HURDLING toward the finish line was Kjetil Midttun. Photo by Mark Sauer

by Tom Coombe -

Luke Olson and Eric Omerza have helped fuel a dynamic season for Ely’s high school boys track team.
The juniors showed May 23 at Hibbing that the postseason might be even better.
Both set personal records, while Olson shattered his own school record, en route to first-place finishes at the Section 7A North Subsection competition.
They punched their own tickets to the section meet, completed Thursday after deadline, and showed why they are strong contenders to advance to the state meet, set for June 7-8 at St. Paul.
Olson won the 800 meter run in 1:57.3, breaking his own school and personal-best by a whopping two seconds and coming up with a time that will turn heads across Minnesota.
“Luke moved into rare territory,” said Ely Head Coach Will Helms. “Not only did he lower the school record by another two seconds, he also may have run the fastest single-A 800 in the state this year. His chances look very good to move on to the state meet.”
Omerza, meanwhile, not only won the triple jump, but his leap of 41 feet, nine inches easily toppled his previous best of 40-1.
“The competition was very good with a strong showing from Deer River and South Ridge, two teams we don’t see often,” said Helms. “To get the win, Eric needed to do something special, and he really came through.”
Ely also captured a subsection crown in the four-by-800 relay, with Olson joining James Schwinghamer, Emmett Faltesek and Dylan Fenske.
“They had a relatively easy path to their subsection title, but will be tested in Duluth,” said Helms. “We think the relay has more speed, and it should be interesting to see how the kids respond to stronger competition from the south subsection. ”
Another relay that could contend for a state berth is the four-by-400 combination of Luke Olson, Raif Olson, Nate Nettifee and Faltesek, which shaved eight seconds off its previous best time to take second in the subsection.
“Each member of the team ran 55 or under, with Nate Nettifee (53) and Luke Olson (52) posting the fastest times of the foursome,” said Helms. “This relay could also reach state with a good day at sections.”
The Wolves also had a slew of other section-qualifying performances.
Schwinghamer also ran his best time (10:00) in the 3200m race, finishing a very fast second to Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin phenom Geno Urbom.
Senior Isaac Gawboy had season-best times in both the 100 and 200 dashes, advancing with a third-place finish in the 100.
Norwegian exchange student Kjetil Midttun took third in the 100 hurdles setting a personal-record in the process while junior Raif Olson advances after taking third (300 hurdles) and fourth (110 hurdles) at Hibbing.
Senior Jasiah Wigdahl placed third in the shot put to advance, while Faltesek (1,600 run), Omerza (long jump), Gabriel Pointer (1,600 run, personal record 4:45.81) and Eli Anderson (high jump) all made it to Duluth. Anderson is the first Ely high jumper to advance since Pat Heiman did so in 2011.
In the 1,600, sophomore Jasper Johnston beat his personal-best by eight seconds and scored for the team with an eighth-place finish.
Despite a slew of team victories during the regular season, the Wolves settled for second place in the subsection event with a false start in the four-by-100 relay costing the team valuable points.
“At the end of the day, we were satisfied with the runner-up team score, though we had hoped to win the meet,” said Helms. “ Thursday was an important lesson that nothing is given; you have to go out and prove yourself every day. We’ll try and carry that lesson into the section meet and beyond.”

by Tom Coombe -

Ely’s high school baseball team is in unwelcome but unfamiliar territory.
The Timberwolves fell victim to an early-round playoff upset Tuesday in Virginia, with North Woods pulling out a 6-5 win and sending Section 7A’s top northern seed into the elimination round.
Ely, which opened tournament play earlier in the day with a 25-2 romp over Northeast Range, now faces a lengthy and difficult road back through the double-elimination tournament.
The Wolves (14-6) met Cherry after the Echo’s deadline in the first of six games Ely must win to survive and advance in the 7A tournament, which concludes June 6 at Duluth.
They faced a similar road two years ago, when they stormed back and won five straight to capture the program’s fourth state tournament berth of the decade.
“We’ve been here before,” said Ely Head Coach Frank Ivancich. “We just have to take it one game at a time and string some good outings together. We can’t look at the whole picture and just look at what’s in front of us. It’s still a wide-open tournament, with both number-one seeds in the losers’ bracket.”
A series of costly miscues cost the Wolves dearly against North Woods.
After striking for three runs in the bottom of the first, two on a single by junior Dalton Schreffler, the Grizzlies countered with three runs in the top of the second, aided by three Ely errors.
The Wolves fell behind 4-3 but a run-scoring hit by Tyler Housey knotted the game back up.
The tide turned in the top of the fourth, when North Woods scored twice with two outs, once on a double-steal and then on a passed ball.
Winning pitcher Daniel Crockett retired eight straight batters before giving way to Jake Hyppa, who tossed three innings of relief to gain the save.
The Wolves had chances in both the sixth and seventh innings but came up short.
A run came off the board in the sixth when an Ely runner was called out for leaving third base early on what would have been a sacrifice fly.
In the seventh, Lane Anderson and Mason Davis drew walks, while Nils DeRemee came up with a run-scoring hit to make it a 6-5 game.
Hyppa escaped further damage, coaxing a ground out to end the game and stranding two Wolves’ runners.
Housey finished with two hits for the Wolves and Schreffler knocked in two runs.
Trevor Mattson started and worked two-and-one-third innings on the mound before giving way to Bryce Longwell, who worked until the seventh. Dalton Schreffler finished up.
Defending champion South Ridge met North Woods Thursday while the Wolves were one of several teams in the elimination round.
They needed two victories to advance to reach Tuesday’s round at Wade Stadium in Duluth.
“Our pitching is still in very good shape and we have the arms to regroup, win a couple of games and get everyone rested for next week,” said Ivancich. “Now it’s just a matter of getting it done on the field.”
• The Wolves erupted for 12 runs in the bottom of the second, sending 18 batters to the plate, en route to a 25-2 win in the playoff opener against Northeast Range.
Housey had a huge day at the plate, going four-for-four with six runs batted in.
Davis added three hits while Mattson, Tjae Banks and Jacob Towley all added two hits.
Harry Simons, a freshman, fanned six Nighthawks batters and went all five innings on the mound.
• Mattson took the tough-luck loss May 23 as the Wolves dropped their regular season finale 4-2 to Nashwauk-Keewatin.
The Spartans took the lead for good in the sixth inning and averted Ely scoring threats in the final two frames, leaving the bases loaded in the seventh.
Mattson struck out eight and allowed six hits while going the distance.
At the plate, Mattson had two hits and Housey singled in a run.
• Longwell tossed a five-hit shutout earlier the same day as the Wolves blanked Mesabi East 12-0 in five innings.
Mattson was three-for-three with a double and three runs batted in, and sophomore Lane Anderson added two hits, including a run-scoring double.

