Four Kernels selected all-state at Class AA cheer and dance meet

Oct. 26—RAPID CITY — Four Mitchell High School athletes earned all-state honors at the Class AA state cheer and dance competitions on Saturday at Summit Arena.

The all-state cheer selections include Mitchell eighth-grader Hannah Werkmeister and senior Cetia Wright.

The Kernels were 12th out of 17 teams in the Class AA state meet, scoring 219.5 points. O’Gorman was the state cheer grand champion with 295 points, followed by Sioux Falls Jefferson (294), Harrisburg (287.5), Tea Area (275.5) and Rapid City Central (274) in the top-five finishing spots.

Mitchell’s all-state dance selections included senior Brooklyn Schlimgen and junior Madi Moon. Moon is an all-state dancer for the second year in a row.

In the state dance competition, Mitchell finished 14th overall, scoring 22 points. Mitchell was 11th out of 14 teams in the hip-hop competition scoring with 237.5 points. The Kernels were ninth out of 10 teams in the jazz scoring with a total of 232.5 points. The Kernel jazz routine score was a season-high for 2026.

Brandon Valley won the grand champion state dance title with 40 points; Harrisburg placed second (39), Sioux Falls Jefferson third (36), Sioux Falls Washington fourth (36) and Yankton fifth (35).

RAPID CITY — Winner High School took second place in both the Class A competitive cheer and competitive dance competitions on Friday at Summit Arena.

The Warriors were second behind Sioux Valley in the cheer competition, as the Cossacks won their 20th state championship in a row with 277.5 points. Winner was second with 260.5 points, followed by Dell Rapids St. Mary (258.5), Elkton-Lake Benton (255) and Wolsey-Wessington (249), while Parkston was sixth (242).

Competing in the co-ed cheer competition, Wagner had the top score with 227 points, followed by Dell Rapids (213) and Hot Springs (186.5).

In the dance competition, Dakota Valley was the team champion with 40 competition points scored. Winner was second with 38 points, followed by Gregory (37), Wagner (36) and Platte-Geddes (35). Teams compete in two of the three available disciplines, with up to 20 points available in each category.

In the pom scoring, Dakota Valley ran up a big margin with 295.5 points scored, with Winner second (247), Gregory (240) and Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian (227.5). Dakota Valley scored 295.5 points in jazz, while Winner was second with 221.5 points. Wagner led the hip-hop category, with the Red Raiders tallying 235.5 points, while Gregory had 233.5 and PGDC was third with 230 points.

All-state Class A cheer selections from the Mitchell area include Gregory’s Kennley Sedlacek, Lyman’s Loey Lingemann and Denae Mann, Parkston’s Claire Sommer and Tori Lindeman, Wagner’s Riley Hernandez and Winner’s Lena DeMers.

Area Class A all-state dance selections included Gregory’s Kaelynn Rezac and Mia Haines, Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian’s Miley Timmerman, Wagner’s Sienna Kuhlman and Riley Hernandez, Winner’s Chloe Taggart and Suchi Chaudhari.