Jr. Sioux Wheelers Archives - Big Sioux Media Sports Network

Jr Sioux Wheelers Finish 2nd at National Tournament

April 6, 2014 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Junior Sioux Wheelers finished second at the Junior Division NIT national tournament in Louisville, KY, for the second year in a row. The Wheelers earned an opening round win with a 43-29 win over the St Louis Jr Rolling Rams on Thursday, April 3rd. The Wheelers picked up a second-round win, also on Thursday, 36-26 over the Music City Thunder. On Friday, April 4th, the Wheelers won their semi-final game over BORP Jr Road Warriors 48-37 to earn a trip to the Junior Division NIT champion game for the second year in a row. However, the Rockford Jr Chariots defeated the Wheelers on Saturday, April 5th, for the championship.

Michael Mitchell of Dell Rapids was awarded a 1st Team All-Tournament selection and All-Tournament Academic Team. Mitchell also was awarded a $1,000 tournament academic scholarship and a new wheelchair.

Photo courtesy of Peggy Anderson/Jr Sioux Wheelers

Dell Rapids Hosts NWBA Junior Division Northern Conference Tournament

March 23, 2014 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Dell Rapids High School was the host for the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Junior Division Northern Conference Tournament on Saturday, March 22nd. Five teams from Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota and South Dakota participated in the tournament – Nebraska Red Dawgs A (Nebraska), Nebraska Red Dawgs B (Nebraska), KC Pioneers (Kansas), Courage Rolling Gophers (Minnesota), and the Jr. Sioux Wheelers (South Dakota). The tournament was a round-robin format with the first game starting at 9:30 a.m. and the final game played at 4:30 p.m.

The Nebraska Red Dawgs A finished first with a 3-0 record on the day. The Jr. Sioux Wheelers finished second in the tournament with a 3-1 record, and the KC Pioneers finished third with a 2-2 record.

Michael Mitchell and Hunter Gronli, both of Dell Rapids, from the Jr. Sioux Wheelers earned All-Tournament honors.

Game Scores:

Jr. Sioux Wheelers 44, Nebraska Red Dogs B 16
KC Pioneers 32, Courage Rolling Gophers 28
Nebraska Red Dogs A 62, Jr. Sioux Wheelers 22
KC Pioneers 39, Nebraska Red Dogs B 36
Nebraska Red Dawgs A 65, Courage Rolling Gophers 21
Jr. Sioux Wheelers 54, KC Pioneers 26
Courage Rolling Gophers 63, Nebraska Red Dawgs B 26
Jr. Sioux Wheelers 50, Courage Rolling Gophers 37
Nebraska Red Dawgs A 51, KC Pioneers 21

All-Tournament Team:

Justyn Newman – KC Pioneers
Michael Mitchell – Jr. Sioux Wheelers
Holden Kowalke – Courage Rolling Gophers
Micha Dotzler – Nebraska Red Dawgs A
Jeromie Meyer – Nebraska Red Dawgs A
Lauren Gibbs – KC Pioneers
Hunter Gronli – Jr. Sioux Wheelers
Mackenziee Voecks – Nebraska Red Dawgs A
Female MVP: Maya Campbell – Nebraska Red Dawgs B
Male MVP: Justyn Newman – KC Pioneers

Jr. Sioux Wheelers Holding Fundraiser Event and Hosting Conference Tournament

February 22, 2014 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Junior Sioux Wheelers will be holding a fundraiser event on Thursday, February 27th. The event will be held at Axtell Middle School in Sioux Falls, SD at 7:00 p.m. The event is a basketball challenge, the Wheelers will be playing against the Shriners. Some of the Wheeler players are also “Shriner kids”.

Then on Saturday and Sunday, March 22nd and 23rd, the Wheelers will be hosting the NWBA Junior Division Northern Conference Tournament. There will be teams from Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas attending the tournament. The games will be held at the Dell Rapids High School gym. There will be six JV teams and two prep teams competing in the tournament. Two senior players from the Wheelers, Michael Mitchell and Hunter Gronli, are from Dell Rapids.

Jr. Sioux Wheelers Play at Pentagon

January 1, 2014 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Click for larger view.

The Jr. Sioux Wheelers played at halftime of the Sioux Falls Skyforce game on Friday, December 27th. The Jr. Sioux Wheelers played a short scrimmage against the Nebraska Red Dawgs from Omaha, NE. To make the trip more worthwhile for the Red Dawgs, the two teams held a full scrimmage prior to the Skyforce game at the Pentagon. During that full scrimmage, some of the Skyforce players, Anthony Mason, Jr., Chris Ayer, Ryan Evans, and Henry Walker, came to the scrimmage and took pictures with the Jr. Sioux Wheelers. The kids were very excited to play at the Pentagon.

