FRIDAY SPORTS, MAY 22, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell Kernels boys tennis is in fifth place after day one of the Class AA state tournament in Rapid City. Mitchell had 179.5 team points, while O’Gorman leads the field with 360 points. Simon Wiese advanced to the semifinals in Flight 5 singles. Wiese defeated No. 5 seed Tyson Lawrence of Watertown to reach the semis. Dayton Adams has also advanced to the semifinals in Flight 6 singles after a pair of straight set victories. Adams and Wiese will play for third place in Flight 3 doubles later today. The Kernels hold a ½ point lead over sixth place Rapid City Stevens and a 3 ½ point lead over seventh place Yankton heading into the final day of competition.
— Mitchell Kernels track and field wrapped up the regular season Thursday at the Wendelgass Relays in Huron. Audrey Miller won the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 36 feet, 6 inches, while Nia Talley captured the 400-meter dash in a personal-best time of 1:01.00. For the boys, Bryer Stach placed second in both the discus (157-1) and shot put (48-3.5) as Mitchell now prepares for next week’s Class AA state meet starting Thursday in Sioux Falls.
— Mitchell Kernels girls golf finished third on Thursday at the Bill Scholten Invite at the Brookings Country Club. The Kernels finished with a team score of 323, finishing eight shots behind champion O’Gorman and six shots behind runner-up Aberdeen Central. Mia Larson and Maddie Childs led Mitchell with rounds of 79 on the par-72 course, placing sixth and seventh overall after a scorecard tiebreaker. Londyn Hajek added an 82, while Brynlee Sabers added an 83. Mitchell competes at the ESD conference meet on Tuesday in Aberdeen.
— Mitchell Kernels softball ended the regular season with a 3-13 overall and is currently the 14th seed in Class AA. Mitchell would match up with No. 3 seed Sioux Falls Washington. The SoDAK 16 is set for Tuesday, May 26.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan track and field and cross country head coach Ryan Chase has resigned after two seasons. A Huron native and DWU alumnus, Chase helped the Tigers earn 16 All-GPAC Conference honors and produced two national qualifiers during the 2024-25 season. He will remain in his role through June 26 to assist with summer workouts and program planning. A national search is underway for his replacement.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State baseball is one win away from the NCAA tournament after a 2-1 victory over Northern Colorado on Thursday night in the Summit League tournament in Minneapolis. Freshman Kaden Rylance threw six innings, allowing one run on one hit, while Ty Madison threw three shutout innings in relief as the Jackrabbits improved to 2-0 in the tournament for the first time in school history. SDSU will play in Saturday’s championship round needing just one more win to capture the league title and an NCAA berth. Oral Roberts takes on Northern Colorado in Friday’s elimination game.
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
— At the Platte-Geddes Last Chance Track and Field Meet on Thursday, Taziah Hawkins of Ethan/Parkston won both the 100-meter hurdles in 15.95 seconds and the 300-meter hurdles in 49.48 seconds. Keera Oakley won the javelin (109-0) for Ethan/Parkston, while Rachel Klock won the long jump (16-9.25) and triple jump (34-2). Wagner’s Ashlyn Koupal won the shot put (38-2) and high jump (5-3). On the boys side, Ethan/Parkston’s Mark Deckert won the 100-meter dash, while Sean Deckert added victories in the 400-meter dash and triple jump.
MINNESOTA TWINS
— The Minnesota Twins start a three-game series at Boston on Friday night at 6:10 pm.
CLASS A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT – FRIDAY AT RONKEN FIELD, SIOUX FALLS
No. 1 Harrisburg (12-4) vs. No. 8 Watertown (12-7) – 5 pm
No. 2 Brandon Valley (17-3) vs. No. 7 O’Gorman (16-9) – 7:30 pm
No. 3 Sioux Falls Jefferson (18-5) vs. No. 6 Pierre (18-8) – Noon
No. 4 Yankton (20-4) vs. No. 5 Rapid City Stevens (17-4) – 2:30 pm
Winners advance to Saturday’s semifinals with the championship game at 7:30 pm
AMATEUR BASEBALL – THURSDAY
Parkston Rays 11, Alexandria 10 (13 innings) – Frank Soukup’s ground ball scored Landon Sudbeck on an Alexandria error. Parkston’s Carter Sommer threw six innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with nine strikeouts.