One baseball season in Ely is winding down while another is set to start.
As the high school baseball playoffs (see related story) continue, the summer baseball season in Ely is moving forward on several fronts.
The Ely Baseball Association will hold its annual parent and volunteer sign-up session Monday, with team practices soon to follow and the first summer baseball tournament of the year on tap next weekend.
Ely’s Junior Legion team will host the ’Zup North Realty Classic, a seven-team, three-day event that opens Friday, June 7, at Veterans Memorial Field.
With the summer season fast approaching, registration continues and culminates Monday.
That’s when summer sign-up wraps up at the EBA session, slated for 6 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Field. All parents are invited to come to return registration forms and sign up for volunteer shifts in the concession stand and ticket booth.
Additional registration forms will be available at the field that evening.
Ely will field Junior League (13-and-14-year-olds), Junior Legion (17-and-under) and American Legion (19-and-under) squads this summer.
A busy summer is set at the local ballpark, with this weekend’s tournament the first of many events.
The ‘Zup North Classic runs through Sunday, June 9 and joining host Ely are: Virginia, Duluth East, Esko, Thunder Bay, Cherry and Greenway.

Connecting for a key hit - Ely’s Tyler Hoousey has been swinging a hot bat for the Wolves. Photo by Joe Bianco

by Tom Coombe -

Pitching and defense are baseball’s most potent winning combination.
That was on display this week by the Ely Timberwolves, who stormed back through the elimination bracket with four straight wins to earn the program’s sixth Section 7A title game berth in nine season.
Senior lefty Trevor Mattson blanked Carlton on four hits in a 3-0 Wednesday night win at Duluth’s Wade Stadium.
The victory sent the Wolves on to meet defending 7A champion South Ridge, in a matchup - also at Wade - completed after the Echo’s deadline.
Since stumbling May 28 in a 6-5 loss to North Woods, the Wolves’ pitching and defense have been nearly impenetrable.
Three of the four wins have come by shutout with Mattson and juniors Bryce Longwell and Dalton Schreffler all pitching gems.
Schreffler also took a shutout into the seventh in an 8-3 victory over Cherry May 30 at Proctor.
“If you don’t let your opponent score you’re going to win a lot of baseball games,” said Ely Head Coach Frank Ivancich. “Our pitchers have really stepped up during this run and we have played very, very well in the field. If you pitch and play defense you put yourself in a position to win a championship and that’s exactly what we have done.”
Ely (18-6) needed a win in Thursday’s first game against the Panthers (19-4) to set up a winner-take-all showdown for the title.
The teams are familiar foes, with the Wolves beating South Ridge in the 2016 7Atitle game and the following year in the elimination round. The Panthers returned the favor in 2018, knocking Ely out of the tournament in a semifinal upset.
“We’ve been here before but so have they,” Ivancich said. “We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing, playing good fundamental baseball and doing the little things right that win ballgames.”
Wednesday, the Wolves made their second bus trip to Duluth in as many days and rode the pitching of Mattson.
The senior struggled in the playoff loss to North Woods eight days earlier, but was locked in against the Bulldogs.
Mattson fanned six batters in the first three innings and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth.
He also gave himself the only run he would need, lifting a single to left that drove in Tyler Housey with a third-inning run.
Schreffler, who had two hits, beat out an infield single in the fourth and later scored on a wild pitch.
Nils DeRemee knocked in an insurance run in the sixth, but the Wolves misfired on several chances to put Carlton away, stranding 11 runners.
Mattson, who allowed four hits, walked two batters in the seventh but escaped further damage with two groundouts and his ninth strikeout of the night.
The day before, Schreffler had it in cruise control against Cook County.
The righthander blanked the Vikings on just four hits and relied on nifty defense.
Ely turned a pair of double plays while Housey chased down a ball in left field to quell a potential Vikings’ scoring chance.
Housey also propelled the Wolves with his bat, finishing with three hits including a two-run double.
Mattson set the tone in the first inning, lining a two-run single that gave the Wolves an early edge.
• The Wolves reached the final four of the tournament with two solid outings May 30 at Proctor.
Ely opened by eliminating Cherry 8-3 as Schreffler scattered seven hits, struck out seven and walked only one. DeRemee stoked the offense with two hits and two runs batted in, and the Wolves jumped out to an early 4-0 edge.
Longwell added two hits and freshman Mason Davis had two hits with a run batted in and a run scored.
In the nightcap, Ely avenged a late-season defeat to Nashwauk-Keewatin and eliminated the Spartans 3-0.
Longwell tossed a gem, allowing six hits and issuing no walks while going the distance.
Sophomore Lane Anderson was two-for-two with a run scored and an RBI, while Tjae Banks and Schreffler added two hits each.
• The 7A champion will advance to the State Class A Tournament, which starts Thursday, June 13 at the Mini Met in Jordan. Ely already has four state tournament berths this decade, advancing in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

by Tom Coombe
The state champion in the 800 meter run came right out of centerfield.
Instead of chasing fly balls, Luke Olson was being chased by his opponents in track all spring long - all the way up to last weekend’s state meet in St. Paul.
But nobody ever caught the Ely junior, who won the Class A title late Saturday afternoon with a blazing time of 1:55.48.
Olson, an all-state cross country runner who converted from baseball to track this spring, made history in many ways.
Not only did he win a state title in his first year of action, but he is believed to be Ely’s first-ever boys state track champion. Larry Berkner was the closest, finishing second in the 1,600 run in 1975.
Olson, who won the Section 7A title a week earlier, had the top seed entering the state meet and was first after the June 7 preliminaries.
In Saturday’s final, he was bound and determined and didn’t let up.
“He really showed a desire for winning the state championship and took care of business on the track,” said Ely Head Coach Will Helms. “I won’t say that it looked easy--the 800 race at Luke’s level is ridiculously hard--but Luke never showed any struggle or weakness on the Hamline track. Not a bad finish to his first year of track and field.”
Olson, who set a goal of winning the section championship during his first season, met that goal and kept right on going to St. Paul. A look at the section times of his opponents made him realize even bigger things could be in store.
“When I got the number-one seed for state I realized that I could win the meet,” Olson said Thursday. “I focused up and told myself that I am the best runner on the track. I stuck with the same plan I had done all year, that being getting to the lead and holding it. It worked out that way and I was able to control the whole race.”
Olson recorded a personal best of 1:55.8 in 90-degree heat in the preliminaries.
It stayed hot for Saturday’s final, but Olson seemed locked in
“Heading in to finals, we knew there was at least one runner from the other prelim heats who had a very strong finishing kick,” said Helms. “Luke knew that he basically had to run the same race as prelims, but be prepared this time for a runner to come off his shoulder in the final straight. In the finals, Luke was ready--and even held something in reserve going out a tiny bit slower in lap one at 56.3--but the attack never came, as Luke was the one to surge at the end and pull away from the second place runner.”
Olson’s time not only was a personal best but a school record, and he had a narrow margin of victory over second-place Jaden Maanum (1:56.18) of Morris/Chokio-Alberta.
Also medaling was Virginia eighth-grader Cameron Stocke (2:01.07), who placed ninth.
Olson also qualified for two Ely relay teams that made it to state, but Helms replaced him with alternates in both events so he could focus on the 800.
“We cleared the deck for Luke going into the meet,” said Helms.
Olson responded with strong showings in both the preliminaries and finals, and became Ely’s first state track champion since 1999, when Letitia Dusich won the 300 hurdles in the State Class A girls meet.
Helms said Olson appeared to be on a mission, with the Ely junior overcoming the heat when otheres appeared to wilt.
“Luke’s preparation was excellent all weekend,” said Helms. “He stayed out of the heat and away from the crowds, warmed up properly. and ran both races with an icy determination..”
Olson was part of a state-qualifying Ely baseball team in 2017, while last fall he gained all-state status while taking seventh in the Class A boys cross country meet.
Saturday, however, marked a new level of success.
“Winning a state title has always been a dream of mine so to actually do it is pretty unbelievable and still setting in,” said Olson.

by Kurt Soderberg
Photos by Barb Soderberg
At noon on Sunday, June 9, 2019, 39 enthusiastic golfers headed out under darkening skies to participate in the First Annual Polish Delight Par Three Tournament, sponsored by Zup’s as a fundraiser for the Ely Golf Club.
After a gloomy start the conditions turned to full rain and wind, but not one team failed to complete the 18 holes. The eventual winners of the event were Team Youngman, followed by Team Curtiss, and with Team Casey in third place. Most teams were mixed men and women, with ages from the 20s to the 70s. Many additional prizes were awarded for accomplishments on various holes.
Course Superintendent Jacob Curtiss shortened each of the nine holes to a Par Three length – mostly 100 yards or less – so that the emphasis was on skill and not power. The most notable change was hitting from near the top of the hill near Morse Town Hall over the trees to the number three green in the valley below.
Thanks to Zup’s for the donation to support the Ely Golf Club, including as many Polish Delights as the group could eat. Though the weather was not ideal, participants agreed that this was a fun event and are looking forward to playing again next year.
Next up for the Ely Golf Club will be the Night Tournament, followed by the Superintendent’s Cup Tournament (Soup Cup), both later this summer.
For more information, call the club at 218-365-5932 or email golf@elymngolfclub.com.

