KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The DiRenna Award is presented to the top high school boy and girl basketball player in the Kansas City area.
This year, 41 Action News has the honor of presenting the finalists.
Mark Mitchell is a junior from Bishop Miege High School.
Mitchell averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds per game.
He was a pivotal player in Miege's 22-1 season and helped lead the Stags to a Class 4A state championship, dropping 16 points against Louisburg in the 94-40 win.
Mitchell ranks 20th on ESPN’s recruiting database for the class of 2022.
Since 1954, the DiRenna Award, created by Dr. James DiRenna Sr., has been awarded to high school boys basketball players.
Originally, it was only awarded to the top male athlete in Kansas City, Missouri. In the 1980s, the award expanded to encompass the entire Kansas City metropolitan area.
In 1997, a girls award was added.
Today, Dr. James DiRenna Jr. and the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association continue to recognize top high school basketball players in the area.
The winners will be announced at 6 p.m. Friday on 41 Action News.