Munsen, 10 others being inducted to SD Sports Hall of Fame

Former Mitchell High School basketball coach Gary Munsen is being inducted in to the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

Munsen is one of 11 South Dakota sports figures who will be immortalized on April 13 at a banquet at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Ticket information will be released at a later date.

Munsen, a White Lake native who came to Mitchell to coach after a stint at Marion High School, finished his career with 672 victories and 254 losses.

He retired at the end of last season after guiding the Kernels to nine state boys’ titles in his 39 years as the sideline general. His nine titles are the most of any South Dakota high school basketball coach.

During Munsen’s reign, the Kernels made the state championship 14 times and won 40 straight games from 1984 to 1986.

Munsen’s success was not limited to just the boys’ game. He also won three titles as the girls’ coach at Mitchell.

Going into the hall of fame with Munsen is basketball coaching colleagues Don Meyer, Lyle LeBeaux Curt Fredrickson.

Meyer, who coached at Northern State for 11 seasons, finished college coaching career with 923 wins and was awarded the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2009 ESPYs.

LeBeaux, who has coached both boys and girls basketball, has taken 18 teams to the state tournament. He still coaches girls’ basketball today.

Fredrickson currently coaches Northern State is the second among active NCAA Division II coaches in wins with 707.

Miller High School multisport coach Bob Schroeder, who coached at Miller 30 years, won 13 football conference championships, multiple track conference championships and had five straight appearances in the Class B state tournament from 1945 to 1949 will also be inducted.

Referee Pal Christensen, of Yankton, is the lone official to be inducted, while James Evans, a Rapid City High graduate, and LeRoy Carlson, of Sioux Falls, are to be inducted because of their efforts on the football and softball fields, respectively.

Rounding out the group is golfer Kris Tschetter, who played more than 20 years on the LPGA tour, and Olympian Rod DeHaven, who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics as a marathoner.

Tags: sports, updates, basketball, mitchell