You can only spend so much time in the office and behind a computer. Thinking about being on the field with our guys, it’s exciting,” Kirch said. “I look forward to seeing our guys in action, lining up against our offense and executing our style of defense is something that is going to be a lot of fun.”
BY BLAKE DURHAM Mitchell Republic
MITCHELL — Having coached girls basketball for more than 20 years, Sioux Falls Washington head coach Jamie Parish is worried about the dwindling participation in the sport.
“It pains me to see the sport is slowly dying,” he said.
It’s part of a nationwide issue that has seen participation in girls basketball decline by 20% since 2002, according to an article published by the Associated Press. Programs in states such as Iowa and Nebraska, with some not far removed from state tournament appearances, have canceled varsity seasons because of low participation.
In South Dakota, participation data gathered by the National Federation of High School Associations shows a 19% decrease in girls basketball participants in the state in a 15year span from 2008 to 2023, dropping from nearly 3,100 participants to 2,485. Some of that decrease can be attributed to fewer high schools operating or offering high school basketball in that timeframe.
Teams in South Dakota are also suffering from low participation numbers. Colome and James Valley Christian are fielding varsity teams with only nine student-athletes listed on their rosters. Those teams are a combined 1-33 on the season. Mitchell Christian, which won a Class
B championship in 2006, hasn’t fielded a varsity team since 2023 due to low enrollment.
While the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Associations are aware of the difficulties surrounding some of the programs across the state, there isn’t a concrete answer on why the sport’s participation is in decline.
“I’m not sure of all the answers,” coaches association president and Sioux Valley boys head coach Bill Vincent said. “We are aware of it and have made it a priority within the basketball coaches association.”
Vincent points to the fact each school offers more programs across various levels and sports than before, with more club-level offerings in addition to high school-sanctioned sports.
There’s also competition with other sports, such as volleyball and girls wrestling, the latter of which has nearly doubled its total number of teams in the four years the South Dakota High School Activities Association has sponsored the sport. As basketball is played with a physical nature, girls have options to look elsewhere if they desire.
“A girl can play basketball one weekend, get knocked to the ground multiple times, never make a basket, never shoot a free throw, and have parents yell every time she bumps one of the smaller players,” Parish said. “The same girl can play volleyball, get some blocks, kills, and never touch anyone. The verbal abuse is much less and perhaps non-existent.”
While Parish admits the increase in options for girls sports might be a factor in girls basketball’s decrease in participation, he believes it’s up to the coaches and parents at the earliest youth levels to set a strong precedent in their kids’ development.
Specifically, he believes the kids should practice more while playing fewer games. While a general youth program might have only one or two practices per week, kids will play several games per weekend.
“It is a terrible imbalance,” Parish said. “How many times have you watched a kid run up and down the court for multiple games and shoot less than 10 shots for the weekend? Instead of running up and down the floor all weekend, kids should get in the gym and practice making shots.”
At Mitchell High School, the girls’ middle school basketball seasons are structured to run from around the end of October through Christmas to better allocate resources towards player development. Once the season is finished, the girls are encouraged to continue practicing and developing their game with the high school programs.
While there’s no guarantee a girl will be placed on a team at the high school level, the past couple of seasons have seen seventh and eighth-grade girls basketball players afford Mitchell more opportunities to get games in at the sub-varsity levels.
“We were very intentional in the fact that we put the girls basketball season first,” MHS activities director Cory Aadland said. “We’re very clear that we’re not guaranteeing any playing time, but some of those middle school girls allowed us this year to play a third game that we weren’t able to play at the beginning of the year, and we’ve got a lot of middle school girls playing on that level.”
Development of fundamental basketball skills can be lost due to physical play on both ends of the floor, while players can potentially miss out on an important lesson as the game can be individualized down to a single player or a single call affecting the outcome.
“People will invest in coaching for the right reasons, and one of the wrong reasons is focusing on individual player success,” Ethan girls head coach Tom Young said. “My philosophy for the players is learning to be unselfish and a good teammate because that’s such an important life lesson.”
Ultimately, Parish’s goal is to see the girls basketball grow and see a fundamental change in how players are developed from the youth levels through high school and potentially on to college. Until then, the players will only focus on the next opportunity to play.
“Instead of placing blame we need to control our controllable and sell our sport so that kids would prefer it to the other options that seem so appealing to them,” Parish said. “My goal is to grow and leave this game in a better place than I found it.”
BY NATHAN SWAFFAR | MITCHELL REPUBLIC
Denne has been a prolific goal scorer for the Marlins for years, and his scoring ability came to a head over the weekend when he made history. Denne scored eight goals in one game against the Sioux Center Storm in a 13-3 victory for the Marlins. While the eight goals are impressive on their own, those eight goals took him to 106 career regular-season scores. He eclipsed the previous record of 105 to become the South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association all-time career goals leader.
Flogstad finished in seventh place in the 113-pound division at last year’s state wrestling tournament and cemented his ticket for the 2025 tournament last week at the Region 2B qualifying tournament. Flogstad won his first two matches via pinfall, before a much different title match. Against Canton’s Carter Kendrick, Flogstad only needed two points to win the match via a 2-0 decision to take home the 2B title. Flogstad improved to 52-4 on the season and will look for a high finish at state later this week.
Canton’s Finley Enjen and Yankton’s Alexis Brenden battle for position in the 120-pound championship match during the Region 2 girls wrestling tournament on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 in Salem.
Canton has been a dominant force in the girls wrestling world this season, and Evjen has been directly at the center. The reigning 100-pound girls state champion punched her return ticket to the 2025 state tournament, albeit in the 120-pound weight division at the Region 2 qualifying tournament last week. She wrestled two matches, winning via pinfall in the semifinals and via major decision in the title match against Yankton’s Alexis Brenden. With the victory, she moved to 44-0 on the season and will look for her second straight championship at the state tournament later this week.
After finishing in eighth place at the state tournament last year at 120 pounds, Tschetter punched his ticket to the 2025 state tournament last week at the Region 2B qualifying tournament. Now wrestling at 144 pounds, he won all three of his matches via first-round pinfalls, including in the title match against Parker’s Jerimiah Friman. With his three victories, Tschetter improved to 42-6 on the season and will look to improve upon his 2024 finish at the state tournament later this week.
Marion/Freeman’s Easton Tschetter works from the top position against Parker’s Jerimiah Friman during the Region 2B 144-pound championship match on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, at McCook Central High School in Salem. Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic