MITCHELL, S.D. — Competing on their home floor, the Mitchell Kernels turned in a solid performance Friday at the Class AA State Gymnastics Team Competition, finishing second overall with 146.56 points at Mitchell High School.
Harrisburg captured the team championship with 151.48, followed by Mitchell, Watertown (145.05) and Sioux Falls Lincoln (143.4). The runner-up finish highlighted a balanced day for the Kernels, who produced several top individual placements across the four events.
Mitchell’s Kyanna Gropper paced the team with standout routines on multiple apparatus. She placed second on bars with a 9.4 and third on floor with a 9.6, anchoring key scoring rotations. Teammate Olivia Prunty added a fourth-place finish on bars (9.2) and contributed strong routines on beam (9.15) and floor (9.5).
On vault, Abby Hohn delivered one of the Kernels’ top moments, tying for third place with a 9.35, while Gropper added a 9.25 and Prunty posted a 9.18. Mitchell also saw a strong showing on beam, where Sury Bechen led the Kernels with a sixth-place finish (9.38).
Additional contributions came from Abby Jo Helleloid, Shae Hohn and others throughout the lineup as Mitchell stayed comfortably ahead of the rest of the field behind Harrisburg.
The Tigers were powered by a dominant all-around performance from Katelyn Maeschen, who won all four individual events to lead Harrisburg to the title.
Despite the Tigers’ sweep, Mitchell’s depth and multiple podium finishes underscored a successful day for the host Kernels, who combined high-end individual routines with steady team scoring to secure the state runner-up trophy.
The Class AA individual championships take place on Saturday at Mitchell High School.
Team Scores
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Harrisburg — 151.4
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Mitchell — 146.5
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Watertown — 145.05
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Sioux Falls Lincoln — 143.4
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Brookings — 139.8
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Yankton — 137.1
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Pierre — 135.8
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Sioux Falls Roosevelt — 132.2