By 605 Sports Staff

SIOUX FALLS — Daniel Mitchell flipped the script this season. 

One year after finishing runner-up in the Class B high jump, the Gregory Gorilla captured the state championship on Saturday at Howard Wood Stadium. 

Mitchell won the state championship with leap of 6-foot, 5-inches, edging Colman-Egan’s Jack Mousel (6-2) and Castlewood’s Carson Kirwan (6-2) for the win. 

The win came after Mitchell finished second to Kadoka Area’s Dawson Reckling a season ago. 

“It feels great, after last year what happened,” Mitchell said. “It’s an unbelievable experience. I am a junior so next year I got another shot to come back and win it.”

Mitchell, a 6-foot-7 all-state basketball player, took three attempts at 6-7.25 after securing the state championship. Mitchell was trying to equal Sanborn Central/Woonsocket’s Jeffery Boschee, who won the Class A state championship. 

But Mitchell missed all three attempts at the height. Mitchell, however, was still ecstatic after he clinched the elusive state championship. 

After winning the state championship, he grinned, ran around the infield and received high fives from his fellow competitors. 

“I can’t even explain it,” Mitchell said. “I was a lot of excitement.”