Click for larger view.

The Jr. Sioux Wheelers were contacted by the Skyforce after the Wheelers returned from their trip to the national tournament. Kyle Kapitan of the Skyforce and Brad Coleman from the Pentagon were the contacts to help get the event set up for the Jr. Sioux Wheelers.

The Jr. Sioux Wheelers will be hosting the Junior National Wheelchair Basketball Conference Tournament in Dell Rapids on March 22nd and 23rd.

Jr Sioux Wheelers Finish 2nd at National Tournament

April 23, 2013 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Jr. Sioux Wheelers participated in the JV NIT Wheelchair Basketball National Tournament in Kentucky last week. The tournament featured 16 teams from around the country. The Junior Wheelers finished 2nd, losing to a team from Birmingham, Alabama, 39-37. They defeated teams from Nashville, Phoenix, and Cleveland on their way to the championship game. Hunter Gronli of Dell Rapids was named to the All-Tournament Team, and Jon Anderson also from Dell Rapids was named the tournament MVP.

Dell Rapids team members are senior Anderson, junior Gronli, and junior Michael Mitchell.

Jon Anderson

Hunter Gronli

Michael Mitchell

Junior Sioux Wheelers Qualify for National Tournament

April 2, 2013 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Sioux Falls Junior Wheelers wheelchair basketball team, made up of youth with lower extremity conditions (spina bifida, childhood cancer, cerebral palsy, spinal injuries, and other conditions that impact motor skills) that limit their opportunities to participate in standard athletics, have qualified for the national tournament for the first time in 12 years. The tournament is being held April 17-22 in Louisville, KY. The kids have worked very hard, and going to Nationals would create lifelong memories and also give them a chance to connect with other youth facing the same challenges they do. Several of the players come from families that do not have the financial resources to travel to the tournament on their own. Right now the team needs help raising funds to send the team to the national tournament. The goal is to be able to fund a bus, hotel accommodations, and meals for the team and their families. The goal is to raise $12,000 by April 15th.

Jon and Andrew of the Junior Wheelers

The Junior Wheelers have a connection to Dell Rapids. Jon Anderson, born with spina bifida, is a member of the team and a senior this year. Mike Mitchell and Hunter Gronli, both from Dell Rapids, are juniors on the team as well. The youngest Junior Wheeler is Andrew at 7 1/2. Andrew was recently named the Wheelers conference tournament MVP.

If you would like to make a donation to the Sioux Falls Junior Wheelers, checks can be made out to Junior Sioux Wheelers and sent to:
Junior Sioux Wheelers
c/o Rod Anderson
47148 240^th St
Dell Rapids SD 57022

Jr. Sioux Wheelers in Dell Rapids

May 6, 2012 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Jr. Sioux Wheelers were in Dell Rapids Sunday afternoon for a fundraising event at the Dell Rapids High School. The Jr. Sioux Wheelers, for players under the age of 21, began in 1987. Their mission is to “offer an equal opportunity to participate in athletics to individuals with lower extremity disabilities due to injury or congenital condition.” Before coming to Dell Rapids, the team recently competed in Vermillion, SD and finished in fourth place competing against teams from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

The Jr. Sioux Wheelers brought a roster consisting of players from Sioux Falls, Mt. Lake, MN and 3 players from Dell Rapids…Hunter Gronli, Jon Anderson, and Michael Mitchel. The team played against four “teams” of players from Dell Rapids in each of the four quarters. In the first quarter, they faced “The Senior Spinners”, a team of 2012 Dell Rapids High School Seniors. “The Senior Spinners” consisted of Tanner Munk, Zach Barber, Brianna Davis, Paige Bunkers, Channing Barber, Laine Mitchell, Chad Munk, Weston Hansen and Hunter White. The second quarter team was the “The Hot Wheels”, Wheelers friends and family, Kyler Anderson, Chrystina Anderson, Brian Gronli ,Dave Mitchell, Caleb Kirshenmann, Makaela Stofferahn, Sydney Stofferahn, Michael Hauschildt, and Rod Anderson. The third quarter team was “The Rocks (that don’t roll),” representing local businesses, Mike Kahler, Dan Ahlers, Taylor Huska, Greg Schwebach, Justin Wyland, Patrick Pate, and Ron Visser. The final team to take on the Wheelers in the fourth quarter was “The Flat Tires”, representing Dell Rapids teachers and coaches, Jeff Welbig, Julie Barber, Steve Hegge, Mick Hoglund, Mike Putnam, Scott Headrick, Ashley Brockhause, Steve Hansen, Craig Jorgensen, Doug Fiedler, and Jeff Dvorak.

The fundraising event provided many raffles throughout each quarter and at the end of the game. All of the proceeds from the game went to benefit the Sioux Wheelers Sports Program.