by Tom Coombe
South Ridge had its ace in the hole and the Ely Timberwolves ran out of aces.
That was the story late in the evening of June 6 at Duluth’s Wade Stadium, where the Panthers repeated as Section 7A high school baseball champions, riding the pitching of Mason Lane to a 9-0 victory in section finals.
Ely, which had won five straight elimination games, including a 9-8 win over the Panthers earlier in the day to force the winner-take-all showdown, went deep into its pitching staff in the finale.
South Ridge (20-6), meanwhile, had Lane rested and ready to go and the junior delivered, holding the Wolves to just two hits and recording nine strikeouts.
The Panthers put the game away early, scoring five times in the second inning against freshman starter Harry Simons and putting the game away.
The loss ended a stellar run through the playoffs for the Wolves, who finished 19-7.
Ely pitchers threw 23 consecutive scoreless innings at one point, with senior Trevor Mattson and juniors Bryce Longwell and Dalton Schreffler notching shutouts.
Longwell and senior Tyler Housey combined on a seven-hitter in the first game of the championship series, but South Ridge was in the driver’s seat after entering the finals as the unbeaten team.
The Panthers needed just one win to clinch a state berth while Ely needed to sweep.
“We were a little out of gas and out of pitching,” said Ely Head Coach Frank Ivancich. “South Ridge was in a good position and they had their ace ready to go, and we had to put some young players in tough spots.”
South Ridge jumped early, taking advantage of walks, errors and some key hits to build a 5-0 lead.
Lane helped his own cause with two runs batted in, while Jaxson Bennett added a two-run single in the fourth against freshman reliever Bryce Fairchild.
Lane finished with two hits and Locan Young added two RBI for South Ridge.
Ely’s most effective pitcher was freshman Jacob Towley, who worked three frames and allowed a run.
Ely, which blanked both Cook County and Carlton earlier in the week to reach the 7A finals, made its third trip to Duluth in as many days June 7 and opened with its best hitting performance of the tournament.
The Wolves scored single runs in the first four innings and Mattson’s bases-clearing double keyed a five-run fifth.
Ely led 9-2 and held on in the last three innings as the Panthers closed the gap.
Housey finished with two hits and two runs batted in for the Wolves, and worked out of trouble in the sixth and seventh frames to gain the save.
Schreffler also ripped two hits and scored twice for the Wolves, who started only two seniors - Mattson and Housey.
“This group got a ton of experience and really got better as the season went on, which is all you can ask out of a team,” said Ivancich. “We responded and pitched well after an early playoff loss and I think we have some guys who can get us back into the same position we were this year. If we go out and have a good summer and improve, there’s no reason why we can’t contend again next spring.”

by Tom Coombe
Brielle Kallberg climbed three spots in the standings but did not make the medal round at last weekend’s state track meet.
The Ely long-jumper, a junior, was eighth in her heat and 15th overall at the event held June 7 in sweltering conditions at Hamline University in St. Paul.
Competing in 90-degree heat, Kallberg had a leap of 15 feet, 10 inches.
That was about three-and-a-half inches shy of her leap at the Section 7A meet, where Kallberg took second, and well off her career-best of 16-9 during the 2018 season.
The top-nine jumpers moved on to the final round and Kallberg would have needed of at least 16-5.5 to move on.
“I was glad she was able to get one pretty good jump and no scratches,” said Ely Head Coach Jayne Dusich. “Unfortunately at state you need to have great jumps to move into finals.”
Kallberg is a two-time state-qualifier and a top point-scorer for the Wolves all season, placing in sections in both the 100 dash and triple jump as well.
She’ll be a favorite in 2020 for a “threepeat” state appearance.
“I videotaped her practice jumps in Ely and at state so she’s aware of what she has to work on,” said Dusich. “So hopefully next year she can start off the season improving those techniques.”
Robbie Grace of The Blake School won the Class A girls long jump with a leap of 19-2.

by Tom Coombe
Ely’s high school baseball team has three all-conference honorees.
Seniors Tyler Housey and Trevor Mattson were repeat selections to the All-Arrowhead Conference Team, and they’re joined by Ely junior Dalton Schreffler.
The trip formed the heart of an Ely team that finished second in the conference, won 19 games and came within one game of a state tournament berth, falling to South Ridge in the Section 7A finals.
Housey, who moved to centerfield in his senior campaign, was one of the area’s hottest hitters, batting at a torrid .479 clip with 45 hits in 94 at bats, including 10 doubles. He also paced the Wolves with 25 runs batted in and swiped a team-high 11 bases, while also going 3-1 on the mound.
Mattson was one of the aces of Ely’s pitching staff.
The lefthander won four of five decisions and averaged over a strikeout per inning, fanning 47 batters in 39 innings of work while issuing only 11 walks. He played first base when not on the mound and hit .333 with 17 RBI.
Schreffler pitched Ely to two critical playoff victories, including one over Cook County, and went 5-1 with a miniscule 1.50 earned run average. He struck out 46 batters in 42 innings.
In addition to his mound work, Schreffler anchored the Ely defense at shortstop and hit .278 for the season.
The All-Arrowhead team, which was picked by league coaches, also included two players who are on Ely’s American Legion team this summer. They are Northeast Range sophomore infielder Bralyn Lislegard and North Woods sophomore infielder Zach Cheney

