Sports

Playing without three starters and facing unbeaten Tower-Soudan, Ely’s high school girls basketball team had a tall order Thursday night.<BR><BR>And the tallest of the Golden Eagles erased any hopes of a Timberwolves upset.<BR><BR>Katie Jamnick, Tower-Soudan’s 6-1 center, dominated inside as the Golden Eagles pulled away in the second half for a 58-34 Arrowhead Conference victory.<BR><BR>Jamnick scored 15 points, snared 14 rebounds and dominated defensively, swatting eight shots and forcing Ely to stay outside.<BR><BR>Many of Jamnick’s rebounds and blocked shots set up fast-break baskets for the Golden Eagles, who won for the tenth time in as many games.<BR><BR>Tower-Soudan, ranked eighth in Class A, had too much firepower for the undermanned Wolves, who continued to play without injured starters Jackie Lekatz, Kelsey Ivancich and Christa Streit.<BR><BR>The Wolves, who pulled out a dramatic win over Chisholm two

Ely’s high school girls basketball team won one low-scoring battle and lost another during the 12th Annual Ely Holiday Tournament.<BR><BR>The Timberwolves edged Lake of the Woods 35-31 Tuesday afternoon but were stymied by Cromwell, falling 36-16 the next day.<BR><BR>Ely met Eveleth in the tournament finale, completed after the Echo’s early New Year’s holiday deadline.<BR><BR>Both of the first two contests were marked by solid defense, and even in defeat the Wolves were effective in containing Cromwell (7-1), one of the area’s top Class A teams.<BR><BR>“I think the low score is an indication that it was a good defensive game both ways,” said Ely Head Coach Judy Klun. “We had trouble scoring.

As usual, Ely’s high school basketball teams won’t have to go far to get some games during the holiday break.<BR><BR>Only a drive to the high school gymnasium is in order for members of both the Timberwolves’ boys and girls squads, who host opponents from around the area in the 12th Annual Ely Holiday Tournament.<BR><BR>The three-day, 12-game event tips off at 1 p.m.

For the better part of 30 minutes of basketball Tuesday night, the Ely Timberwolves stymied and shut down undefeated Tower-Soudan.<BR><BR>But the Golden Eagles turned the tables in the final two minutes of the high school boys basketball game, blanking the Wolves and hitting enough key shots to pull out a 55-51 victory.<BR><BR>The Wolves led 51-47 with two minutes left, but Tower-Soudan scored the final eight points and finished off a 14-3 run that encompassed the final five minutes.<BR><BR>Jesse Quick’s three-pointer cut the gap to 51-50 with 1:40 to go, and Steve Jamnick sank two free throws 30 seconds later to put the Golden Eagles (4-0) ahead to stay.<BR><BR>Zach Schroeder, Quick and Robbie Reichensperger all had single free throws in the final minute to seal the win.<BR><BR>The late collapse spoiled an otherwise solid evening for the Wolves and especially senior star Tim Scott - who led all scorers and carried the Ely

Ely’s high school Nordic ski teams couldn’t have asked for a much better start.<BR><BR>The girls squad dominated a Dec. 11 meet at Giants Ridge, taking six of the first nine places and rolling to victory in a meet that attracted skiers from 14 schools.<BR><BR>And the surprise of the day may have been turned in by the Ely boys, who finished ahead of everyone except defending state champion Duluth East en route to a second-place standing.<BR><BR>“It was a great first meet,” said Ely Head Coach Paula Anderson. “Everybody had a good race from the top on down, from the varsity through down to the junior high... The girls were strong and the boys did really super.

If the Vermilion Ironmen go on to have a banner season, they might point to their Dec. 11 game at Anoka-Ramsey as the contest that started it all.<BR><BR>Severely shorthanded by injuries, the community college basketball team went to Anoka and pulled out a 56-55 win against one of the state’s top teams.<BR><BR>Sophomore Gavin Erickson’s 15-foot jumper with three seconds left gave the Ironmen the win and a split on a tough road swing that started with a 71-55 loss at Minneapolis.<BR><BR>But VCC still managed a solid weekend - and got a gutty win - despite the absence of top scorers Aaron Overby and Jameel Koonce and guard Wendell Hairston, all injured and on the bench.<BR><BR>Erickson’s game-winning hoop and a huge performance by freshman guard Anthony Anderson, who had a game-high 34 points, eight assists and six steals - lifted Vermilion (3-4).<BR><BR>“I was really impressed,” said Vermilion Head Coach Paul McDonald.

It would be quite a feat to top their performance from a year ago, but that’s exactly what members of the Ely Nordic ski teams are out to do.<BR><BR>The Timberwolves’ high school girls squad won the section title and placed third in the one-class state competition, while Ely’s boys were third in the section and sent two skiers to state.<BR><BR>That seems like a tough act to follow, but the Wolves appear to be in good shape for another strong season.<BR><BR>Five of the seven Wolves who formed Ely’s section champion girls squad are back and the boys team returns both of its state participants.<BR><BR>Ely was scheduled to open the season over the weekend in a meet at Giants Ridge.<BR><BR>For the Ely girls, it was the first step in a quest to return to state competition.<BR><BR>“Our hope is really to come together as a team as far as working together and supporting each other,” said head coach Paula Anderson, who ta

Despite losses to graduation, injuries and defections, Ely’s high school boys hockey team still has plenty of skaters.<BR><BR>With over 30 players out for the squad, the Timberwolves are fielding both varsity and B-squad teams and figure to count depth as one of their strengths during the 2004-2005 campaign.<BR><BR>Ely is 1-2 thus far, starting with a win at Bagley but falling to Delano and Moose Lake-Willow River the weekend of Nov.

Over the weekend at Ironwood, Mich., the Vermilion men's basketball team went 1-1 at a tournament hosted by Gogebic Community College. The women's team lost both of its tournament games.<BR><BR>The Ironmen lost 96-79 to Gogebic in the first round, despite 39 points from Jameel Koonce. VCC beat Hibbing 85-83 in the consloation finals, with Koonce scoring 30 points and Anthony Anderson adding 26.<BR><BR>In the women's tournament, Gogebic beat the Ironwomen 78-51 Saturday. Former Ely Timberwolves Lara Doran (16 points) and Gena Jerich (14) were Vermilion’s top scorers.<BR><BR>The Ironwomen couldn't hang on to a six-point second-half lead in the consolation round and lost 57-54 to Northern Division rival Hibbing. Jerich had 18 points and Doran finished with 15 points for VCC, 0-4.<BR><BR>Both Vermilion teams host Fergus Falls Friday in Ely.

No matter who the Ely Timberwolves match up with this winter, there’s a good chance that the best player on the floor will be wearing an Ely uniform.<BR><BR>In senior Tim Scott - who has a chance to become one of the few players in state history to score 2,000 points and collect 1,000 rebounds -the high school boys basketball team has one of the area’s top players.<BR><BR>Scott, a three-year starter and all-conference selection and an all-area pick last year, leads the Timberwolves into the 2004-2005 campaign, which starts Tuesday night with a home game against local rival Babbitt-Embarrass (7:30 p.m., high school gymnasium).<BR><BR>The Wolves have plenty of question marks after the graduation of several seniors who helped contributed to a 14-10 season in 2003-2004, but there are no questions about the talents of Scott, who averaged 24.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest.<BR><BR>Ely will look to the 6-3 Scott in all areas, according