Northeast Range/Ely will build on the fly this fall.
The high school girls swimming team lost athletes both to graduation and attrition but brings back some experienced swimmers as well.
An overall young NRE team got its feet wet at Thursday’s Rock Ridge Relays and the regular season begins in earnest Tuesday at Babbitt, with a 4:30 p.m. home meet against International Falls.
Head Coach Cheri De-Beltz is working with 17 swimmers, although the look of the team is a bit different than originally anticipated.
“There’s been obviously a change since last year,” said DeBeltz. “We lost a few swimmers we weren’t expecting to lose, but that’s the joys of sports and high school athletics. There’s change and there’s an unknown variable.”
Senior Via DeBeltz is the lone individual medalist returning from 2024. She placed seventh in Section 7A in the 500 freestyle as a junior, and was one of the leading swimmers for the Nighthawks all of last fall.
She’s also part of a medal- winning relay that’s back, joining seniors Tuuli Koivisto and Alyssa Ice on a 200 freestyle relay foursome that also medaled.
“They were all part of a medal-winning relay team that took seventh,” said Cheri DeBeltz. “I’m hoping to fill that spot in with one of our younger swimmers. It could be Jorden Borchert, who is in 10th grade, or Ivy Ohlhauser who is coming in, or really any of these younger girls.”
Via DeBeltz, Ice and Koivisto are the only seniors and team captains for 2025.
“They bring a lot of experience,” Cheri DeBeltz said of the senior group. “Via and Tuuli have been with us the longest and Alyssa joined when she moved to the area. All have a lot of knowledge and it’s great having them on the deck, full of knowledge and willing to help the younger swimmers.”
Moon Vetos-Keen is the lone junior, while sophomores on the varsity are Elena Freking, Bela Moskovitz and Jorden Borchert.
The freshman contingent, meanwhile, consists of Lindsay Israel, Maddie Johnson and Ivy Ohlhauser.
Ohlhauser, DeBeltz and eighth-grader Lucy Luthens were part of a 10th place section relay team last fall in the 400 freestyle.
Luthens is part of a deep group of eighth graders who will make a big jump, joining Avery Bee, Raegan Borchert, Nicole Freking and Evelyn Moran.
The seventh graders are Teagan Ihnen and Kiersten Schoonover.
“We’ve got some good up and coming swimmers,” said Cheri DeBeltz. “All have the potential.”
Following recent history, the team is dominated by Ely students, taking 16 of the 17 spots on the roster.
The relays, held after the deadline, will provide a sneak glimpse of what to expect and serve as an experiment of sorts.
“Some of our older girls will be trying some different events,” said Cheri DeBeltz, who is assisted by Sue Pasmick and Tara Johnson. “With some of the girls we lost no longer in the program, we’ll be seeing where we can expand with some of the older girls, and for the younger girls, it will be showing them what a swim meet looks like with a fun twist to it.”
Tuesday’s home meet with International Falls is the first of six home events at the Babbitt pool.
