Ely boys win subsection

CELEBRATING their first place finish at the subsection track meet were members of the Ely boys team.
by Tom Coombe -
One title down, and one to go.
Senior Josh Heiman recorded three first-place finishes Wednesday and a deep Ely boys track team dominated its foes en route to a crushing victory at the North Subsection meet in Hibbing.
Ely had five firsts in all, and the Wolves qualified a whopping 23 athletes in 17 different events for next Thursday’s Section 7A meet at Esko, where they will be out to defend their section title.
The subsection event proved to be an impressive warm-up act.
“I can’t say enough about how hard the Ely boys competed today,” said Ely Head Coach Will Helms. “They made it their mission to bring the team title back home to Ely, and they didn’t disappoint.”
By sheer volume, the Wolves’ victory was one for the annals of Ely track history.
Ely advanced athletes to sections in 17 of 18 events the team competed,in, with all three Wolves’ entries moving on in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 400 dash, long jump, triple jump and discus.
“That feat shows the depth of this team,” said Helms. “I can’t remember another subsection competition where we advanced so many athletes in so many events.”
To little surprise, Heiman soared past his foes in both jump events. He won the triple jump in 43 feet, 2 inches and had a leap of 21-9 to take the long jump. He also topped the field in the 100 dash, winning in 11.47 seconds.
“His victories in the jumps, each by two feet or more, were dominant and his win in the 100 was impressive,” said Helms. “Josh has been looking for competition all season long and he got a taste of it today.”
The Wolves have a hurdles champion in the 110, as junior Henry Dirks won in 11.22 seconds. He was part of a sea of red-and-white with teammates Eli Conaway (third) and Raif Olson (fourth) close behind and section qualifiers in their own right.
Freshman James Schwinghamer won the 3,200 run in 10:28, a personal best, with a strong finish to win going away.
While the firsts were some of Ely’s biggest performances, the Wolves claimed the team win by racking up point after point in event after event.
Senior Adam Porthan was the runner-up in the 400 with a season’s best time of 52.4. He would later take second in the long jump (19-3 and fourth in the triple jump (39-9).
Another senior, Evan Omerza was third in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump.
Zach Dean moves on to the 7A meet in the 200 dash as the senior took third in 24.09 seconds, and classmate Braxton Casey placed third in the 400 (54.32), with junior Blaise Lah (55.37) fifth in the same event.
Back from an injury, senior Teddy Pierce as fourth in the 800 run (2:08.77) and eighth-grader Emmett Faltesek came on strong to qualify for sections in the 3,200 (third, 10:44.23) and 1,600 (sixth, 4:53.01).
In the 300 hurdles, freshman Eli Conaway took second (43.88), with Dirks (third, 44.21) and Isaac Gawboy (sixth, 45.96) punching their own tickets. Gawboy was also seventh in the 100 dash.
Ely’s throwers made their mark as well, with senior Spencer McEntyre taking second in the discus (127-8) and fourth (39-0) in the shot put.
Jasiah Wigdahl also advances in both events with a third (shot put, 41-3) and fourth (discus 117-9).
Senior Augie Richter will move on as well in the discus (seventh, 110-4).
Ely’s relay teams will all move on, with the four-by-200 foursome of Heiman, Richter, Nate Netifee and Dean placing second in 1:38.50.
It was Porthan, Izaak Nosbisch, Lah and Casey forming a runner-up four-by-400 team (3:37.20) while in the four-by-100, Ely’s Gawboy, Omerza, Nosbisch and Dean were third (46.38).
The Wolves also qualified a distance relay, with Dylan Fenske, Seann Prigge, Ethan Bremner and Schwinghamer on the third-place four-by-800 unit (9:34).
The performances set the stage for a big day at Esko.
“Today was a great day for Ely track, and I was proud to see the senior boys leave their mark on the north subsection,“ said Helms. “Now we prepare to head south and fight for the section title next week.”