Parkston Mudcats 7, Platte 1 – Mason Herman picked up the win for Parkston, allowing one runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts over eight innings.
Dimock/Emery 8, Mount Vernon 2 – Dane Toman had 10 strikeouts for the Raptors over four innings. Landon Waddell had 11 strikeouts over five relief innings.
Winner/Colome 10, Corsica 3
Hartford/Humboldt Gamecocks 2, Canova 1
Salem 11, Madison 6 – Salem with a seven-run sixth inning.
Freeman 10, Tabor 7
NASCAR
— Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died at age 41 after being hospitalized with a severe illness, according to a statement from NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing and his family. Busch, one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR history with 63 Cup Series victories and 234 wins across the sport’s three national series, became unresponsive while at a simulator session in North Carolina, according to people familiar with the situation. Busch won Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019 and was widely expected to be a future Hall of Famer.
NBA
— Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, while Jalen Brunson had 19 points and 14 assists as the New York Knicks moved halfway to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Mikal Bridges also scored 19 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 13 rebounds to help the Knicks win their ninth straight game. Hart went 5 from 11 from 3-point range. Game 3 is in Cleveland on Saturday at 7 pm
NBA PLAYOFFS – FRIDAY
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 7 pm on NBC – Western Conference Finals tied 1-1
NFL
— Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2027 season, the team announced Thursday. The deal is worth about $55 million and could rise to $60 million, marking a raise for the reigning NFL MVP. The 38-year-old Stafford is entering his 18th NFL season and has spent the past five years with the Rams since arriving in a 2021 trade from Detroit. The extension comes after the Rams drafted quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round last month, though coach Sean McVay has said Stafford will remain the starter as long as he continues playing. Stafford threw for an NFL-high 4,700 yards and 46 touchdowns last season while leading L.A. to the NFC Championship Game.
— The Chicago Bears say they have “exhausted every opportunity” to remain in the city as they continue evaluating sites for a new stadium in suburban Illinois or Hammond, Indiana. In a statement Thursday, the team said there is no viable stadium site left in Chicago and confirmed it is only considering Arlington Heights, Illinois, or Hammond, Indiana, for a future enclosed stadium. The announcement follows ongoing discussions between the Bears, Illinois lawmakers, and Indiana officials, who are competing to attract the franchise with proposed financing and development plans. The team has played at Soldier Field since 1971 and is expected to choose a final stadium site later this spring or early summer.
— Women’s flag football is moving closer to becoming an NCAA championship sport, with a recommendation approved Tuesday that could lead to a national title as soon as the spring of 2028. The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact voted to advance plans for Divisions I, II and III to sponsor a national collegiate championship in women’s flag football, pending further approval from each division in 2027. More than 100 schools are expected to field teams next academic year. If approved, the sport could crown an NCAA champion just ahead of its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
— Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. was arrested in Georgia last week for driving 135 miles per hour in a 70-mile-per-hour zone, according to authorities. Smith was cited for speeding and reckless driving and released after posting bond on May 15. Smith, a first-round pick in 2023 out of Georgia, has 10 ½ career sacks over three NFL seasons. He has a court date scheduled for July 15.
WNBA
— The WNBA has issued a warning to the Indiana Fever after the team failed to initially list Caitlin Clark on its injury report before she was a late scratch due to back soreness. Teams are required to disclose player availability by 5 p.m. local time the day before games. Clark was not added to the report until shortly before Wednesday’s matchup against the Portland Fire, where she ultimately did not play. Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark woke up with back stiffness and had missed practice earlier in the week while receiving treatment.
WORLD CUP
— New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a program offering 1,000 World Cup tickets to city residents for $50 each, part of a lottery tied to the New York-New Jersey Host Committee. The tickets will be distributed across seven matches and include free bus transportation for winners. Officials said the goal is to make matches more affordable for local fans, but New Jersey leaders signaled they are considering their own discounted ticket program ahead of the tournament.
