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The South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame will induct 21 new members in 2026, including notable figures from northeastern and north central South Dakota. The induction ceremony is set for September 13 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
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SIOUX FALLS — Seven people with northeastern and north central South Dakota connections are among the 2026 21-member induction class for the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.
Area honorees include former Watertown High School standout athlete Jason Sutherland, former Aberdeen News sports editor John Papendick, Doland native and longtime college basketball coach Tim Miles, Castlewood native Jim Dorman, Langford native Frank Cutler, Bowdle native Howard Blumhardt and 1934 Northern State University graduate and former Aberdeen Central coach-teacher-athletic director Mylo Jackson. Blumhardt and Jackson are being inducted posthumously.
The 2026 class also 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 other legendary coaches and announcers.
Other new inductees include The new inductees are: Taylor Baker, Mike Begeman, Julie (Krauth) Dearring, Laticia DeCory, Dan Freidel, Barry French, Jeff Fylling, Randi (Morgan) Haines, Greg Jimmerson, Louis Koupal, Mike Miller, Kent Mueller, Thelma (Austin) Smalley and Jim Sorensen. French, Fylling, Koupal and Smalley are also being inducted posthumously.
The Hall of Fame banquet is scheduled for Sept. 13 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Tickets will go on sale this year.
With the 21 new inductees, the hall has enshrined 418 women and men from every part of the state representing more than 30 sports. The hall 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: athletes, coaches, contributors (such as media, administrators and/or officials) and/or legends (deceased).
To help preserve the hall and continue its mission, tax-free donations of any amount are always welcomed and appreciated. Send to: South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, PO Box 2077, Sioux Falls, SD 57101.
Complete biographies and a complete list of S.D. Sports Hall of Fame inductees can be found online at www.thepublicopinion.com.
Notable inductees include Jason Sutherland, Tim Miles, and Mylo Jackson, among others.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for September 13, 2026, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
The inductees include a major league baseball player, a Guinness World Record holder, and several legendary coaches and athletes.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet will go on sale later this year.

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Jason Sutherland (right), the all-time leading scorer in Watertown High School boys basketball history, excited Arrow fans and others across the state with his all-around talent and high-flying dunks in the early 1990s. He helped the Arrows end a 33-year title drought with a state Class AA championship in 1992. Sutherland is one of 21 people set to be inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame in 2026.
20 FAVORITES: Links to the stories highlighting the best northeastern South Dakota athletes since 1984
San Jose State Spartans head coach Tim Miles in the first half against the Colorado State Rams at Moby Arena in a game in 2024.
GIMME 5 OR 10 LINKS: Roger Merriam's look at the top athletes for all area high schools since December of 1984
Former Aberdeen News sports editor John Papendick is one of 21 people set to be inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame in 2026.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: S.D. Sports Hall of Fame 2026 release