MITCHELL — Championship success, along with local and national recognition, reigned again for local sports teams and athletes in 2024. At the top of that list were the winter sports championships for Mitchell High School boys basketball and gymnastics, with both teams rising above their competition in Class AA for state titles. Here's a look at the top moments of the year in sports for the Mitchell Republic: ADVERTISEMENT A long climb back to the top for the Mitchell High School boys basketball team paid off in dramatic fashion in March, as the Kernels claimed their first Class AA state championship since 2005.
A driving Markus Talley found Gavin Hinker wide open under the basket for a go-ahead layup with 30 seconds to play, and the Kernels came up with two defensive stops on the final possession to defeat Brandon Valley 46-45, as Mitchell finished the season 23-1 and on a 17-game win streak. In the wake of the title, MHS garnered three Class AA all-state selections in Talley, Colton Smith and Gavin Soukup. In the storied history of Mitchell High School gymnastics, 2024 will go down as a special season.
Mitchell won the Class AA team title for a second year in a row, using a big effort at the state championships in Pierre, breaking the school team scoring record in the process with 151.444 points to edge Harrisburg for the victory. It was Mitchell’s best performance of the season by more than 2.
5 points, capitalizing on talent and skill at the perfect time. It was the Ker.