Eric Mayer
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The Mitchell High School track and field team will send 31 athletes (17 boys and 14 girls) to the Class AA state meet, which begins at 10 a.m. Friday in Brandon and continues with the final session at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. Last year, the Kernel boys finished 16th at the state meet and the girls finished 14th. Heading into this year's state meet, MHS head coach Joe Shepardson said the Kernels will try gain as many team points as possible.
SCOTLAND—Everything came together for the Scotland amateur baseball team on Tuesday. Not only did the Highlanders earn their first win since 2014, but they did so in impressive fashion—beating perennial state tournament qualifier Dimock-Emery 6-3 in the Raptors' home-opener in Emery.
The Carpenter family has a knack for soaring through the air. In the span of 30 years, three members of the family—Travis, Mason and Sutton—have each pole vaulted at least 12 feet, 9 inches with the Mitchell High School track and field team. "There's nothing like being shot in air between 12 and 14 feet," said Travis Carpenter, who has coached or competed in the unique sport for more than 30 years. "The free fall back down to the mat is a cool deal, too."
For anyone seeking more knowledge on coaching as well as medical and training practices for athletes of all ages, Avera Sports and Dakota Wesleyan University are teaming up to provide education at the inaugural Avera Sports Clinic for Coaches. The one-day clinic provides a half-credit of graduate coursework through DWU and will take place from 1 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. on May 30 at the DWU/Avera Sports and Wellness Complex in Mitchell. The full clinic costs $50 for the college credit and one meal.
Standing 5-feet, 10-inches, Elijah Pommer doesn't cast an intimidating shadow in the batter's box. But as opposing pitchers have come to learn, don't let his size fool you. Pommer has a knack for the clutch hit and the four-year varsity player leads the Mitchell High School baseball team in RBIs this season with 20 in 26 games. "He just does some unbelievable things for us and he's by far our toughest guy," MHS head coach Luke Norden said about Pommer. "He shows his teammates how much he cares to be out there with every play."
WINNER—The final piece of the puzzle is about to fall in place for Leahy Bowl in Winner. A new canopy will be installed in June over the new grandstand, which was installed last year. Winner Baseball Association secretary John Calhoon said the steel frame for the partial canopy is already up and the final cover will completed next month.
It's an amateur baseball quandary. Mitchell, the home to this year's South Dakota state amateur baseball tournament and the past three state tournaments, won't have an amateur baseball team take the home field this season. As recently as 2008, Mitchell fielded two amateur baseball teams—the Mitchell Mad Dogs and the GF Advertising Giants. Only the Mad Dogs have competed in Mitchell since 2009 and after nearly folding in 2015, the team will not play this season after facing struggles with player numbers the past few seasons.
As the lone freshman in the varsity lineup for the Mitchell High School boys tennis team, Kade Clark understands his role. He's not the oldest, strongest, fastest or most experienced player on the team. He competes solely in singles at Flight No. 6. And more than any other Kernel player this season, he does not lose. Clark currently holds a singles record of 20-3 and he's been a steady player for MHS head coach Pat Moller all season long.
CORSICA—The wait will soon be over for golfers near Corsica. Dakota Trails Golf Course, located six miles east of Corsica and nine miles northeast of Armour, has been closed since July 14 for a plethora of renovations, most notably, installation of brand-new grass greens. The grass greens replaced artificial turf greens which had been used on the course since the late 1990s.
It was a case of missed opportunities for the Mitchell High School baseball team on Thursday night at Cadwell Park. Against top-ranked and unbeaten Sioux Falls Roosevelt, the Kernels fell behind in both contests and weren't able to secure a lead in the doubleheader. The Rough Riders ended Mitchell's eight-game winning streak with a 5-4 victory in the first game and took the second game 6-2.