The Northeast Range Trap Team traveled to Alexandria on June 13 to compete in the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League Championship.
The nine-day event boasts being the worlds largest trapshooting competition and invites were open to just over 12,000 Minnesota athletes this year.
With 19 trap houses spread out over the course of a mile, teams that have competed online all spring finally came face to face to compete.
Each day of the competition features a conference and attendance averages about 1000 athletes per day and triples in attendance with spectators.
Opening ceremonies began with USA Clay Target League President John Nelson telling the crowd that, “In Minnesota, the state of hockey, trapshooting now has more participants than boys and girl’s hockey combined and continues to grow.”
He went on to say that “With more than 50 million shots fired since this Leagues inception nationwide, there has not been a single reported injury. That’s contributed to our many volunteers and coaches who make safety our number one priority.”
After the National Guard raised the flag, 907 athletes from Class 4A immediately got down to business.
The 100 round event was split up with 50 rounds shot in the morning and 50 more in the afternoon. With ninety-five 25 straights, twelve 50 straights and two 75 straights shot throughout the day, the scores looked more like a professional competition than a high school event.
In overall team competition (top five scores from each team regardless of classification) Northeast Range finished 12th out of 36 teams in attendance and had to rely on some good shooting by three of their JV athletes.
Their combined score of 463 included Tracker Koivisto 97, Jon Hakala 94, Josh Pohlman 92, Bralyn Lislegard 91 and Seann Prigge 89. Hakala, Lislegard and Prigge entered as JV.
NER varsity squads struggled to keep up with other schools such as Hibbing, Hopkins and Irondale who placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. NER varsity finished 20th out of 27 teams scoring 452. Hibbing won the event with 483 points.
It was a different story in JV competition. The Nighthawks scored 444 points and took home the third place trophy out of 29 teams. Hopkins finished 1st with 452. In Novice competition NER placed sixth out of 16 teams scoring 371.
Individually many athletes posted their highest scores yet since the team’s inception four years ago. 22 out of the 30 athletes they sent scored 40 or higher in either the morning or afternoon session which is more than double the 40 plus scores posted on average each week during the regular season.
They also shot five 25 straights, 3 of them coming from athletes who had never shot one before.
Perfect scores were shot by Tracker Koivisto, Robert Daugherty, Seann Prigge and Bralyn Lislegard.
Tracker Koivisto lead the Nighthawks shooting 97/100 which included two 25 straights. Although Koivisto has been a standout on the team since its beginning, this was the first time he has ever earned a patch.
“I shoot a Remington Versamax 12 gauge with a modified choke and I got it as a gift for my birthday.”
Remarked the soon to be senior. “The first time I shot trap I shot an 11. I like trapshooting because it’s challenging.”
When asked if he has any advice for other shooters? “Just stay focused and don’t over think or anticipate the bird.”
Koivisto’s championship average of 24.25 is his personal best. He entered the event as varsity with a regular season average of 22. Koivisto tied for eighth place overall on the day, just two targets away from first place Jack Knaus from Kimball High School who had the overall high score of 99/100.
Bralyn Lislegard who entered the event as a JV shooter with a season average of 17.17, shot a perfect score of 25/25 in the first round which was his personal best.
The soon to be junior finished it off with 19, 24 and a 23 for a total of 91/100. His championship day average of 22.75 helped him place 10th overall in JV.
Maizy Sundblad, a sixth grader from NER who joined the team this year ended up coming home from her first state shoot with a 3rd place medal in the Novice girl’s division. She broke 78/100 targets, another personal best with her highest round being 22/25.
Seann Prigge who joined the team for the first time this year as a junior was also among those who shot a perfect score. His 25/25 in the second round was his first which earned him a patch and his final score of 89/100 was one of the top 5 team scores used give the team a 12th place finish out of the 36 teams in attendance.
“I shoot a Benelli M1 Super 90 with a modified choke” said Prigge. “The first time I ever shot trap I got an 8. Trapshooting is a fun way to practice for hunting season”.
Individually the Nighthawks had several athletes place in the top 25 in their respected divisions. Tracker Koivisto-8th overall. JV boys Jon Hakala-5th, Bralyn Lislegard-10th, Seann Prigge-16th. JV girls Natalie Nelmark-21st JV, Erin Backe-24th. Novice boys Ben Cavalier-15th. Novice girls Maizy Sundblad-3rd, Else Bee-10th and Lydia Wright-22nd.

