Mitchell graduate Doyle Everson still enjoying wrestling

Doyle Everson has experienced all angles of the wrestling mat.

Now as an official, the Mitchell native will be working at the Class A state wrestling tournament this weekend in Watertown. Everson’s wrestling resume also includes coaching for nearly 20 years, and he was a very successful competitor on the mat.

In the early 1980s, Everson won three Class A wrestling titles for the Kernels, the first to accomplish the feat at Mitchell High School.

At a ceremony during a break this weekend, Everson will be among 14 inducted into the South Dakota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Seven people will be inducted at the Class A meet, and seven others will be inducted at the Class B meet.

Everson, a Rapid City resident, coached the sport for 18 years and was head coach at four South Dakota high schools — Miller, Douglas, Aberdeen Roncalli and Newell.

After Everson’s coaching career reached its end, he remained close to the sport by officiating, something he’s done for 15 years.

“There are a lot of people that have been involved in my wrestling life, and now I’m giving back to wrestling what it’s given to me throughout the years,” Everson said, adding it was an honor to be a hall of fame inductee.

Though spending time coaching and officiating, Everson preferred his time as an athlete.

“I enjoyed all aspects of it,” Everson said. “But there is something about competing that I’ve always enjoyed most.”

While wearing a Kernel uniform, Everson won three state titles. Brent Havlik, who now wrestles for the University of Wyoming after graduating as last year, is the only other Mitchell wrestler to accomplish the feat.

Everson won his first title as a freshman when he defeated Hot Springs’ Pat Weiss in the championship match at 98 pounds. In his junior season, Everson defeated Belle Fourche’s Joe Gitometto at 119 pounds and won his third and final title his senior year, beating Brookings’ Jeff Bauer in the 126-pound title match.

He just missed winning four straight individual titles as he took second as a sophomore at 119.

Although Everson won many individual titles, there’s one state title that rises above the rest. Mitchell won its first-ever team championship in 1982, Everson’s junior season

“That was a great thing to be a part of,” he said.

The Kernels were runner-up his senior season and Everson finished his high school career with a 109-4 record. He went undefeated in his freshman and senior seasons with the Kernels.

The Mitchell standout went on to wrestle at Northern State University, where he was a four-time national tournament qualifier.

After beginning wrestling in the second grade, Everson still finds himself retreating back to the wrestling mat.

“I’m still in love with wrestling,” he said. “I can’t get away from it.”

Others inducted at Watertown will be Andy Tate, Mitchell and Parkston coach; Les Sigman, of Sturgis; Eric Hauan, of Sturgis; Chet Jones, an official; Alan Lawrence, of Mobridge; and Jerry Hirrschoff, an official.

Those to be recognized in Aberdeen are Bon Homme’s Hannan Hisek; Wagner’s Brady Lhotak; Freeman’s Cory Wallman; Bob Tiff, radio announcer; Mark Wiley, of Webster; Stan Steffensen, of Lake Preston; and Ray Geditz, coach at Ipswich.

Tags: sports, updates, wrestling, mitchell