SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – St. Thomas More’s Ryder Kirsch and Sioux Falls O’Gorman’s Emma Ronsiek are this year’s Mr. & Miss Basketball winners. Hansen Anderson Basketball recognized 20 seniors — 10 boys and 10 girls — chosen by the state’s coaches to be considered for the title of Miss or Mr. Basketball. Kirsch is the fourth St. Thomas More boys basketball player to receive the award. Kirsch averaged 20.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for the Cavaliers. He guided the Cavaliers to a 19-2 record entering the state tournament, which was canceled due to the pandemic. Ronsiek is the first girls basketball player from Sioux Falls O’Gorman to win Miss Basketball. Ronsiek averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and posted 48 blocked shots for O’Gorman. She finished as the Knights’ career leading scorer with 1,390 points. Ronsiek guided O’Gorman to a 21-0 undefeated season prior to the state tournament. The global COVID-19 pandemic forced Hansen Anderson Basketball to cancel its annual awards ceremony in Sioux Falls.
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Nick Wittler of Sully Buttes was one of 10 boys nominated for the Mr. Basketball award. The others were The others Sioux Falls O’Gorman’s Akoi Akoi, Aberdeen Christian’s Andrew Rohrbach, Lennox’s Josh Arlt, Huron’s Kobe Busch, Huron’s Teegan Evers, Sioux Valley’s Maxwell Nielson, Hanson’s Reggie Slaba and Sioux Falls Christian’s Zach Witte. The other Miss Basketball finalists included: Howard’s Hilary Albrecht, Langford Area’s Ady Dwight, Lennox’s Rianna Fillipi, Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Morgan Hansen, Huron’s Havyn Heinz, Todd County’s Kelsie Herman, Flandreau’s Hannah Parsley, Lennox’s Madysen Vlastuin and Rapid City Stevens’ Kyah Watson.