by Tom Coombe
While Ely’s high school baseball team fell a game shy of the state tournament, one of its top players earned state recognition.
That was senior Tyler Housey, who landed a spot on the All-State Class A Team, as picked by the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association.
The award follows a brilliant senior season and a spectacular high school career for Housey, a four-year varsity starter.
This year, Housey helped lead the Wolves to 19 wins and a runner-up finish in Section 7A.
There were few better hitters in Class A baseball than Housey, who ripped 45 hits in 95 at bats, good for a sizzling .479 average.
Housey reached base 54 percent of the time, scored 28 runs and drove in 25 - both team-highs. He also swiped 11 bases and had 10 extra-base hits.
On the mound, Housey went 3-1 with 33 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched.
His most notable contribution, however, may have come on defense. He moved back to the outfield during his final prep campaign and developed into one of the top centerfielders in northern Minnesota.
“Whatever we needed on defense, Tyler did,” said Ely Head Coach Frank Ivancich. “He really stabilized our outfield and ran down a ton of balls. If we needed help in the infield, he moved there, and he already was one of the best catchers in the section.”
Housey was named to the All-Arrowhead Conference team earlier this year, gaining all-league honors for a third consecutive season.
He is set to attend Vermilion Community College this fall and will join the baseball team there.

by Tom Coombe
Two new winners were crowned this year at the four-mile race that kicks off Ely’s Fourth of July Celebration.
Joseph Minor was the overall winner and Megan Falconer the first female to cross the finish line at the Janet Gensler Memorial Four on the Fourth.
Minor completed the morning race around the Trezona Trail in 21:04, while Falconer, who was 15th overall, had a time of 27:05.
The event doubles as a fundraiser for Ely’s high school track teams and attracted more than 200 participants.
Taking second place overall was Mick Schwinghamer in a time of 21:07 while Luke Olson of Ely, a state track champion in the 800 meter run, took third in 22:45.
Other age group winners were:
• Boys, 10-12: Otto Devine, 33:27;
• Boys, 13-15: Gabriel Pointer, 24:45;
• Men, 20-29; Schwinghamer, 21:08;
• Men, 30-39: John Zak, 26:22;
• Men, 40-49: Jay Asmus, 26:13;
• Men, 50-59: Doug Kleemier, 25:51;
• Men, 60+: Mike Murray, 32:33;
• Girls, 10-12: Emily Baker, 31:52;
• Girls 13-15: Phoebe Helms, 32:17;
• Girls, 16-19: Julia Schwinghamer, 32:18;
• Women, 20-29: Falconer, 27:05;
• Women, 30-39: Sarah Doolittle, 32:46;
• Women, 40-49: Amber Asmus, 32:16;
• Women, 50-59: Trena Yanker-Talz, 32:38;
• Women, 60+: Toni Douwalter, 38:23.
The top male walker was Ely’s Dan Dusich (57:46) with Roger Skraba a second behind.
Among females, Diane Thompson was first in 1:05:50, with Corie McKibben following.
The event is named after the late Janet Gensler, who was instrumental in starting the race several years ago.
Complete results from the race may be accessed online at www.northlandrunner.com.

On Wednesday July 10 at the Ely Golf Course, Tom Cherne from Edina MN got a hole in one on number four from 165 yards using a seven iron.

Curt Johnson from Ely got lucky and made a hole in one on Thursday, July 11. The hole was number seven at the Ely Golf Course, he used an eight iron from 118 yards.

Sammy Richter didn’t know what to expect when he broached the subject of bringing professional wrestling to Fortune Bay Resort Casino.
After all, Fortune Bay was synonymous with bringing outdoor concerts to the area and professional wrestling was never really considered.
However, that all changed in the summer of 2018 when Richter got the approval to bring Fortunebaynia to the big stage. The success of that inaugural event has led to Fortunebaynia2, which Richter promises to be even better than the original.
Some of the star power signed on to play a part in the festivities is Sting, Booker T, Ultimo Dragon, Super Crazy, Honky Tonk Man, Demolition, Air Wolf and King Leonidas. Everyone’s favorite villain Jimmy “The Mouth from the South” Hart will also be part of the show as will Minnesota’s very own, Madusa. There will be many top-notch wrestlers from the Midwest taking the ring once the bell is rung Sunday, July 28th at 5 p.m.
“Ticket sales have been going very well,” said Richter, who is the entertainment and promotions manager for Fortune Bay. “We sold out the first two rows in four minutes and all of the main floor seating within a couple of days.”
To date, Richter said just over 600 tickets have been sold for the outdoor show, which will be held rain or shine.
“I’d like to get to 800 tickets with 1,000 being the ceiling,” said Richter, who added that all ticket sales are final. “We will have bleachers set up for general admission, but a general admission ticket does not guarantee you a seat.”
In other words, if you are a general admission ticket holder, make sure to get there when the gates open at 4:30 pm. There will be plenty of food and beverage available for purchase so please leave your coolers home.
“A new twist this year will be a Q and A session in The Woodlands Ballroom the night prior to the event,” said Richter. “Guests who bought a seat in the front two rows will get in free and all others can get in for $10 at the door.”
Richter said the Q and A will last for two hours and he anticipates many great wrestling stories to be told during the session.
“I’m sure there will be a lot of smack talk so that is going to be entertaining,” said Richter, an admitted wrestling fanatic. “There will be some fan participation too as far as asking questions of their idols from years gone by.”
If fans can’t get out for Saturday night’s event, there will be a Meet and Greet with the wrestlers Sunday at noon in The Woodlands Ballroom.
“They can go to heavyonwrestling.com for more information on that,” said Richter. “Gates will then open at 4:30 p.m. and the first match will begin at 5 p.m.”
Sting will be giving away an autographed bat during Saturday’s Belts, Bats and Bucks promotion. He gained worldwide fame by carrying the bat into the ring when he wrestled for World Championship Wrestling during its heyday in the 1990s. Some lucky kid will also get a title belt and autographed Sting bat during Sunday’s event.
Richter said he is hopeful many of the legends on hand will take an active part once the action gets underway.
“We’re hoping for a lot of involvement from them aside from the Meet and Greet,” said Richter of the legends. “I’ve talked to many fans already and they are pumped about Fortunebaynia2. The thing I love about this event is how family-friendly this will be. You don’t get that with MMA or boxing. It’s going to be a great show, so if you haven’t bought your ticket yet, go to fortunebay.com and get it today!”