GOLF
— Brooks Koepka is one shot off the lead at the Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas, after firing an eight-under 63 in the opening round. Taylor Moore leads the field at nine under following a career-best round, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler sits two shots back after a late birdie run to finish at 66.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
— Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is facing long odds in his legal effort to overturn a potential permanent NCAA ban tied to gambling violations, according to an NCAA infractions expert. Sorsby was declared ineligible after acknowledging he wagered on sports, including bets involving his own team during his time at Indiana in 2022. He has since filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction that would allow him to play while his eligibility case is reviewed, arguing the NCAA has delayed the reinstatement process. However, sports law experts say the NCAA has consistently enforced its strict gambling policy, which permanently bans athletes who bet on their own team or sport. The case remains ongoing, with a hearing on a potential temporary injunction expected next month.
— The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences have reached an agreement in principle to resolve pending lawsuits over “poaching” and exit fees. The conferences issued a joint statement along with five schools saying the parties agreed to stay lawsuits in California and Colorado while they “work to negotiate and finalize the settlement.” Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State joined the conferences in the statement. The Pac-12 and some of the schools joining the conference filed a lawsuit in California in 2024, claiming the poaching clause the league agreed to when it signed a scheduling agreement for its football teams was invalid. The clause called for payments to the Mountain West of $10 million for the first team that left, with the amount increasing by $500,000 for every additional team, to a total of $55 million.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – THURSDAY
Montreal Canadiens 6, Carolina Hurricanes 2 – Montreal leads the Eastern Conference Finals 1-0
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – WEDNESDAY
Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 7 pm on ESPN – Vegas leads the Western Conference Finals 1-0
CLASS B BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT – MONDAY AT BOB SHELDEN FIELD, BROOKINGS
No. 1 West Central vs. No. 8 Clark Area – 10 am
No. 2 Madison/Chester/Oldham-Ramona/Rutland vs. No. 7 Winner/Colome – 5 pm
No. 3 Lennox vs. No. 6 Dakota Valley – Noon
No. 4 Vermillion vs. No. 5 Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian/White Lake – 2 pm
MLB
— Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal threw his third bullpen session Thursday as he continues recovering from elbow surgery earlier this month. Manager A.J. Hinch called the outing a “great step” in his rehab, noting Skubal threw about 35 pitches. Skubal had a procedure on May 6 to remove a loose body from his left elbow and remains without a timeline for return. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA this season.
— The Athletics’ $2 billion domed stadium on the Las Vegas Strip remains on schedule to open before the 2028 season, officials said Thursday. At a Stadium Authority meeting, project leaders said the 33,000-seat ballpark is showing steady progress, with the lower bowl taking shape and upper-deck construction beginning in April. Team officials said suite sales have sold out and most premium season-ticket packages behind home plate are already claimed. The A’s are currently playing in Sacramento during their transition from Oakland.
— George Springer homered and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached base three times as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 2-0 to split a four-game series.
— Michael Harris II hit a two-run homer and a solo shot, while Mike Yastrzemski also went deep as the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 9-3. Spencer Strider had a season-high nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings as the Braves won three of four at Miami for their 14th win in 16 series.
— Cleveland’s Patrick Bailey hit a solo home run, while Joey Cantillo threw 5 2/3 shutout innings as the Guardians extended their winning streak to six games with a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Cleveland has won nine of its last 10 games, while the Tigers have lost six straight and 14 of their last 16.
— Bo Bichette hit a two-run single as the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 to earn a four-game series split.
— Corbin Carroll lined a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks extended their winning streak to five games with a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez pitched seven scoreless innings for a no decision.
— Zack Gelof’s fielder’s choice groundout in the 10th inning drove in Nick Kurtz to give the Athletics a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
— Brandon Lowe homered and Marcell Ozuna drove in two runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2. Pittsburgh rookie Konnor Griffin extended his hitting streak to eight games with a double. He also scored a run and stole a base.