Mitchell's Kerri Young has once again been chosen as one of the state's top basketball players.
Young was one of six players to be in an elite group of state high school boys' and girls' basketball players of the year. Winners of the awards are seniors who received the most points in the all-state balloting by the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association and the South Dakota Sportswriters Association.
"She's been able to achieve success because of her work ethic and will to be a better player," Mitchell girls' basketball coach Wes Morgan said.
Alongside Young, Clark-Willow Lake's Chynna Stevens and Summit's Logan O'Farrell were winners on the girls' side. Boys' basketball honorees include Pierre's Zach Hanson, Clark-Willow Lake's Skyler Flatten and White River's Wyatt Krogman.
Young averaged 16.6 points per game, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season. In February, Young became Mitchell High School's all-time leading scorer, topping Mike Miller, who now plays for the NBA's Miami Heat. Young finished her career with 1,760 points.
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All six of the honorees are going on to play basketball collegiately, and four of those will play at the Division I level. Young, Stevens and Flatten will become South Dakota State University Jackrabbits, while Hanson will take his talents to Creighton. Krogman has committed with Black Hills State University and O'Farrell is an Augustana College recruit.
Morgan said Young has built confidence that will help her as she moves onto the next level.
"She's been guarded by some of the best in the state, and she's still been able to score," he said.