The Jumpin’ Jehosafats have been blending traditional jazz and Gospel for more than 25 years, raising money for charity and lifting spirits. The men and women of this group play a total of thirteen instruments - horns, piano, drums, strings and flute among them - as well as sing together.
Based in the Twin Cities, the band includes two Elyites: Suzanne Mades on flute, and Elton Brown on tuba.
The Jumpin’ Jehosafats will be playing on the Whiteside Park bandshell on Wednesday, July 31, at 7 p.m. This toe-tapping free concert is a gift to the community from the Ely United Methodist Church (where the concert will be held in case of rain). Free will donations will be given to “Young Life” Youth Ministry in Ely.
The Ely concert kicks off this year’s “Annual Jumpin’ Jehosafats World Tour of Northern Minnesota,” with appearances the following days in Emily, Pine River, and Little Falls. They have played community concerts, prisons, riverboats, churches, nursing homes, state fairs, and homeless shelters in the Upper Midwest, and also toured Haiti and Jamaica.
The JJs have been featured artists with the Twin Cities Jazz Society Concert Series and played for numerous local, regional and national events for the United Methodist Church. They have released two CDs, the first entitled “I’m Movin’ On” and the second “Blessed are the Peacemakers,” both with traditional and original tunes, the latter written by its members.

In less than two weeks, Minnesota’s top small-school American Legion baseball teams will be in Ely.
And they’ll be bringing family, friends and fans.
The community is sure to be abuzz with baseball fever for the Division II State Tournament, set for Aug. 2-4 at Ely’s historic and recently revamped Veterans Memorial Field.
The countdown is on to the ballpark’s first state tournament in six years and the festivities begin in earnest Thursday, Aug. 1, when all eight teams gather for check-in and photos at the ballpark during the afternoon and a banquet in town that night.
About 150 players and coaches are expected to be joined by hundreds of others, including parents and officials, relatives and community members following their respective teams to state and filling the town.
“It’s a major, major event and we’re fortunate to be hosting it again in Ely,” said Tom Coombe, Ely’s American Legion coach and part of a local tournament organizing committee. “The atmosphere at the ballpark should be fantastic, and you’ll be seeing baseball people all over town for four days.”
Local officials say the tournament will provide a sizeable jolt to the local economy, with mayor Chuck Novak contending Tuesday that “it won’t equate to a Blueberry Fest but it might equal a Harvest Moon,” noting the community’s two major festivals.
The event marks the return of big-time baseball to Veterans Memorial Field, a venue for countless tournaments over the last several decades.
Ely hosted a VFW state tournament in 2013 and last hosted the Division II Legion State Tournament, for communities with high school enrollments under 400, in 2011.
It will be the ninth state Legion tournament to be held in Ely and preparations have been underway for months.
A ballpark facelift
Those have included a major renovation project at the ballpark, coordinated by the Ely Baseball Association and funded almost entirely by private sources.
The $45,000 project included the installation of new netting on the first and third base sides, the removal of aging wooden bleachers, creation of a new paved pavilion area complete with tables and high-top chairs, new exterior fencing and the construction of a viewing deck at the top of the first base bleachers.
The work has been completed over the last several weeks and the new look has been a hit with spectators who have been in town for games and tournaments this summer.
“We’ve had a lot of compliments already, and the improvements have really dressed things up,” said Coombe. “The netting is so much easier to see through, and there may not be a better place to watch a game then the paved area on the third base side. If you haven’t seen what’s been done, we invite you to come and take a look.”
The Ely Baseball Association secured $15,000 grants from both St. Louis County
and the Ely Education Foundation and dedicated $5,000 of its own funds for the initiative. The Ely School District, which owns the ballpark, contributed $3,000 from its long-term facilities maintenance fund, while the DQ Grill and Chill purchased the pavilion furniture and Mesabi Bituminous/Nemanich Trucking paid for part of the fencing replacement.
Field maintenance supervisor Aaron Donais is coordinating other touch-ups to the field, which have included several improvements to the turf and playing surface. Further work is scheduled in the days leading up to the tournament.
$10 passes on sale
While a state tournament will make cash registers ring throughout the area, the local committee must cover a roughly $30,000 budget that includes lodging for all seven visiting teams and tournament officials.
They’ve lined up several major sponsors, including Twin Metals Minnesota, the DQ Grill and Chill, Mesabi Bituminous/Nemanich Trucking, Steger Mukluks, Zup’s Food Market, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabiitation Board, RMS, Fortune Bay Resort/Casino and the North American Bear Center.
They’re also offering a pre-tournament special, with tournament passes available for $10 until July 28.
Passes are good for all tournament games and include a chance at numerous prizes including $1,000 cash, a pair of Steger Mukluks and a gift card from Ely’s Wintergreen Northern Wear.
Organizers are marketing the pass to baseball fans, those who would like a chance at the prizes and those who simply want to support the tournament.
“From a fan’s perspective it’s a great deal,” said Coombe. “If you wait until the tournament, you’ll be paying $7 a session or $10 a day to get in, so the pass pays for itself. Add the prizes into the mix and you can’t beat it.”
Passes are on sale at the Ely Echo, from local baseball players and at Veterans Memorial Field this weekend as the ballpark hosts the Eighth District Legion Tournament.
The district tournament is a dry run of sorts in advance of the state event.
The host Ely team, which is 16-7 this summer, has an automatic bid into the state tournament and has the top seed among Eighth District teams.
Ely will play its first state tournament game on Friday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m., against the substate champion from northwestern Minnesota.
The game caps a full day of baseball that will also include the tournament opening ceremony, involving all eight teams as well as a veterans’ tribute.
The tournament wraps up with the state title game, presented by Twin Metals Minnesota, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4.

