Mitchell Gymnastics Seniors Shine at State Meet

Kyanna Gropper and Olivia Prunty lead the Kernels with strong individual performances

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Mitchell Kernel gymnastics team had its best team performance of the season at the Class AA state meet, led by standout showings from seniors Kyanna Gropper and Olivia Prunty. Gropper finished second in the all-around competition, narrowly missing the balance beam title with a career-best score of 9.800. Prunty took third place in the all-around. Despite Harrisburg claiming the team title, the Kernels' seniors shone in their final routines at Mitchell High School.

Why it matters

The Mitchell gymnastics team's success at the state meet highlights the strength of their senior class and the program's ability to perform under pressure. Gropper and Prunty's podium finishes demonstrate the Kernels' competitiveness at the highest level of high school gymnastics in South Dakota.

The details

Gropper nearly secured the balance beam title, posting a career-best score of 9.800, only to be narrowly edged out by Harrisburg's Katelyn Maeschen, who swept all five individual titles. Gropper also finished second on uneven bars (9.567) and vault (9.467) and fourth on floor exercise (9.583). Prunty secured third place on bars (9.550) and vault (9.383), and finished sixth on floor (9.533). The Kernels' success wasn't solely reliant on their two leading seniors, as Abby Helleloid and McKenna Auch also contributed strong performances.

  • The Class AA state individual gymnastics competition took place on Saturday, February 15, 2026 at Mitchell High School.

The players

Kyanna Gropper

A senior on the Mitchell Kernel gymnastics team who finished second in the all-around competition at the Class AA state meet.

Olivia Prunty

A senior on the Mitchell Kernel gymnastics team who finished third in the all-around competition at the Class AA state meet.

Katelyn Maeschen

A gymnast from Harrisburg High School who won all five individual titles at the Class AA state meet, the first time a Class AA gymnast has accomplished that feat since 2009.

Audra Rew

The head coach of the Mitchell Kernel gymnastics team.

Amelia (Rew) Endres

A Mitchell assistant coach who accomplished the feat of winning all five individual titles at the Class AA state meet in 2009.

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What they’re saying

“Kyanna has been great and she was at the top when she needed to be. It's one thing to hit a great score in a triangular where there's one judge but at state, there's three. She deserved the chance to shine.”

— Audra Rew, Mitchell head coach (Mitchell Republic)

“The routines, they matter, but our mindset in going into it is just go out and have fun because we perform better when we are having fun. It was a very full circle moment. It was a very special thing to share the podium with Kyanna considering how long we've been in gymnastics together.”

— Olivia Prunty, Mitchell senior gymnast (Instagram)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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