Mitchell High Girls Basketball Team Takes Winding Path to State Tournament

Kernels overcome early-season injuries and struggles to reach Class AA state tournament

Mar. 10, 2026 at 11:49pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Mitchell High School girls basketball team faced a challenging start to their season, including a 1-3 record and several key preseason injuries. To motivate the team, head coach Dave Brooks mapped out an unconventional route from Mitchell to Rapid City for the state tournament, symbolizing the difficult path the team would have to take. The team embraced the metaphor, highlighting their progress on the map after each win. Despite the obstacles, the Kernels qualified for their fourth straight state tournament appearance.

Why it matters

The Mitchell High girls basketball team's journey to the state tournament highlights the resilience and determination required to overcome adversity and achieve a difficult goal. The team's ability to rally around the coach's creative approach and stay focused on their ultimate objective despite a rocky start to the season serves as an inspiring example of perseverance.

The details

The Mitchell High girls basketball team faced a number of challenges before the season even began, including two season-ending preseason injuries that dealt a blow to team morale. The Kernels then started the year 1-3, prompting head coach Dave Brooks to introduce a map illustrating an unconventional route from Mitchell to Rapid City for the state tournament. The team embraced the metaphor, highlighting their progress on the map after each win as a reminder of how far they had come. Despite the obstacles, the Kernels qualified for their fourth straight state tournament appearance with a win over Spearfish in the SoDak 16.

  • The Kernels faced a 1-3 start to the season in early 2026.
  • The team qualified for the state tournament with a SoDak 16 win on an unspecified date.
  • The state tournament is scheduled for March 2026 in Rapid City.

The players

Dave Brooks

The head coach of the Mitchell High School girls basketball team who introduced the unconventional route map to motivate his team.

Londyn Hajek

A sophomore player on the Mitchell High girls basketball team who embraced the coach's mapping strategy.

Addie Siemsen

A senior player on the Mitchell High girls basketball team who is in her final season with the team.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We had a rough, pretty startling start to our season. That beginning was not how we planned it to go. What (Brooks) did made sense, and I think it was good for us to realize that it wasn't going to be an easy road. We were going to have to figure some things out and string some wins together, and I think we did a good job of that.”

— Londyn Hajek, Sophomore player

“This is a pretty good group, and they all bought into this idea. The next thing I know, they're the ones reminding me that we have to mark the map.”

— Dave Brooks, Head coach

“It really solidifies that we made it to state. This was our goal, and even with the bumps in the road we had throughout the season, the hard work has paid off.”

— Addie Siemsen, Senior player

What’s next

The Mitchell High girls basketball team will face a tough challenge in the first round of the Class AA state tournament, as they are set to take on two-time defending champion and No. 2 seed O'Gorman. The Kernels will look to avenge an earlier 65-34 loss to the Knights and advance further in the tournament.

The takeaway

The Mitchell High girls basketball team's journey to the state tournament demonstrates the power of resilience, creativity, and a shared sense of purpose. Despite facing early-season adversity, the team rallied around their coach's unconventional approach and ultimately achieved their goal of reaching the state tournament, an accomplishment that will serve as a lasting source of pride and inspiration for the players and community.