It’s a step back in time tonight at Veterans Memorial Field.
About 20 former Ely American Legion baseball players will don the red, black and white for a night of fun with the seventh annual Ely Legion Baseball Alumni Game.
The contest is set to begin at 6 p.m. at the local ballpark.
Teams will be divided prior to the exhibition game, and the organizers say the focus is on fun and sharing old memories.
“We’re excited that so many of our former players are coming back to participate,” said Tom Coombe, head coach of Ely’s Legion team. “We’ve had the game the last few years, and scheduling was a bit more difficult this year because of the state tournament coming up and so many other tournament weekends at our ballpark. This was more of a last minute decision but we decided to move forward with it.”
While the game will be loaded with recent Ely program graduates including Gage Merhar, Louie Gerzin, Will Gustafson, Ben Gantt, Nick Pecha, Cole Kellogg, Nick Mathews, Jory Johnson and Elliot Omerza, teams from the more distant past will also be represented.
Jim Erzar, who graduated in 1970 and has coached baseball in Deer River for over 30 years, has said he plans to play as does 1988 graduate and former Ely standout Bill Muhvich.
Early-1990s graduates Andy Housey, Tom Nemanich and Chris Fink have signed up as has Little League coach Chad Davis, a 1996 Mark Hernsmaa/David Chelesnik Memorial Award winner.
Also back are three Alumni game regulars - Ben Povhe, Alex Povhe and Andrew Olson.
All former Ely Legion players are welcome to attend and participate, although interested alumni are asked to be at the ballpark by 5:15 p.m. to try on uniform pants and jerseys.

Ely’s Junior Legion baseball team could never get its offense warmed up on Sunday.
The result was two defeats and an early exit from the Northeast Substate Tournament, held at Esko.
Virginia’s Daniel Moore scattered six hits in a 6-2 first round win, while Ely was unable to solve Cherry’s Gavin Constantine later in the day, and the Tigers pulled away late for a 12-2, six-inning triumph.
The losses ended a difficult summer for the Junior Legion, which finished 3-11 overall.
Virginia plated two unearned runs in the bottom of the second, taking early control of the first round game, and Ely misfired on a couple of chances to score against Moore.
Losing pitcher Bryce Longwell worked five innings, giving up six runs - four were earned. He struck out four an allowed eight hits.
Reliever Jacob Towley pitched a scoreless inning.
Towley also helped Ely get on the board when his hit to left was misplayed, allowing Longwell to score all the way from first.
Moore escaped with the bases loaded, and Ely never seriously threatened to get back into the game.
Zach Cheney had two hits and a run batted in for Ely, while both Erron Anderson and Jackson Levens doubled.
In the second game, Cherry took a 3-2 lead into the fifth, when it pulled away and scored nine runs over the last two frames against Cheney and reliever Harry Simons.
Only three of the nine runs that Cheney allowed were earned, and the righthander gave up six hits and notched four strikeouts. Simons struck out two in an inning-and-a-third.
Cheney had two doubles for Ely, scored a run and drove in one, and Levens doubled for a second straight game.
Longwell and Anderson had Ely’s only other hits.

With the first practice sessions looming, it’s time for students at Ely Memorial High School to sign up for fall sports.
The annual fall sports sign-up meeting is slated for Monday, Aug. 5, starting at 6 p.m., in the high school gymnasium.
The meeting is open to parents and all students who plan to participate in football, volleyball, cross country, dance team or girls swimming this fall.
Coaches will be invited to address their players with information about first practices, and registration forms will be available to pick up and complete.
All students must have a physical examination on file in order to participate.
Once an examination is completed, it is effective for three years.
Parents with questions about whether their child’s examination is up-to-date are asked to contact athletic director Tom Coombe at (218) 235-1025 or Tcoombe@ely.k12.mn.us.