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Jan. 16—MITCHELL — Three years ago, Taylor DeJong walked into the Mitchell High School wrestling room knowing very little about the sport.

Today, the senior captain carries herself with the confidence of a veteran, blending experience, leadership and steady improvement as she closes out her prep career with the Kernels’ girls wrestling program.

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“In the last three years, Taylor has really become one of the leaders for the girls team,” said MHS wrestling coach Baker Haar. “She went from knowing nothing about wrestling three years ago, to leading the girls and pushing them. She’s a good captain for the girls, and she holds her teammates accountable and they gravitate toward her. I am proud of how far she has come along.

DeJong has put together a strong senior campaign at 155 pounds, holding a 14-6 record through her first 20 matches of the season. Her progress was on full display Jan. 2 at the McCook Central/Montrose Invitational in Salem, where she battled her way into the championship match and finished second overall — another sign of her steady rise as one of Mitchell’s most reliable competitors.

“All the drill work has definitely helped me to become a better wrestler. It has helped me put different things together, continue to move around and not just stop after one pinning turn,” DeJong said. “It usually works out well for me if I take a shot right away to kind of keep things moving. Especially in my weight class, as we don’t move a whole lot.”

That aggressive approach has translated into steady results, as DeJong and the Kernels host their home meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 for the Jerry Opbroek Invitational.

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DeJong has recorded nine pins this season, five of them coming within the first minute of the opening period. The early finishes reflect not only her physical improvement, but also a growing confidence in her positioning and decision-making on the mat.

“She’s done a really good job this year about knowing the position that she’s in,” Haar said. “In past years as a less experienced wrestler, she’d get out of position on attacking shots, or she would give up points that she didn’t need to. But now she knows what her body needs to do in order to stay out of trouble and score more points. It’s becoming more of a habit for her where she doesn’t have to think about where to go, she just does it.”

DeJong’s senior season is the culmination of a rapid learning curve. She joined the program as a sophomore during the 2023-24 season, qualifying for the state tournament in her first year and finishing with a 24-11 record, along with a fourth-place finish at the Eastern South Dakota Conference tournament. While she didn’t reach the state podium then, the experience laid the foundation for what was to come.

As a junior, DeJong took another step forward, finishing sixth at the state tournament at 165 pounds and closing the 2024-25 season with a 26-15 record. As of Jan. 16, DeJong owns a 64-32 career record, a testament to her growth since stepping onto the mat for the first time three seasons ago.

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“I think I have definitely grown strength-wise, and just my knowledge of wrestling has definitely helped me to win more matches this year,” DeJong said. “Also, my coaches have helped me grow, especially with the pep talks right before the match, or afterwards to tell me what I did wrong. And my teammates are really good about being there for myself, and each other, no matter what happens during matches.”

Leadership has become another defining part of DeJong’s role. Named a team captain this season, she has embraced the responsibility of setting standards for a growing girls program at Mitchell.

“She could be anywhere on that podium depending on the day,” Haar said. “It’s more of the mental side, rather than the physical side. It’s a season-long battle that accumulates in the last weekend in February, and she knows that.”

She adds wrestling to her talents in the throwing circle in track and field, after she was Mitchell’s top shot put and discus thrower in 2025. As for wrestling, after already standing on the state podium once, she hopes to climb even higher this time around.

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“My goal is to definitely place higher at state since I have been there and placed,” DeJong said. “So, I hope to make it to either the first and second match, or at least better than last year.”