Huron High School celebrates achievements at state conference and tournaments

The Huron School District Board of Education held a regular meeting on March 10, 2025, where several notable achievements and recognitions were highlighted. The meeting began with a series of congratulatory announcements celebrating the accomplishments of students and educators within the district.

First, the Huron High School Educators Rising Group was recognized for earning the gold level outstanding chapter award at the state conference, a prestigious honor awarded to only eight schools in South Dakota this year. This award reflects the group's commitment to the pillars of teaching, recreation, appreciation, fundraising, learning, education, and service.

The board also celebrated the success of senior Green Tabat and sophomore Madeline Bach, who secured second place for their children's literature book, "Teddy's First Doctor Visit." Madeline authored the book, while Green provided the illustrations.

In the realm of speech and debate, several students qualified as alternates for the national tournament. The duo team of senior Lily Halter and sophomore Henry Van Sheryl placed third, while sophomore Izzy Schaffer and junior Landon Pomerico placed fourth. Additionally, Lily Halter earned recognition as the second alternate in the Poetry Interpretation category.

The meeting continued with congratulations to students who qualified for the state wrestling tournament, including sophomore Charlie Sa and freshman Reva McGaw for the girls' team, and senior Moses Gross, junior Brady Meyer, and sophomores Lucas Chaparro and Carter Nelson for the boys' team. Notably, Moses Gross finished his season undefeated, winning the state championship and being named the most outstanding wrestler at the tournament.

The board acknowledged the birth of Dahlia Lee, daughter of preschool teacher Ronnie at McKinley, and Brandon Bergquist. The boys' basketball team was congratulated for qualifying for the state double-A tournament in Rapid City, and junior Hilton Heinz and junior Blake Ellwein were recognized for their selections to the first team ESD all-conference in girls' and boys' basketball, respectively.

The meeting concluded with expressions of gratitude to the Huron Youth Leadership Council and PRCA Rodeo for their visit to Buchanan K-1 Center, as well as to a donor who funded Huron t-shirts for all kindergarten and junior kindergarten students, symbolizing unity and school pride.

Following these celebrations, the meeting transitioned into reports to the board, marking the end of the recognition segment and the beginning of further discussions.