PRESS RELEASE
The South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting 21 sports legends on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
The 2026 class includes one of the most successful basketball players in state history, a baseball major leaguer who pitched to Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio, a Guinness Book of World Record holder, as well as legendary coaches and announcers.
Tickets will go on sale later this year. The new inductees are: Taylor Baker, Mike Begeman, Howard Blumart (deceased), Frank Cutler, Julie (Krauth) Dearing, Laticia DeCory, Jim Dorman, Dan Freidel, Barry French (deceased), Jeff Fylling (deceased), Randi (Morgan) Haines, Mylo Jackson (deceased), Greg Jimmerson, Louis Koupal (deceased), Tim Miles, Mike Miller, Kent Mueller, John Papendick, Thelma (Austin) Smalley (deceased), Jim Sorensen, and Jason Sutherland.
Mike Miller, a Mitchell standout, was the No. 1 draft choice of the Orlando Magic and played 17 seasons in the NBA.
Tim Miles, a highly respected basketball coach, is the only active coach to lead teams to postseason play at the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I levels.
Jeff Fylling was the voice of the Augustana Vikings football and basketball teams for nearly 50 years. He called more than 400 football games and was on the call for iconic basketball moments such as men’s national championship win in 2016 and for the 2013 Women’s Final Four women’s basketball team.
Kent Mueller helped build the boys’ basketball and football dynasty at West Central. His teams won 14 of the 17 state championships they appeared in. He is one of only four coaches in state history to win state football and basketball titles as a head coach, and the only one to win multiple state titles in both sports.
Jim Sorenson is one of the most successful prep coaches in SD history. The long-time Beresford high school coach led his boys’ basketball teams to 27 winning seasons, three state runner-up finishes, five regional titles, 11 district titles and eight conference titles. He also was a very successful golf coach and was a four-time SD golf coach of the year.
Laticia “Doni” DeCory is one of the best all-around athletes to come out of the talent-rich Pine Ridge Reservation. Was a starter as a true freshman for the BYU basketball team, but transferred to Utah State where she became part of three conference winning track teams. The Utah State track and field women won the 1993 Big West Conference (later the Western Athletic Conference) indoor and outdoor meets as well as the 1994 outdoor championship. At the 1994 conference outdoor championships, DeCory won the shot put for Utah State.
Lou Koupal played 19 seasons of professional baseball, with seven in the big leagues. A pitcher, he got his pro baseball break when he was on the mound in an exhibition game on Oct. 18, 1922, vs. Hall of Famer Babe Ruth of the N.Y. Yankees. Koupal homered off Ruth in the contest but did not give up a home run to Ruth. Koupal also struck out Hall of Famer “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio three times in a game.
With the 21 new inductees, the hall will have enshrined 418 women and men from every part of
the state representing more than 30 sports. The South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1968 by the South Dakota Sportswriters Association. A group of unpaid volunteers from across the state now manages it.
Inductees are voted into the hall in four categories: as athletes, coaches, contributors (such as media, administrators and/or officials) and/or legends (deceased).
